NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk School Board voted 6–1 on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, to approve a multi-year closure and consolidation plan that will reshape campuses and programs across the division.
Board member Tanya K. Bhasin cast the lone vote against the plan.
The roadmap, adopted after months of discussion about facilities and enrollment, begins in the 2026–27 school year and extends into the next decade. It includes school closures, program relocations and new construction planning designed to reduce building costs and modernize learning spaces.
Before the vote, Bhasin said she supported the board and the school community but could not back the plan at this stage, citing concerns about the process and the lack of clear focus on academic outcomes.
“I do continue to remain concerned about the decision-making process that we’ve used,” she said. “A large part, for me, of what has been missing has been the focus on improving academic outcomes for students.”
Bhasin noted that even in the first year, the plan affects more than one school, describing the ripple effects as “a very big deal.”
“We talk about closing one school, but it’s really not one school,” she said. “It’s one school, repurposing another school, moving students from that school to potentially two other schools. That is changing and transforming three learning communities, three academic homes, three community centers.”
She said she wanted the division to take more time to develop “strong transition plans and communication plans,” and allow boundary and redistricting work to be completed before major moves occur.
“My preference is to have one school in that first year and allow the redistricting boundary work to take place,” Bhasin said. “I just have real reservations about the process we’ve used and the pressure we’ve been under, without academic outcomes and programmatic reviews being at the forefront.”
Despite voting “no,” Bhasin added she would support the board’s decision going forward.
“After today, I fully support the will of the board and stand with you and the community to address this issue,” she said.
Board member Col. Kenneth Paulson (Ret.), who voted in favor of the plan, also expressed reservations about how the process unfolded.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what’s the right thing to do with this, because our process has not been the best,” Paulson said. “We’ve had meetings, we’ve had lots of input, but the process as we’ve moved along has not done well, and we should try to think of that also—how can we make this process better for the future?”
Paulson acknowledged that some community members felt left out of earlier stages of the discussion.
“I don’t think we have informed a lot of the citizens as best they could have been informed,” he said. “That’s kind of in the past—we have to do better going forward.”
He thanked residents who spoke at board meetings for holding members accountable and urged collaboration as the division prepares for additional changes in the years ahead.
“When you come here and you speak, you’re holding us accountable, and thank you for doing that,” Paulson said. “We will be faced with this again and again as the population declines going forward. But if we can get it right and get your help, that will make it easier for us to move forward—and for you to move forward with us.”
What’s changing first (2026–27)
- Willoughby Early Childhood Center will close; Pre-K programs move to Oceanair Elementary.
- Oceanair Elementary will be repurposed; student reassignments will be set through a division-wide redistricting plan.
- Norview Elementary will close, with student reassignments determined in the same redistricting process.
- Rosemont Specialty will be repurposed in summer 2027 to house AOIS, Young Scholars and Ghent programs.
2027–28 changes
- Tarrallton Elementary, P.B. Young Elementary and Granby Elementary will close, with redistricting to determine new assignments. (The P.B. Young date could shift based on neighborhood demolition timelines.)
- Ghent K-8 will move to Rosemont.
- Lindenwood Elementary will be repurposed; timing is tied to the Ghent move and whether Lindenwood is designated as a professional development center.
2028–29 planning and program moves
- SECEP K-12 will relocate to Chesterfield Elementary, which will then be repurposed; redistricting will finalize student moves.
- Design work will begin for a new Jacox Elementary and an additional new elementary school site to be determined (examples include Suburban Park or St. Helena).
- Planning will also begin to integrate a comprehensive career and technical education program at Lake Taylor High School.
2029–30 and beyond
- Berkley Early Childhood Center will close, with students shifting to St. Helena or another site depending on upgrades and enrollment.
- Rebuilds are slated for Jacox Elementary and another TBD elementary school between 2030 and 2033, along with renovations at Lake Taylor High School.
- In 2033–34, the Norfolk Technical Center high school program is planned to consolidate at Lake Taylor High School, contingent on funding allocations.
Redistricting and public input
The division will use the 2025–26 school year to craft a division-wide redistricting plan focused on deconcentrating poverty and improving learning environments. According to the timeline, relocation decisions for affected schools will be finalized by February 2026, followed by public hearings and votes no later than March 30, 2026 (and, for later phases, in fall 2026 and fall 2027).
School officials said additional details on boundary changes, student transportation and program placements will be provided as the redistricting plan is developed.
