NORFOLK, Va. — The future of Maury High School in Norfolk was expected to get one step closer to a decision Tuesday night, with the Norfolk City Council meeting in City Hall to vote on a comprehensive plan.
But instead, that vote was continued.
Watch: Latest proposal for Maury High includes demolishing Ghent School, adding stadium
With only brief remarks by Councilwoman Courtney Doyle, Norfolk City Council voted to wait until the next city council meeting to decide what to do about proposed plans for a new Maury High School.
Doyle voted against the delay and said if the vote is delayed, it needs to happen in August because the longer the wait, the more expensive the project gets due to inflation.
“We decided in closed session there was some unreadiness," said Norfolk City Councilman John "JP" Paige.
Watch: Preliminary plan unveiled for Norfolk schools to be closed, repurposed, rebuilt
Paige voted in favor of delaying the vote.
After the council meeting, he said the council wanted more information before taking a vote, and he wanted residents to be able to have a say.
“It’s all of the citizens’ money that’s being spent, not just one particular part of the city. So I think giving us time, we could all move forward with a better understanding and the citizens will be able to have more valuable input," Paige explained. "Also, we have some things that are being decided by the school board that we’re waiting on.”
As News 3 has reported, developing a new Maury High School is part of a larger plan to consolidate and close multiple school buildings in the city.
Watch: Concerns over Ghent School playground as new Maury HS design gets NPS board's OK
One proposed plan for Maury High School, the newest plan submitted the week before the council meeting, calls for demolishing the nearby Ghent School and building a football stadium and track there.
A previous plan calls for the Ghent School to remain.
“It is my thoughts that we’ll be voting on the new plan," said Paige.
Watch: Public starts weighing in on list of 10 Norfolk schools recommended to close
Once the council votes on a plan, it will then go to the Norfolk School Board, which will make the final decision about the future of Maury High School.
The school board had been given a deadline of August 1 to finalize a plan for closing and consolidating other school buildings across the division. How the delayed vote on plans for a new Maury High School would impact that deadline was unclear Tuesday.
