WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — It appears James City County and the City of Williamsburg may go their separate ways when it comes to school districts.
While James City County and the City of Williamsburg are separate government entities, they share many regional services, including the school system. About 10,000 students come from the county, while around a thousand are from the city.
On Tuesday, the James City County Board of Supervisors elected to terminate a contract for joint operations with Williamsburg. It would be effective at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
The Board said this will ensure the County has enough time to prepare for "implications of a system split brought on by the action of the City of Williamsburg in June."
"In a resolution passed on June 8, 2023, the City Council authorized an investigation into the feasibility of a school operations split," the Board of Supervisors said in a statement. "Depending on the City’s feasibility study conclusions, the County could have been left with as little as 13 months to plan for potentially displaced students and administrative logistics. Terminating the Contract now gives the County two years to prepare and meet its obligation to protect the education, health, welfare and safety of County students."
In addition, the district is made up of three schools and a school administration building, located in the City limits, and 13 schools and the bus operations center are in the county.
"Operating as an independent school division would require the County to ensure adequate capacity for all grade levels and would require additional classroom space," the board said in its release.
The Board said it's willing to negotiate a new contract with the City if both parties find that a joint system would best serve students.
"Any potential change in school operations is expected to preserve employment opportunities for all current teachers and staff," the board said.
