Lacrosse dominates W-JCC schools' public hearing on budget as players seek support

It's Feb. 18. Local lacrosse booster says players will be visiting James City County supervisors next. Local political parties set their leadership rosters, strategy for upcoming redistricting vote.

Lacrosse players from all three area high schools showed up at school board hearing Tuesday night. (Williamsburg Watch photo)

Lacrosse fans dominated the talk when the Williamsburg-James City County schools held a public hearing on its proposed $201 million budget Tuesday night. And the James City County board of supervisors is their next stop.

Normally, these hearings feature citizens who are either for or against spending more money, including teachers’ representatives.

But the hearing Tuesday, as well as the open comments session afterwards, was dominated by speakers encouraging the schools to make lacrosse a varsity sport.

More than three dozen students from the three W-JCC high schools who play lacrosse in clubs showed up. About a third of them spoke, many of them to thank the school board for tentatively including lacrosse funding in the $201 million budget proposed for the new fiscal year that begins July 1.

Lacrosse players have regularly appeared at meetings of both the W-JCC and …