The Charlottesville (VA) City Schools are undertaking major new construction and renovation at the 1960s era Charlottesville Middle School. Designed by VMDO Architects, the project started with construction of a new four-story school building, which was completed and occupied by students in August. With students in the new building, the former Buford Middle School is being completely renovated, to be reoccupied in August 2026.
When students departed the Buford School, the school district would be left with a building full of furniture. Perfectly good furniture, in use right up to the last day of school. Charlottesville City Schools have received state and national recognition for their environmental initiatives, spanning energy and water use, construction practices, recycling, and environmental education. Throwing away all that usable furniture wasn’t going to happen.
Over at the new building, Commonwealth School Equipment (CSE) had the contract to provide furnishings. In discussions among David Hawkins of CSE, Charlottesville City Schools project managers Stewart Harding and Michael Goddard, and Katie Breckinridge of VMDO Architects, the old Buford Middle School furnishings were a topic of conversation. David mentioned IRN – The Reuse Network as an option. The Reuse Network matches usable used furniture from American schools with nonprofit organizations active in disaster relief and community development. Nationwide, The Reuse Network has placed more than two million items of furniture for reuse. Stewart and Michael asked David to make an introduction.
Plans fell in place quickly, and when students vacated the Buford School in early June, The Reuse Network had recipients waiting. One trailer was packed with desks and chairs and shipped to schools in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Another was provided to communities in Haiti. A third was shipped to schools in Honduras. In all, 1,219 items from the Buford Middle School were provided to The Reuse Network’s nonprofit partners. Another 150 pieces – items unfit or unsuitable for reuse – were recycled through a local metal dealer. Nothing ended up in a landfill.
Separately, a smaller furniture replacement was underway at Charlottesville’s Trailblazer Elementary School. There The Reuse Network filled a trailer with 363 student desks, chairs, and other items for shipment to schools in Jamaica.
“Reuse was the best decision we could have made,” said Stewart Harding, project manager for the Charlottesville City Schools. “Reuse upholds our commitment to the environment, it sends the right message to our students, staff, and taxpayers, and it gets classroom furniture to kids who have none. We couldn’t ask for a better outcome.”
