COMMENTARY: New WJCC School Contract Signals Eventual Split
Instead of collaboration, distinctions between City/County students and schools drive future funding
The new contract recently signed by James City County and Williamsburg outlines the ways in which the two neighbors will continue to fund and operate their joint school system through the end of the decade. The agreement states that “the School Board, the County, and the City expresses their intent to work cooperatively to ensure the long-term stability and success of the School System.”
While the issue of a possible split is tabled for now, multiple aspects of the new agreement seem more about planning for separation than creating a long-term collaboration. For example, while the agreement includes a few mentions of student performance and outcomes, there are eleven clauses detailing steps and outcomes of the contract’s termination. And several of the stipulations in the new agreement discussed below actually could make a split unavoidable.
Time will tell where collaboration on schools between Williamsburg and James City heads. While requests to alter the new agreement can’t be made before January 1, 2030, it seems likely that the issue will pop up before then as both parties have an eye towards saying goodbye.
An official FAQ released about the new WJCC joint operating contract
Our students vs. their students
No longer are there just students of Williamsburg-James City County Schools. The new agreement requires the distinction between students from Williamsburg and James City County via a yet to be determined “per pupil rate”. The formula’s intent appears to be identifying the cost difference to educate a typical Williamsburg students versus one from James City County.
Among the factors that will be evaluated are the number and associated costs of special education students, English as a second language students and pre-K enrollment. The contract states:
“The County and the City will develop and adopt a formula, by January 31, 2026, to determine if the allocation per locality for the School System meets the actual costs of educating the students of each locality.”
“[The funding formula will be] adopted and amended with the written consent of the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrator, the City’s Mayor, and the City Manager after consultation with the School Superintendent and the School Board Chair.”
Our schools vs. their schools
In effect, the new agreement begins to establish a mentality of separate ownership of schools and other facilities. The contract only requires that Williamsburg and James City pay for capital improvements on the schools within their boundaries meaning funding new schools and/or significant improvements to current schools on their own (costs will be still shared for common facilities like administrative offices). An ownership plan for shared property including buses, equipment and supplies in the event of a school split is also outlined in the new agreement.
“Subject to budget and appropriation approval by the Board of Supervisors, the County is expected to provide for the Capital Project Costs for County Schools … Subject to budget and appropriation approval by the City Council, the City is expected to provide for the Capital Project Costs for City Schools.”
“Administration, control, maintenance, and operation of County Facilities shall be transferred to the County School Board and the control, maintenance, and operation of City Facilities shall be transferred to the City School Board.”
Our funding vs. their funding
While James City County pays the bulk of the costs for the school system, the budgeting process was collaborative and led by the School Board. The new agreement stipulates that future school budgets will be determined in isolation by each locality, and then given to the school board to implement. The School Board would need to request and justify additional funding.
The result is that future budgeting will not be driven by the School Board, but instead by the chief executives of Williamsburg and James City County, both of whom are responsible for proposing initial budgets each year, but not necessarily education experts.
“Following receipt of the localities’ estimates for their annual contributions to the operational costs of the School System for the following FY, the School Board shall work to develop a needs-based budget within those estimates.”
Our costs vs. their costs
An effort to determine the distribution of shared costs based on the separate impact on each jurisdiction serves as planning for splitting these functions later.
“The Chair of the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrator, the City’s Mayor, the City Manager, the School Board Chair, and the School Superintendent shall meet, as needed, to discuss shared use facilities proposed in the School Board’s budget to confirm that the budget item is indeed a shared use facility and to determine funding share between the County and the City.”
Unbalanced school board
Currently the School Board is composed of 5 representatives of James City County and two from Williamsburg. The new contract allows for James City County to add an additional 2 members to the Board. This move will solidify James City County’s control of the Board and give Williamsburg further justification for a split down the road.
“The County Board of Supervisors may authorize elections to add two (2) members to the James City County School Board…’”
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