HISTORIC TRIANGLE – About 16% of Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools students could attend a different school in 2027 under a proposed redistricting plan, prompting the division to begin planning for the transition to new attendance zones for students, families and staff.
The School Board received updates on Tuesday on the proposed map and the division’s WJCC United roadmap, which outlines how the division plans to prepare students and families for the changes.
The Redistricting Steering Committee unanimously recommended that Superintendent Daniel Keever move forward with the August draft of the proposed attendance zones. The committee considered school capacity, neighborhood boundaries, transportation, demographics, feeder patterns and student impact while developing the map.
The August draft incorporated feedback from community meetings and a survey that received 1,433 responses. Neighborhood considerations and transportation were among the factors families and community members frequently identified, while staff emphasized capacity and demographics.
The recommended map is intended to balance enrollment, account for long-term growth and minimize disruption.
Keever is scheduled to present his recommendation to the School Board Sept. 15, with the board expected to act Oct. 20.
Keever encouraged community members to continue sharing their thoughts, saying he doesn’t “shy away from accepting the feedback.”
Kimberley M. Hundley of the Powhatan District acknowledged that not everyone will be happy with the map but said its benefits may become apparent over time.
Transition Roadmap
The board also heard an update on the WJCC United Transition Roadmap, which is designed to prepare students, families, employees and school communities for the new attendance boundaries beginning in August 2027.
Families are expected to receive their students’ 2027-28 school assignments in November. The division also plans to launch a WJCC United webpage with frequently asked questions and a contact form.
Beginning in January, students and families will have opportunities to connect with their future school communities through welcome events, curriculum fairs, course-selection activities and other events. Students moving from fifth to sixth grade or eighth to ninth grade will participate in “Level Up Days,” while students changing schools within the same grade will have “WJCC United New Connections Days.”
The division said transition work will continue after students move, including family engagement, surveys and student leadership opportunities.
The division is also surveying rising seniors about their preferred school for the 2027-28 school year. Keever said the responses will help inform his final recommendation to the board.
Academic performance reports mixed
The board also heard updates on academic performance for the 2025-26 school year, with improvement in some areas and continued challenges in others.
Seven of nine elementary schools improved their third-grade reading pass rates, student growth increased in reading and math, and chronic absenteeism fell to 8%. All five Bright Beginnings pre-K sites were rated “Meets Expectations.”
Overall reading and math proficiency remained flat, while writing and science declined. Grade 10 writing SOL proficiency fell six percentage points to 74%. The division did not meet its goal of having 85% of students proficient in reading, math or science.
WJCC’s elementary and middle school pass rates in reading, math, science and social studies remained above state averages. High school reading, math and science performance also exceeded state averages, while history and social sciences performance was 13 percentage points below the state average.
The board also received updates on the division’s finances and capital projects.
WJCC ended fiscal year 2026 with roughly $5.3 million in funds remaining, about 2.8% of the annual budget. Revenue exceeded the adopted budget by more than $1.1 million, largely due to state sales tax, while $4.2 million in expenditures came in below appropriations.
Staff recommended putting the year-end funds toward the division’s healthcare reserve, which is expected to total about $7.5 million after a $2.2 million transfer from James City County. The reserve’s target is three months of claims, or about $7.2 million.
The division also reported that six of 19 projects planned for 2026-27 are complete. Planned projects include turf installation at Cooley Field, a generator replacement at Warhill High School, storm drain repairs and widening the road entrance at D.J. Montague Elementary School.
The board received an update on the division’s instructional technology focus group, which reviewed concerns about inconsistent technology use, student distraction and access to inappropriate websites during school hours. The division said it is addressing the concerns through digital citizenship instruction, classroom monitoring tools and updates to its internet firewall.
Ty Hodges of the Jamestown District said he was glad to see the focus group’s response to concerns about elementary students using technology for recreation or “as a babysitter or to kill time” in the classroom.
