Making The Grade
Kindergarten through college, Lynchburg receives high marks for its exceptional number of high-quality schools.
Talk about school choice. For starters, Lynchburg has two public high schools, a Governors' School for Science and Technology, one regional Catholic School, and Episcopal boarding school, three other Christian schools, one private K-8 school, several pre-schools, and a school designed for children with learning disabilities.
Beyond that, the city is host to five colleges: Liberty University, Lynchburg College, Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Virginia University of Lynchburg, and Central Virginia Community College. If you count the fledgling Christ College in what used to be the Jones Memorial Library building, there are six. Additionally, Sweet Briar College is tucked into the Amherst County foothills less than 20 miles away.
The community has always cherished its secondary schools above all and it shows. In 2005, both E.C. Glass and Heritage made Newsweek's inceasingly competitive list of the nations top 1000 public high schools. The schools' respective national rankings of 412 and 615 were based on a combination of Advance Placement (AP) examinations and graduation rates.
A $28 million renovation and construction project at E. C. Glass High School will be completed this year. Students and faculty are already using a new science wing, while work on Classroom additions and an auxiliary gym continues on schedule.
Although they're wonderful to tout, magazine ratings and building projects are really peripheral to the main mission of education. Over the years, Lynchburg has fine-tuned a system flexible enough to help its students reach their academic potential.
The "Partners in Education" program provides a way for local businesses to form alliances and relationships with Lynchburg public schools, from teh elementary through the high school level. The city hosts the Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology, one of four such facilities established in Virginia in 1985, and has turned Thomas C. Miller and Dearington Elementary Schools into places to develop the exceptional skills of younger children.
The Laurel School serves severely handicapped students. The Amelia Pride Center gives another chance to those who have chronic disciplinary or classroom problems and are on the verge of becoming dropouts.
Overall, the city has an early learning center, twelve elementary schools, and three middle schools that feed into E.C. Glass and Heritage High Schools.
With strong teaching programs at several nearby colleges, local schools don't have to look too far to find quality educators, and teachers certainly don't have to look far to find employment. In addition to Lynchburg, Central Virginia supports several public high schools: Jefferson Forest, Liberty, and Staunton River in Bedford county; Rustburg, Brookville, William Campbell and Altavisita High Schools in Campbell county; and countywide secondary schools in Amherst, Appomattox and Nelson County.
Private schools in the area tend to complement, rather than challenge, the public ones. The Virginia School for the Arts is one example. Holy Cross Catholic School, a Lynchburg institution of academic excellence and spiritual formation for over 127 years, "empowers success" by providing a challenging learning environment grounded in Christian values for students.pre-K through 12th grade.
Virginia Episcopal School, highly rated among prep schools in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, offers both a boarding experience and programs for day students.
Lynchburg Christian Academy (two graduates of which currently represent Lynchburg in the Virginia General Assembly) was founded as part of the Reverend Jerry Falwell's ministries. This fall, LCA students entered a gleaming new facility with a brand new names, Liberty Christian Academy.
Two other Christian K-12 schools have sprung up over the past 16 years. New Covenant, which places a unique emphasis on "classical educations," recently moved into a new 33,000-square foot building, featuring a library modeled after one of Thomas Jefferson's pavilions. Timberlake Christian also has a new home, a direct result of increased enrollment.
New Vista, a day school for students grade K-12, has carved out its own niche by providing a strong individualized educational program for students with learning and attention difficulties who are struggling in traditional schools.
The James River Day School is a regional, non-sectarian K-8 day school that optimizes education through scholarship, leadership, and citizenship. Top-to-bottom renovations and new construction projects at James River have included a technology center, media center/library, science and language labs, art and music rooms, cafeteria, and field house.
It is not unusual in Central Virginia for students to shuttle back and forth between private and public schools to find the setting best suited for their particular stage of development. Then, when they graduate, their choice of local colleges is almost as varied.
Liberty University
Nurtured from infancy by the Reverend Falwell and his Thomas Road Baptist Church congregation. Liberty has grown every year of its 35-year existence. its combined residential and distance-learning enrollment numbers reaching 24,000 in 2005, and its campus covers more than 300 acres of Candler's Mountain, east of Lynchburg.
Fall semester 2004 marked the opening of LU's law school, which is intended to buttress the instituion's goal of offering an education "in the context of Christian values." Besides preparing students for the ministry. Liberty is a fully accredited liberal arts university offering 36 undergraduate majors, 30 undergraduate minors, and 15 graduate degrees. It has become known for its nationally ranked debate team. Division I sports program (especially strong in track, baseball and women's basketball) its off-campus Distance Learning Program, and as a magnet for foreign students from more than 74 countries.
Lynchburg College
2003 marked the centennial anniversary of the private college affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). LC has been twice recognized as one of America's leading character-building colleges in the Templeton Foundation Publications Colleges That Change Lives. In 2005 U.S. News & World Report ranked Lynchburg College in the top tier of Southern universities and colleges that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and master degrees.
Despite its church affiliation, Lynchburg College welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.
Traditionally strong in liberal arts and teacher training, it is moving more and more into professional and technology fields. The president, Kenneth Garren, is a former NASA official.
The 2,000 student school offers a classically beautiful campus, a favorable teacher to student ratio, 35 under-graduate majors, and several graduate programs. In addition, its 470 acre Claytor Nature Center, located in Bedford County, provides a diverse natural learning environment for college students and the community.
Randolph-Macon Woman's College (R-MWC)
Considered one of the top single-sex colleges in teh South, R-MWC offers 25 major programs and the flexibility to "mix and match" majors and concentrations. Starting in the summer of 2006, students will also be able to earn masters degrees in two areas with a critical need for qualified teachers. English for Second Language Learners (ESL) and Special Education-Learning Disabilities.
U.S. News & World Report cited R-MWC for its recruitment of international students. The college presents an award to prominent women involved in international relations. Named for Pulitzer Prize-winning author and R-MWC alumna Pearl S. Buck, the award has gone to former Philippines President Corazon Aquino and Jehan Sadat, widow of slain Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Both of whom traveled to Lynchburg to receive it. The most recent recipient was architectural designer Maya Lin, creator the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.
Founded in 1891, R-MWC is located in the center of Lynchburg. Besides its strong academic focus, it is also dedicated to full complement of intercollegiate athletics.
Sweet Briar College
One of the prettiest colleges in Virginia, Sweet Briar offers substance as well as good looks. Now in its 105th year on 3,250 acres just north of Lynchburg, it is consistently ranked among the nation's top liberal arts institutions.
As a women's college, SBC is strongly oriented toward professional post-graduate life. Ninety-two percent of the Class of 2003 had a job or graduate school placement of choice within six months of graduation, a percentage significantly higher than the national average.
SBC is known for its leadership in math, engineering, and the sciences. But it also supports strong arts, education, government, pre-med/pre-vet, pre-law and study abroad programs. A nationally ranked equestrian riding program offers one of the nation's best college facilities. Sweet Briar's Center for Civic Renewal, a frequent sponsor of issue-driven forums, is dedicated to "reinvigorating the concept of citizenship in the United States."
The college offers two distinct co-educational graduate programs in the field of education focusing on differentiated curriculum and instruction: The Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) and The Master of Education (M.Ed.).
Virginia University of Lynchburg
Once known as Virginia Seminary. Virginia Universit of Lynchburg (VUL) is in the process of reshaping its image and expanding its reach. Established in 1886, the school was originally founded as an African-American institution with a mission of preparing students for the ministry. Now, under the energetic leadership of president Ralph Reavis, that mission is being expanded to include more majors and a more diverse student body. Reavis has also spearheaded an ambitious fundraising program to add to the school's physical facilities.
In 2004, VUL was officially recognized as an Historical Black College and University by the U.S. Department of Education. It is operated by the Virginia Baptist Convention.
Central Virginia Community College (CVCC)
This two-year college is all about building things, most notably a bridge to the surrounding community. Thus, it has become a day and evening destination for many Central Virginians who use it as the springboard to a four year institution, to learn a trade, or to keep their skills-up to date. Offering general education, an applied science certificate and a variety of diploma programs, CVCC has reached out even further by establishing satellite centers in Altavista, Bedford, and Brookneal.
The school has also forged durable connections with area businesses. Several firms use it as a credit-granting institution for applied technology degrees in electronics, nuclear support technologies, and electrical and control technology. In addition, CVCC's Work Keys Center and ACT Center provide customized training assessment and certification alternatives.
Miller-Motte Technical College
Miller-Motte Technical College has helped to meet the employment needs of local businesses and industries since 1929. As Central Virginia has gradually shifted from a manufacturing dominated economy to one more focused on services, Miller-Motte's programs have adapted to meet the changing needs.
The college offers training in such areas as administrative office technology, criminal justice, health-care technology, management, massage therapy, medical assisting, pharmacy technology, and surgical technology.
Miller-Motte's career placement assistance department works with students prior to graduation to determine areas of employment interest and to explore placement options. Students are notified of appropriate employment opportunities as they arise.
