Parents unaware of WJCC school redistricting

Good morning! More than half of parents surveyed about a planned school redistricting were not aware it was being considered. York County plans for new courthouse and administration building.

Dec 17, 2025

Stonehouse Elementary is already overcrowded (WJCC schools photo)

More than half the parents whose kids attend Williamsburg-James City County schools appear to be unaware that a redistricting plan is in the works.

The consulting firm guiding the process told the school board Tuesday that 52% of the nearly 2,300 families they surveyed were not aware that redistricting would occur in 2027.

But those who answered the survey told MGT Consulting that keeping their children in their local schools was the second most important criteria for them, after teacher quality.

School officials launched the redistricting project to maximize school capacity after the five preschool classrooms of the Bright Beginnings program go into operation in 2027.

Attendance is not projected to grow substantially over the next decade, prompting School Superintendent Daniel Keever to tell Williamsburg and James City County leaders there is no need to build a new school for at least a decade.

But population growth patterns will cause overcrowding at three elementary schools in the system if students aren’t shifted elsewhere, school officials say.

Stonehouse Elementary is already over its 772-pupil capacity, with more than 800 students this year, according to school figures. Enrollment would grow to 900 in five years if nothing is changed.

Matthew Whaley elementary is also above capacity, with more growth projected. D.J. Montague’s enrollment is projected to exceed capacity in 2028.

Capacity projections from MGT Consulting

The other schools are under capacity and projected to remain that way,

The redistricting process must take into effect different, often conflicting objectives, the consultants told the school board. Those include minimizing disruption to students, making sure all students have access to similar facilities, and minimizing transportation problems.

Another factor would be adjusting feeder patterns from elementary to middle and then high schools, so that students remain with their friends as they advance through the grades.

The more than 3,000 students who were also surveyed said this was the most important factor for them.

For the 786 staff who responded to the survey, small class sizes and caseloads was the number one priority.

Michael T. Hosang, who represents the Stonehouse district on the school board, said the area is growing so much that not all students who move in will be able to attend Stonehouse or Norge Elementary.

“Families are going to have to start thinking about this,” he said.

Several board members expressed concern that a potentially large number of families were unaware of the redistricting plans.

Lack of public awareness seems to be a common issue in the area. The James City County board of supervisors took heat this year from residents who said they had not heard of the coming new government center, even though it had been discussed publicly for four years.

To avoid a similar issue on redistricting, Keever vowed “to communicate broadly that this is something that is happening (to) keep it in front of folks.”

Roberts District representative Daniel R. Cavazos asked if the administration knew how many students might be affected.

Keever said those numbers would surface as the redistricting study gets under way.

Consultant proposal for phasing in construction plans

York County supervisors plan to replace both the courthouse and the county administration building, at a cost estimated by one supervisor at between $70 million to $95 million.

And in a warning to the Williamsburg Regional Library, they also added in a $2 million placeholder to study library space for the north end of the county, if York cannot reach a new contract agreement with the regional group.

The board of supervisors will spend $3 million for preliminary design work to obtain a cost estimate for the courthouse and administrative building.

“We know it needs to be done,” Board Chair Sheila S. Noll said.

Fifth District representative Thomas G. Shepperd, Jr. said in his district newsletter that the cost won’t be as high as the $180 million James City County is spending for its new government office building but could still come in at $70 million to $90 million.

A representative from PMA consultants, which completed a county space study in September, sketched out a 14-year plan that would phase in the construction project in three main stages.

The consultants said the extra space was needed to handle increased work as the county population continues to grow.

County Administrator Mark L. Bellamy Jr. said the county would plan its construction projects to remain within its financial guidelines, which restrict general fund debt payments to 3% of the net assessed value of the county’s taxable property, and annual debt service payments not above 10% of operating fund expenses.

Bellamy said the preliminary design should take about six months.

Vice Chair Douglas R. Holroyd said he would like to learn more about how James City County is paying for its government center through a leaseback from the Economic Development Authority to see if it was an option for funding construction.

There wasn’t much discussion about the potential library project in Holroyd’s First district. But Holroyd told his constituents in his newsletter this week a new facility could offer an alternative to the regional library.

York officials have said they don’t want to pay more for their role in the regional library. The library’s preliminary budget would increase York’s contribution by 8.3% next year to $964, 653.

York County supervisors approved the expansion of the Faith Recovery group home near Williamsburg to increase the occupancy from 16 to 21 people.

The Christian-based facility operates two homes for recovering addicts on Ewell Road at the intersection of Williamsburg and James City and York counties.

The group home is near Colonial Carts, single family homes off Mooretown Road in James City County, and the Williamsburg Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall.