JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. — The Williamsburg James City County school district may not exist by 2027 when the current contract expires. Both localities have conducted their own studies into how exactly the split may work; the county released their study Tuesday.
The city initiated the conversation of a split in June of 2023, citing poor performance and overcrowding as two of their reasons to explore separating. The school system has been around nearly seven decades. The city released their own study in April.
Watch: Study into split of WJCC school system shows learning gaps for city students
Ruth Larson with the James City County Board of supervisors addresses both concerns.
“We did just recently sign off on two Pre-K centers that will be at our elementary schools, that will help clear some room in our classrooms especially elementary level," said Larson. “James City County wants students to perform whether they are James City County students or city of Williamsburg students, it’s very important to us that all students achieve.”
The nine-month study, spearheaded by consultant David Gaston, explored issues like redistricting and separating school buildings.
Watch: New Pre-K centers may help overcrowding at WJCC elementary schools
“How do we go about taking all of this and separating it and saying this bus goes here, that pencil goes there, this laptop goes there?” said Gaston.
Gaston says there are currently four middle schools in the joint WJCC Public Schools School Division: Berkeley Middle School, Hornsby Middle School, Toano Middle School, and James Blair Middle School. James Blair and Berkeley are on Williamsburg property, while Toano and Hornsby are located in the County.
If the joint school agreement is terminated, roughly 600 students would be displaced when Blair and Berkeley move over to the City, Gaston said. To avoid overcrowding, the County would have to construct a third middle school within its boundaries, Gaston explained.
“If we are going to get permission to go independent, that new middle school is going to be vital to get finished and that’s going to be a determiner of a lot of the dates and what happens because we can’t move the students until we have that building ready to go,” said Gaston.
Gaston estimates constructing a new school would cost more than $100 million, which puts pressure on the 2027 deadline of the contract expiring.
Watch: Drivers charged after students get injured in Williamsburg school bus crash
Larson said next on the agenda for the James City County Board of Supervisors is community feedback, by way of surveys, public input sessions and focus groups. Those will take place this fall.
