From talks of a new middle school to later school start times, much happened in Williamsburg-James City County Schools over the past year. Take a look back at these highlights from WJCC Schools in 2014.
January
- In January, WJCC administrators decided to postpone a decision on the location of the school division’s fourth middle until it had reviewed updated population statistics for growth in the region.
- The WJCC School Board approved the use of $600,000 in January to replace an underground rain water tank that collapsed underneath Matoaka Elementary School’s playground.
- School administrators revisited the possibility of instituting later start times for schools throughout the division during a January meeting.
February
- To make up for an abnormally high number of snow days, WJCC administrators in February decided to extend elementary school class days by five minutes and to cut recess time by 15 minutes for the rest of the 2013-14 school year, prompting a backlash from division parents.
- Superintendent Steven Constantino proposed a $121 million budget that included 1 percent raises for employees, and funds for a new middle school and new central office.
March
- In March, WJCC officials reviewed population growth estimates for the division and again recommended the James Blair administrative offices site as the best location for a fourth middle school.
- Later that month, the school division discontinued offering the GED test for individuals seeking their high school equivalency certification.
- At a joint meeting between the school board and the James City County Board of Supervisors, county leaders asked for a delay in the process to more closely examine options for the school division’s fourth middle school.
- The Williamsburg City Council approved the installation of trailers at Matthew Whaley Elementary School and Berkeley Middle School as a short-term fix for capacity issues.
- The WJCC School Board voted at its March meeting to include funding in its proposed CIP for a 950-seat middle school at the James Blair site. The JCC Supervisors proposed alternative plans at their March meeting, including building additions to the current middle schools or repurposing a high school in the division as a middle school.
April
- In April, the school division proposed renovating and expanding Berkeley Middle School’s cafeteria to address overcrowding issues and to begin lunch later in the day.
- The School Board voted unanimously in April to continue a three-year probationary period for new teachers in the school division, with an option to extend the period by up to two years.
May
- In May, then-acting County Administrator Doug Powell created a committee to examine and select sites for future WJCC schools, including a fourth middle school, but the committee only met once and never produced a report.
- The JCC supervisors put a $28.5 million place holder in the county’s 2015 budget for work on WJCC’s fourth middle school, well short of the School Board’s request for $36 million.
- After the supervisors made their budget recommendations, the school board approved a budget that left several WJCC capital projects unfunded, including the refurbishment of two elementary schools and the construction of a new central office building.
- At the end of the month, 10-year veteran WJCC administrator Dr. David Gaston left the school division to become superintendent of Charles City County Public Schools.
- About 100 Warhill High School students staged a walk-out May 29 to protest the school’s new administration and what they said was a deteriorating school climate.
June
- In June, the school division announced it would debut a series of new apps for students, parents and teachers to facilitate instruction throughout the school division.
- Superintendent Steve Constantino went back to the drawing board for fourth middle school plans in June at the behest of members of the JCC Board of Supervisors.
- At their June meeting, members of the School Board approved a calendar for the 2014-15 school year that included snow day makeup plans ad standardized recess periods.
July
- In July, WJCC launched a new website for the school division and each school.
August
- In August, the school division raised school lunch prices by 10 cents for the 2014-15 school year.
- WJCC Chief Financial Officer Terry Stone left the school division in August to become assistant superintendent for finance and administration in Henrico County Public Schools.
September
- In September, WJCC became one of 22 school divisions in the state to have all of its schools reach full accreditation.
October
- In October, Superintendent Steve Constantino presented his latest plan for a fourth middle school at the James Blair site, consisting of a two-phase construction approach. The school board endorsed the plan at its meeting later in the month.
- After months of discussions on the fourth middle school issue, leaders in the school division and the county pledged to work together to find a solution.
November
- In November, the JCC Board of Supervisors approved Phase One of Superintendent Steve Constantino’s plan for a fourth middle school at the James Blair site.
December
- In December, WJCC announced Isle of Wight County Schools Chief Financial Officer Christina Berta would take over as WJCC CFO on Jan. 5.
- Later that month, school administrators unveiled a timeline for construction of the fourth middle school.
- At its December meeting, the Williamsburg City Council appointed Kyra Cook as the city’s newest representative on the WJCC School Board, replacing Dr. Oscar Prater.
- Before a visit to Williamsburg in December, Gov. Terry McAuliffe released updated budget recommendations that left state funding for K-12 education untouched.
