Charlottesville’s school division is bypassing several of the more controversial recommendations in a recent efficiency review, including calls for increasing class sizes, firing six assistant principals and cutting dozens of instructional assistants.

The Charlottesville school division learned Wednesday that it is expected to get $1.88 million less in state funding by fiscal 2010 than the amount approved in this year’s budget.

It’s a shameful scar in Charlottesville’s history — but locals who attended a commemoration marking the 50th anniversary of Massive Resistance to school integration said that piece of history should not be forgotten.

Charlottesville resident Valerie Walcott lives close enough to Johnson Elementary School to walk there — but this year, as she dropped off two of her children Wednes-day for the first day of school, the walk was made a little better thanks to some new asphalt.

Louisa County High School will have a new principal July 1. Doug Straley, Louisa’s athletics director, has been chosen to replace Mike Wills, who is leaving to become the principal of Randolph-Henry High School in Charlotte County.

Character of races questioned