29News: Field School has groundbreaking ceremony for new location
By Elli Jones
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - The Field School broke ground Thursday on a new campus just west of Charlottesville, off Barracks Road, marking a $15 million investment in a facility designed specifically for middle school boys.
The school has operated for more than a decade out of a shared, rented, 102-year-old building in Crozet. The new Aerie Campus is intended to address overcrowding and provide a larger, permanent home for the school.
Head of School Bo Perriello said the project has been in the works for years.
He said the new space will give students more room to learn and more opportunities to grow, both indoors and outdoors.
“Building this really intentionally with middle school boys in mind gives them not just the indoor learning space but the outdoor spaces they need to really thrive,” Perriello said.
Perriello said the investment is part of a broader conversation about keeping young boys engaged and on a path to success.
“Our goal is to give them the skills they need to be successful not just in high school but in life,” he said.
Phil Stinnie, director of student life and director of community engagement, said outdoor learning is already central to the school’s approach.
“We try to keep the kids outside as much as we can — and most of the teachers do have some kind of work and parts of their curriculum that they do outside,” Stinnie said.
Field School alumni also attended Thursday’s groundbreaking celebration. Alumni Asher Scarboro and Grayson Lindsey said the school stands out for its close-knit community and hands-on opportunities.
“It’s cool how everyone is so close and all the teachers really know you,” they said. “It’s a lot of fun that we got to go places and do a lot of field trips and activities that normal public schools I feel like wouldn’t be able to do.”
The school plans to open the new campus for the 2027-2028 school year.
