City Leaders: Williamsburg Benefits from Joint School System

By Amber Lester Kennedy Saturday, April 02, 2011

It’s an idea city residents never tire of suggesting: Why not separate Williamsburg schools from James City County schools?

The topic has popped up often lately, voiced by citizens unhappy with the conversion of James Blair Middle School into an administration building, the balance of votes on the school board, the results of last year’s redistricting and more. But although city leaders have expressed displeasure with the system on occasion, they insist that for now, a joint system is the best option for the area.

“It comes up every time there is a redistricting, which is always difficult and contentious,” says Jack Tuttle, city manager. “The truth of the matter is that at the end of the day, we like being married and we’re not splitting up.”

Williamsburg currently sends about 800 students to WJCC schools, and contributes $7 million. If it were to go solo, it would be one of the smallest divisions in the state; West Point is the smallest, with 771 students in grades K-12.

In 1953, the two localities agreed to form a joint school system, partially because growth had outpaced capacity in the existing schools. Since then, the localities have negotiated a contract every five years that stipulates how much money each will contribute to school funding. The contract also includes an exit strategy if either side chose to secede from the joint division; according to the plan, the city would retain ownership of any property within city limits, which would include Matthew Whaley Elementary, Berkeley Middle and the former James Blair Middle. The localities are starting the review process soon, and will negotiate the new contract by the end of this calendar year; it will take effect on July 1, 2012.

Not long after the last contract was signed, a group of citizens concerned about Williamsburg’s students formed the Williamsburg Education Review Committee in an effort to better understand the agreement that binds Williamsburg to James City County schools. The Williamsburg Education Review Committee’s members gathered a few times to talk about whether the joint contract process is “utilized fully and effectively,” according to Amy Farley, who chaired the group.

She says the group did not take a position that the division should or should not remain joint, but were interested to see a comprehensive review of the current system. That review became a class project for graduate students in the College of William and Mary’s Thomas Jefferson Public Policy Research program. They completed the study in the fall of 2009.

The 117-page study (read it here) examined many of the decisions that would face Williamsburg if it decided to create its own division, from school size to class size to eco-friendly practices. The students suggested the division create a Kindergarten-8th grade elementary school at Matthew Whaley Elementary and a 9-12th grade high school at James Blair, while leasing Berkeley Middle School to the county. The study was written before the School Board approved a plan to temporarily convert James Blair to an administrative building.

It presented several scenarios, but in its conclusion, estimated it would cost the city nearly $9 million to operate, compared to its present annual contribution of about $7 million. The school division has estimated it would cost approximately $8 million to reopen James Blair as a school by 2017; if the city were to separate its schools before then, it is not clear how the repair costs would be divided. In addition, the city has invested in county school properties and vice versa over the past few years, and in the event of a split, each locality would have to determine how to pay the other one back for its investment. Tuttle says the accounting issues that would arise from such a separation “would keep a team of accountants up at night.”

The study was not presented to the governing bodies because it was a class project, but Williamsburg Mayor Clyde Haulman served as an advisor in his capacity as a professor at the university. He noted that if the city actually wanted to pursue splitting, the study could not serve as a guide.

“It doesn’t ask the right questions,” he said. “If you were interested in a school system for Williamsburg, the right question is, ‘What’s a school system look like that would provide the best education for children?’” The student study detailed how to set up a smaller version of the existing school system, with comparable administrative positions and smaller class sizes. He says such a system would cost Williamsburg residents a lot more money.

Haulman says there are benefits to a small school system. For example, it’s harder for students to fall through the cracks and the city would have more control over the curriculum and programming. But a larger school system offers a wider selection of classes, extracurriculars and athletics. “I think there are advantages to small and advantages to large,” he says. “We have to think about what can be done to make sure that the benefits of both small and large are there as much as possible. It’s tough to do, but it’s not impossible.”

If the community leaders of the 1950s hadn’t unified the school system when they did, Tuttle imagines it might never have happened, especially when the Massive Resistance movement gained ground in Virginia. “If they had just waited a few years, I don’t think it would have ever happened, but I’m glad it did,” he says. “It unifies our community, and gives us a richer and generally better school system.”

Farley says the Review Committee was grateful for the opportunity to see quantitative research conducted on some of their discussions. Since then, they have gathered on occasion to share ideas and she predicts they might become more involved as the contract negotiations get underway. She says they would like to see the city and county elected officials consider all options on behalf of their constituents as they approach contract renegotiations.

“Rather than presuming the status quo, we hope to see vision and leadership from them in pursuing the broader questions,” she says. Farley wants to see local leaders ask how well the system is serving all students of all ability levels and backgrounds; consider whether both parties in the contract are receiving equitable services; and ensure the division is looking outside for innovative ideas and best practices. She says her biggest question is, “What is the vision for this school system over time?”