Education in and around the Town of Altavista is first-rate, with a full complement of public, private, technical and advanced learning opportunities and results that speak for themselves.
The Altavista schools are part of the Campbell County Public School System, which operates eight elementary schools, four middle schools, four high schools, a career and technical center and an alternative school. All schools are offers programs for gifted and talented students and are fully accredited by the Virginia Board of Education. The high schools are accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Nearly 40 percent of all Campbell County teachers have earned a master's degree and as of 2008 the average pupil/teacher ratio throughout the system was 17:1. Average SOL scores in the system were at or above the state averages. College Board scores were also at or above national averages.
Schools in the Town of Altavista
- Altavista Elementary School (AES)- A new complex was built in 1995. Located at 2190 Lynch Mill Road, this $5 million school replaced all three of the former elementary school facilities that had served the community. The new AES, which won Virginia's Best Masonry Design Award for 1995, offers multiple classrooms, resource rooms, a gymnasium/multi-purpose room, cafeteria, library, and media center. Enrollment in 2007-08 was 635 with a ratio of one elementary teacher per 19.2 students.
- Altavista Combined School (ACS) - The Altavista Combined School, located at 904 Bedford Avenue, combines the Altavista Middle School (grades 6-8) and the Altavista High School (grades 9-12) into one institution. AMS essentially operates a school within a school under a single principal. During the 2007-2008 school year, ACS served a total of 754 students – 325 from the middle school and 429 from the high school. The student-teacher ratio was 14.2:1.
Accolades
In 2008 the U.S. News & World Report—in collaboration with School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education and data research institute that provides education data on Schoolmatters.com—analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 public high schools to find the very best across the country. Schools were placed into gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention categories. Altavista High School was one of 27 schools to receive a Bronze Award and the only school within the Region 2000 area to receive an award.
Technical Training
Campbell County Technical Center – The Campbell County Technical Center is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 29 and Route 24. Courses are offered in the following vocations: auto mechanics, auto servicing, auto body, cosmetology, food service, carpentry, electricity, early childhood education, nurse’s aide, computer networking hardware operations, A+ computer systems technology, criminal justice, nuclear energy technologies and emergency medical technician. Student apprenticeships are offered in all programs.
Other Educational Opportunities
- CVCC Altavista Center – The Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) Altavista Center plays a critical role in the economic development of the area. It opened in January 2001 at the Altavista Office Park (formerly the Lane Corporate Office Building) at 701 5th Street near downtown. The Center offers a wide spectrum of day and evening programs in credit and credit-free modes. It also provides customized training in workforce development for business and industry. Delivery systems include traditional classroom instruction, on-line classes, compressed video (interactive TV in real time), computer-assisted programs, Lab-in-box learning, and hybrid courses that combine on-line learning and compressed video. Assessment services include COMPASS placement testing, Work Keys assessments, and career and interest inventories.
- In addition to the CVCC Altavista Center, there are 16 public and private, two-year and four-year colleges/universities, many of which offer graduate programs, within approximately a 50-mile radius of Altavista.
- Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology - Located at Heritage High School in the City of Lynchburg, the Governor’s School is a regional school providing extended learning experiences in math, science and technology. The courses are collegiate level and the instructors encourage intensive study and debate.
- South Central Area Health Education Center (SCAHEC) – SCAHEC is an independent, non-profit organization offering nurse aid and medication aid classes and regional testing for Nurse Aid Certification. Located in Altavista, the center serves the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell, Henry, Franklin, Patrick, Pittsylvania and the cities of Bedford, Danville, Lynchburg, and Martinsville. Upon program completion, a student is eligible to take the State exam for certification. This program serves approximately 100 students each year.
- Sheltered Workshop - Rehabilitative Services – Altavista has a non-profit sheltered workshop facility that serves the counties of Campbell and Pittsylvania. Cooperating in the venture are the Town of Altavista, the Town of Hurt, the City of Danville, the Community Services Boards of Lynchburg and Danville, the Department of Rehabilitative Services, and private industry. The Sheltered Workshop allows individuals with disabilities to achieve greater independence and self-esteem through a variety of programs, including work adjustment and pre-vocational training – a program funded by Medicaid waiver. The workshop has the capacity to serve 40 clients.
Private Schools
There are several private schools located within a 25-mile radius of Altavista. The closest of these, Faith Christian Academy located across the river in Hurt, is a private, faith-based school that provides educational services for preschool and grades K-12. Founded in 1989, the school is an integral part of the greater Altavista community. Faith Christian Academy had 170 students enrolled in 2008-2009 and employs numerous teachers who reside in Altavista. The student/teacher ratio in 2008 was 10:1.
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