U.Va. gifted $43.4M for early childhood learning center

University of Virginia alumni Kathleen and David LaCross have given $43.4 million to the School of Education and Human Development at their alma mater, according to a Friday announcement. It’s the largest donation in the education school’s history.

The money will allow U.Va. to join local partners in building an early childhood learning center in Charlottesville. In addition to providing children with instructional and developmental care, the facility will give U.Va. students the opportunity to gain practical career experience.

“This inspired gift from Kathy and David LaCross is a profound vote of confidence in UVA‘s ability to lead, innovate and serve the public good,” U.Va. President Scott Beardsley said in a statement. “The gift activates key components of the university’s mission — education, public service and research — and enables us to connect academic excellence with local partnerships to deliver real-world impact and a strong start in life for Charlottesville children.”

The donation reflects the LaCrosses’ desire to leverage the university’s expertise to benefit local children, according to Kathleen LaCross.

More than 35% of students in Charlottesville and Albemarle County began the 2021 school year below the expected readiness levels in literacy, math, self-regulation and social skills for kindergarten entry, according to research by the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program.

“Providing high-quality educational and developmental experiences at the youngest ages sets children up for success in school and in life,” Kathleen LaCross said in a statement.

The center will also create local jobs and could potentially serve as a national model, she added.

David LaCross founded California-based Risk Management Technologies, a developer of financial decision support software. He sold the company in 1997.

David LaCross earned a degree in quantitative methods and an MBA from U.Va. Kathleen LaCross graduated from U.Va. in 1976 with a degree in psychology.

The couple are major donors to the university. In 2022, the LaCrosses gave $44 million to the Darden School of Business. Matching funds from the university brought that gift up by $6 million. The following year, the couple announced they were adding $50 million to the gift. The next year, the university established the LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Business. Additionally, the LaCross Botanical Gardens at U.Va. are named for the couple.

In 2025, the LaCrosses gave $5 million to the U.Va.’s education school to establish the LaCross University Professorship in Early Childhood Education and Development. That gift received a $5 million match from the university.

Plans for the childhood learning center forecast an eventual enrollment of more than 100 children up to age 5. Some children from low-income households will attend at no cost, while other households will pay tuition.

Details about community partners working with U.Va. on the early learning center will be announced later, according to a news release.