Murray High School (Virginia)


Murray High School is a district-backed public charter high school located in Charlottesville, Virginia. It is a part of Albemarle County Public Schools. In August 2018, the Albemarle County School Board renewed Murray's charter to provide Albemarle County families the option of a small, liberal arts high school experience with elective pathways focusing on the creative arts, media, and design. Admission is open to all Albemarle County residents on a lottery basis.

Lab School

As an Albemarle County Public Schools charter school, Murray designs and pilots evidence-based approaches to student-centered learning for possible scale to other ACPS secondary programs. In 2017, Murray became one of twenty schools in the country to partner with MIT to develop open educational resources to help schools implement maker learning. In July 2018, Murray became the first public school in Virginia and one of the first in the country to join the Mastery Transcript Consortium. The William Glasser Institute has designated Murray as one of about two dozen "Glasser Quality Schools" worldwide.

Academics

Murray's philosophical approach is grounded in student-centered learning based on the progressive education movement that began in the late nineteenth century. Murray students are encouraged to pursue personal interests through the curriculum and independently. The Albemarle County School Board approved Murray's adoption of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at its July 11, 2019 meeting.

Athletics

Murray added a squash team in 2018 in collaboration with University of Virginia's McArthur Squash Center and Community Public Charter School. Otherwise, Murray students may participate in athletic offerings or extracurriculars available at the ACPS comprehensive high school to which they are districted.

Facility

Since 2017, the school has added a recording studio, rapid prototyping and advanced manufacturing lab, digital media lab, additional art studio space, and a renovated student commons and kitchen area. Murray shares the facility with Community Public Charter School.