NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Nine Norfolk public schools will close under a draft school closure and repurposing plan released by the school division Monday.
Amid declining enrollment and pressure from City Council, the board is set to finalize the consolidation plan at its Wednesday meeting. The board had said it wouldn’t promise to meet council’s school closure plan deadline of Aug. 1, and indeed, the board did not, asking council to extend the deadline until this Friday, Sept. 19.
Norfolk School Board finds agreement on 9 schools to close, but not on timeline
Two schools — the Berkeley and Willoughby early childhood centers — are planned to close for the 2026-2027 school year, and each year after that, a minimum of two schools will close per year until all closures are completed.
As part of the plan, Jacox Elementary School will be rebuilt, and Lake Taylor High School will be remodeled, and rezoning will take place between the 2027-2028 school year and the 2031-2032 school year. Jacox would be rebuilt in a style similar to Southside STEM Academy to possibly house a citywide program.
Draft Final Consolidation Plan NPSDownload
No later than May 30, 2026 — the day after the last day of school for the 2025-2026 school year — Norfolk Public Schools plans to create a division-wide redistricting plan “focused on decentralizing poverty and improving learning environments for every student.” That’s the day by when the other dates for the remaining school closures will be announced…