For years, as student populations plummeted, Norfolk Public Schools has delayed closing unneeded buildings, which a consultant said cost as much as $20 million in 2022.
Those delays continued Wednesday night after the board failed to vote on a closing plan after a City Council member warned that new projections showing a dramatic decrease in casino revenue targeted for the school system puts the city’s fiscal stability at risk unless the school board acts decisively.
The proposed solution on Wednesday’s agenda did not fulfill the directives of a resolution passed by the City Council in March, which required a minimum of two schools to close per year starting before the 2026-2027 school year, "until the number of school buildings no longer exceeds the amount needed."
When board chair Sarah DiCalogero called for a motion on the resolution after two dozen speakers raised concerns about the closings, there was silence.
After some discussion, the board voted to meet again on Sept. 29 to vote on a plan. It is not clear what plan or plans the board will discuss then.
The closing plan on Wednesday's agenda bypassed four options presented by the consulting firm Cooperative Strategies in favor of one created by two board members and interim superintendent, James Pohl.
But the proposed solution on tonight’s agenda does not fulfill the directives of a resolution passed by the City Council in March, which required a minimum of two schools to close per year starting before the 2026-2027 school year, "until the number of school buildings no longer exceeds the amount needed."
Pohl introduced the alternative at a Sept. 10 meeting, calling it a "more deliberate and thoughtful approach, one that directly aligns with the board goals and the measures outlined in our strategic plan."
That plan, offered by long-time school board member Tanya Bhasin and recent appointee Jason Inge, proposes closing nine buildings, not the minimum of ten required by City Council.
A final draft posted on today's agenda reports two early childhood centers will be closed in 2026-2027. Dates for closing the four elementary schools -- Tarrallton, Norview, P.B. Young and Granby -- are to be determined following rezoning and occur between 2027 and 2031.
Other closures, no later than 2034, include the Chesterfield Academy elementary school for gifted students (which will be repurposed), the Norfolk Technical Center, and the Madison and open campus at Easton. Lake Taylor High School would be renovated to include the technical center and an alternative education center, though no cost is specified.
Near the end of the two-and-a-half-hour meeting on Sept. 10, school board Chair Sarah DiCalogero said the goal was to close one to two buildings a year by 2034. "I think we have come up with a plan that everybody can feel good about that addresses the need," she said.
The resolution set for a vote says "the plan is merely intended as a general guide to the Board going forward."
But City Council member Tommy Smigiel sent Norfolk school board members a warning shot last week, saying closing school buildings cannot be delayed because projections for annual casino revenue have dropped to $15 million from $30 million. Norfolk officials said when the casino was announced that some of the revenue would fund the school system.
"What troubled me during your recent meeting was the focus on expected revenues, particularly the belief that casino revenue would solve financial pressures. That is a misguided assumption," Smigiel wrote in an email to school board members obtained by WHRO.
"The city’s financial reality is tighter than some may realize. Major Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), including Maury High School and the flood wall, are already stretching our debt capacity. If not managed carefully, these pressures could impact our bond rating, costing the city millions more in borrowing costs."
Smigiel wrote that the revised revenue projections mean the principal and debt service on the new $220 million Maury High School alone would be $11 million in 2028, rising to $13 million two years later.
"That means nearly 86% of Casino revenue will be tied up in Maury debt service for the next 20 years - much, much higher than the funding formula," he wrote. He noted the city is still paying the debt for building Southside STEM and four elementary schools.
Through a spokesperson, City Manager Pat Roberts replied in an email that Smigiel had a valid concern that future casino revenue will be consumed by debt payments for Maury High School, where the budget has grown from $150 million two years ago to $220 million. That increase in annual debt payments, Roberts wrote, "limits what we can borrow and pay for other projects."
Norfolk has an increasingly long list of capital improvement plans, including a $931 million share of the $2.66 billion storm risk project (which is expected to rise), renovation of Chrysler Hall and Scope, a fitness and wellness center, beach replenishment, ongoing stormwater improvements and the St. Paul's blue/greenway.
Those projects and the city's debt ratio mean there can be no delay in closing schools, Smigiel said.
"The city cannot afford to operate a school system sized for yesterday’s enrollment," wrote Smigiel, who is the principal at Granby High School. "We need, and frankly expect the School Board to help protect the city’s fiscal health by making the tough, necessary decisions to right-size Norfolk Public Schools."
David Sturtz, the chief executive officer of Cooperative Strategies, the consulting firm hired by the board to help develop the closure plan, noted during a presentation that district expenditures per student doubled from about $10,000 in 2014 to $20,000 a decade later. The student population fell to fewer than 24,000 in 2025 from more than 31,000 in 2010.
When asked during the Sept. 3 school board presentation about the options he preferred, Sturtz referred to two plans that would have closed four elementary schools and the Ghent School by 2027.
Another option, created after residents pushed back against closing Ghent, would have closed the four elementary schools in that time frame, as well as an early childhood center.
That plan, Sturtz said, would eliminate an estimated $211 million of the nearly $900 million in current capital improvement needs. Norfolk schools paid his firm $130,000 for the closing study.
Concern about new school board member closure option
If the board doesn't close schools on the schedule set by the City Council, Smigiel made clear in his email that Council may reexamine the formula and the conditions under which the city funds the schools.
"That is a step I do not want to see us take or want to be forced to vote on," he said. "This is not a threat but will be a necessity in order to secure our fiscal future."
Mayor Kenny Alexander did not respond to requests for comment.
The city funds the school system significantly above the state's legal requirement. For fiscal year 2026, Norfolk's contribution is $170 million in a lump sum, above the $103.2 million required. According to the consultant's report, closing an elementary school would save the district a little more than $1 million annually.
"City Council has expressed the importance of consolidating schools previously and I cannot emphasize it any better," City Manager Roberts told WHRO in an email "Norfolk is experiencing a declining school enrollment while maintaining an inventory of buildings which were intended to serve a much larger student population."
City Council member John "JP" Paige said he looked forward to a dialogue with the school board, noting that a meeting between city council and the board has been set for Oct. 7.
He expressed concerns about the last-minute plan offered by Bhasin and Inge, noting it did not come from the citizen committee selected to provide input.
"Where does this come from? Who put this in the mix?" he asked.
In an interview, Smigiel said if the Bhasin and Inge option is approved, he will not be able to defend the school system's decision.
"I can't speak for my colleagues, but just from the conversations I've had with them, we are very troubled that (the school board is) not working to partner with us on making sure that there's money being saved here in the long run," he added.
Charla Smith-Worley, a member of the planning committee, sent City Council members an email, obtained by WHRO, saying the option up for a vote did not match the charge from the school board to identify only elementary schools for closure or consolidation. The committee, she added, was not asked to examine other closures or redistricting.
"A contingent of the School Board abridged its own process with no data to support these new recommendations," she wrote. "I originally felt it to be a privilege to serve on the educational facilities and planning committee, but now our hard work is looking more like a smoke screen that the Board contingent can point to as “citizen involvement.” "
Bhasin replied to Smigiel's email focusing on students, not finances.
"Our decisions must be driven by what improves outcomes for students, not solely by what alleviates fiscal pressures or political concerns," she wrote. "I respect the fiscal realities you outlined, and I agree that responsible stewardship of resources is essential. At the same time, my duty as a School Board member is to ensure that the long-term plan we adopt is rooted in equity, student success, and the commitments we have made to our community."
Smigiel encouraged the school board to adopt the Cooperative Strategies options.
"The original plan presented school closures and consolidations in every ward in Norfolk – so it impacts all of us politically," he wrote. "However, I will tell you from hundreds of conversations at civic leagues in my ward over the years, my constituents understand the big picture and this need. They will respect leadership making tough decisions over politics."
Norfolk Public Schools is a member of the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, which holds WHRO's license.