This recap was produced with AI assistance. Please email me to provide feedback.

The Oct 6 work session, its public hearing on redistricting, and the Oct 9 joint meeting are covered in the previous recap.

Highlight: Approval of Superintendent’s Recommendation for School Division Redistricting

“My issues lie with the number of times I’ve heard some people call this proposed plan with full sincerity [a] return to segregation or an attempt to intentionally turn back the clock on racial equality. … Those accusations are not only unsupported by the facts of what has been proposed but they also diminish the very real injustices of Jim Crow and segregation.”

— Mr. Hodges, 58:42

Watch: Oct 20 regular meeting, from 43:31

Vote: Approved 7-0 (roll call, 1:07:44) · packet

The board approved Dr. Keever’s recommended attendance zones 7-0 (roll call). The vote ends a process that began when the Redistricting Steering Committee released draft maps on May 12, followed by revisions on Aug 4, the committee’s recommendation to Dr. Keever on Sept 1, his recommendation to the board on Sept 15, and a public hearing on Oct 6 (packet, p.134).

The new zones apply to the 2027-28 school year (1:09:09).

What happens next

Right after the vote, Dr. Keever laid out the next steps (1:08:09).

• Email to families and staff the next day (Oct 21), with a link to the WJCC United website and FAQs — 1:08:45

• A link to the map tool to look up 2027-28 school assignments, “as early as tomorrow” — 1:09:04

• Email and mailed letter with each address’s 2027-28 assignments during the second week of November — 1:09:15

• Principals’ welcome emails the first week of December; transition events January–May — 1:09:37

• Staff: transfer-request and staffing timeline the second week of November; WJCC United update to the board Nov 10 — 1:10:03

Later in board comments, Mr. Hosang asked the administration to look at letting rising 5th and 8th graders (1:20:28) and military families (1:21:03) request to stay at their current school, as rising 12th graders can (1:20:17).

Public comment

6 people spoke. None spoke on an agenda item being voted that night. For public comment on redistricting, see the previous recap.

Renaming James Blair Middle School

• Speaker #1 (21:39): “stop talking about putting children first and actually do it” (23:44)

• Speaker #2 (24:16): “I’m going to ask you to reconsider the decision to retain the James Blair name” (24:27)

• Speaker #3 (26:20): “I am here again to call for renaming James Blair middle school” (26:28)

• Speaker #4 (28:21): “there’s simply no reason why children should have to go to a school that is named to honor a man who enslaved their ancestors” (28:37)

Computers in elementary classrooms

• Speaker #5 (29:23): “please get rid of computers in elementary school” (30:31)

Special Education

• Speaker #2 (24:16): “when students are denied the specially designed instruction they are entitled to we must address the systems shortcomings not lower the expectations” (25:34)

• Speaker #6 (31:50): “our meeting is open to all of you” (32:16)

Board comments

• Mr. Hodges (1:12:24): “whether a discussion is warranted into things like adding metal detectors in our schools” (1:13:00) … “personally I hate the idea of our schools feeling less like schools in more like hardened facilities” (1:13:07)

• Dr. Cavazos (1:13:33): “James River needs special attention” (1:15:25)

• Mr. Hosang (1:18:41): “if you can keep that face-to-face instruction that’s the most critical for our students” (1:22:20)

Other Agenda Items

Full agenda

Presentations

Review and Approval of Award of Contract for Instructional Audit (7.01 / 9.08) — Watch presentation, from 33:15 · packet

• What it is: “an objective division wide assessment of how curriculum expectations instructional planning implementation of high quality instructional materials student assessment and classroom practices aligned to support student learning in K-12 English language arts and mathematics” — Robin Ford, 33:52

• Findings and recommendations anticipated by the end of March 2027

Votes

• Approval of Award of Contract for Instructional Audit — Hanover Research, not to exceed $255,000 (see above) — Approved 7-0 — packet

• Approval of Personnel Actions — Approved 7-0

• Approval of Amendment to FY27 Grants Fund Budget — to $7,300,848 — Approved 7-0 — packet

• Approval of Budget Transfer Request for Special Education Services — $840,000 — Approved 7-0 — packet

• Approval of Purchase Request from Lenovo for Middle School Student Laptops — 2,650 laptops, $2,306,825 — Approved 7-0 — packet

• Approval of Award of Contract for Matoaka Elementary HVAC Replacement engineering — PACE Collaborative, $342,513 — Approved 7-0 — packet

• Approval of Decision Regarding Student Case #2526-002 — Approved 7-0

• Consent agenda — Approved 7-0

  • Financial Report and Monthly Bills & Payroll — September 2026 — packet

  • Resolution R-21-26, National School Psychology Week — packet

  • Resolution R-22-26, Native American Heritage Month — packet

  • Revisions to Policy IGE, Adult Education Programs — packet

  • Revisions to Policy JOB, Administration of Surveys and Questionnaires — packet

  • Revisions to Policy LBD, Home Instruction — packet

  • Minutes from the Sept 15 regular meeting

Upcoming Meetings

The November work session is on Nov 10, not the usual first Tuesday, because Nov 3 is Election Day and many school buildings are polling places (1:31:09).

• Work Session & Action Items

  • Date: 11/10/2026

  • Time: Call to Order & Closed Session at 4:00 p.m.; Open Session at 4:30 p.m.

  • Location: Rm. 300, School Board and Central Office Annex 117 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA

• Regular Meeting With a Public Hearing on Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

  • Date: 11/17/2026

  • Time: Call to Order & Closed Session at 6:00 p.m. in Room 200; Open Session at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium

  • Location: Berkeley Middle School 1118 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA

Upcoming events

• Career Ready Advisory Committee

  • Date: 10/21/2026

  • Time: 3:30 p.m.

  • Location: Rm. 300, School Board and Central Office Annex 117 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA

• School Liaison Committee

  • Date: 11/6/2026

  • Time: 8:30 a.m.

  • Location: Rm. 300, School Board and Central Office Annex 117 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA

How to participate: Public comment is taken at the regular meeting only, not at the work session. Speakers must sign up before the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Each speaker may have 2 minutes to address the School Board.

Contact the board: The school boardmember’s contact information is listed on the division’s School Board page.

This recap was produced with AI assistance. Please email me to provide feedback.

Highlight: Redistricting

Watch: Oct 6 public hearing, from 15:35 · Oct 6 board discussion, from 3:12:18 · Oct 9 joint meeting, from 1:53:36

Where would you like for those classes to meet? Would you like them to meet in the auditorium? Would you like them to meet in the gym? There are simply not any additional classroom spaces available at Matthew Whaley. Similarly, James River. If we wanted to look at class size there and lower it even further, they’re already using portable classrooms.

— superintendent Dr. Daniel Keever, answering WJCC school board member Mr. Randy Riffle, 3:21:28

…in every instance that we’ve redistrict[ed] the community did not trust the firm they did not trust the committees did not trust the map did not trust the school board and somebody was always unhappy… it is easy to sit where you sit and say the things you say…

— Ms. Kimberley Hundley, in the board’s discussion after the public hearing, 3:32:00

The Oct 6 work session

WJCC United Transition Roadmap (7.04) — Watch presentation, from 2:47:59 / Watch discussion, from 3:12:18 · packet / roadmap deck

New since September:

• Differentiated pay at high-need focus schools: “we’re exploring potential approaches to innovative staffing and differentiated pay that could help address staffing challenges and attract high performing teacher leaders at our high need schools.” — Dr. Keever, 3:09:40

• Smaller K–3 classes: “we are prioritizing budgeting for lower class size ratios and kindergarten through third grade at these high need focus schools.” — Dr. Keever, 3:10:11

• A dual immersion study: “A research team is also examining the potential of designing a dual immersion program within the district” — 2:52:13

The Oct 6 public hearing

26 people spoke at the public hearing on redistricting (Watch, from 15:35).

The maps’ effect on equity and diversity

• Speaker #1 (16:38): “I’m hoping that we can slow down this implementation.” (quote)

• Speaker #9 (33:53): “that is not a license to skip steps and ignore one of your project pillars.” (quote)

• Speaker #10 (36:01): “postpone their vote on the new redistricting maps until a school equity impact report and analysis has been properly done.” (quote)

• Speaker #14 (44:30): “go back to the drawing board and deliver a balanced solution” (quote)

• Speaker #24 (1:05:40): “The principle of demographics however was not addressed” (quote)

Process, data, and transparency before a vote

• Speaker #5 (25:48): “We don’t need a perfect map, we need a map we can trust.” (quote)

• Speaker #13 (42:20): “the economic impact analysis needs to be released to parents, students, and teachers” (quote)

• Speaker #16 (49:03): “Make the methodology public.” (quote)

• Speaker #17 (50:53): “be given a little bit more transparency from the report.” (quote)

• Speaker #25 (1:07:25): “Simply requesting to postpone this decision to allow for more time and greater consideration.” (quote)

• Speaker #26 (1:08:08): “show us what it would cost to create more seats.” (quote)

Resources and staffing

• Speaker #2 (18:59): “we ask the board to pause this process until there is a clear plan” (quote)

• Speaker #6 (27:59): “how is the disability profile of each school being considered?” (quote)

• Speaker #8 (31:34): “Before the maps are approved, we want to see the funding plan” (quote)

• Speaker #19 (54:52): “pausing this process until the resources to support these changes are clearly identified.” (quote)

• Speaker #20 (57:02): “The October 20th vote should be delayed until a concrete plan is presented” (quote)

• Speaker #22 (1:01:33): “Will those resources be committed and in place before the new boundaries take effect?” (quote)

Letting current students stay where they are

• Speaker #7 (30:09): “include a one-year provision in the plan where these three classes can opt” (quote)

• Speaker #11 (38:11): “I would like to see that we have some sort of phase in approach” (quote)

• Speaker #12 (39:54): “Let them finish high school where they are now.” (quote)

• Speaker #18 (52:34): “grandfather students who are already attending Stone House” (quote)

Neighborhoods and school communities

• Speaker #3 (21:11): “We should be disrupting structures, not people.” (quote)

• Speaker #15 (46:45): “the Kings Point neighborhood should stay within the Matthew Whaley School District” (quote)

• Speaker #21 (59:18): “Can you demonstrate with evidence why Wellington was selected” (quote)

• Speaker #23 (1:03:48): “I’m simply asking for you guys to take this into consideration” (quote)

Support for the plan

• Speaker #4 (23:30): “I support the plan.” (quote)

The Oct 9 joint meeting

Redistricting / WJCC United Transition Update (2.2) — Watch, from 1:53:36

As one of the funding partners, if you just approve a maps on the 20th and then you’re going to put all these additional resources at at those particular schools that need those resources, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s going to be an additional request from the localities for additional funding.

I never want to put a dollar figure on a child’s education. But on one side we have to operate as a business.

— Vice Mayor Dent, 2:30:31

At the joint meeting:

• PTA gaps: “It would be my goal administratively that if there is a lack of PTA funding that we would reach in administratively to ensure that there’s not a gap in student experience or student need.” — Dr. Keever, 2:32:31

• Extra central funding for two schools: “I asked for a specific amount of centralized funding to be allocated to both Matthew [Whaley] and James River above and beyond the typical administrative allocation to schools” — Dr. Keever, 2:33:17

• Outreach to families who don’t speak English: “we have a need for targeted outreach in various communities and meeting families where they are and creating pathways for family involvement in the educational process whether folks speak English or don’t speak English” — Dr. Keever, 2:25:31

• Stonehouse: “one thing that I think we’re going to have to address as a board with the school board is Stonehouse because it does not solve all the issues there.” — Ms. Larson, 2:14:06

• The vote is one step: “October 20th is one step among many. There is a huge budgeting process which is really key to the implementation plan” — Mrs. Donner, 2:23:30

Other Agenda Items

Oct 6 work session

Full agenda

Presentations:

• Preschool Centers Design Update — deck · Watch, from 1:30:17

• 2025-2026 Academic Progress Action Plan — deck · Watch, from 1:39:10

• WJCC Profile of an Empowered Learner — deck · Watch, from 2:12:13

Votes:

• Approval of Personnel Actions — Approved 6-0

• Approval of Appointments to the Career Ready Advisory Committee — Approved 5-0 — appointees / full member list

• Approval of Appointments to the Special Education Advisory Committee — Approved 5-0 — appointees / full member list

• Approval of Release from Compulsory Attendance, Case #R2627-06 — Approved 6-0

Oct 9 joint meeting

Legacy Hall, 8:30 a.m. (Agenda)

• Academic Achievement Update — Watch, from 24:05

Coming Up: October 20 Regular Meeting

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 · Berkeley Middle School, 1118 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA. Call to Order & Closed Session beginning at 5:45 p.m. in Room 200, followed by the Open Session at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. (Agenda)

Votes scheduled:

• Approval of Superintendent’s Recommendation for School Division Redistricting — packet

• Approval of Amendment to FY27 Grants Fund Budget — packet

• Approval of Budget Transfer Request for Special Education Services — packet

• Approval of Purchase Request from Lenovo for Middle School Student Laptops — packet / quote

• Approval of Award of Contract for Request for Proposal #20261032, Engineering Service for Matoaka Elementary HVAC Replacement — packet / proposals

• Approval of Award of Contract for Instructional Audit — packet (also on the agenda for review the same night, item 7.01)

• Approval of Decision Regarding Student Case #2526-002

Consent agenda: seven items, listed in the agenda packet.

Public comment: Item 6.01, “Public Comment - Each speaker may have 2 Minutes to Address the School Board.”

How to participate: Public comment is taken at the regular meeting only, not at the work session. Speakers must sign up before the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Contact the board: The school boardmember’s contact information is listed on the division’s School Board page.

This recap was produced with AI assistance. Please email me to provide feedback.

Highlight: Superintendent’s Recommendation for School Division Redistricting

Watch: Sep 15 regular meeting, from 2:58:13

The recommendation Dr. Keever brought to the board at this month’s regular meeting is the redistricting Steering Committee’s August draft, unaltered. (3:10:41) There were, however, additional school division commitments as part of the transition plan:

• An opt-out for next year’s seniors. Students in the Class of 2028 whose high school assignment would change may attend either their current or their rezoned school. The deck tabulates each affected zone and the daily and extracurricular transit that would be needed — slide 18; on the recording at 3:11:27.

• A commitment that staffing follows students. Elementary and secondary class-size targets are set by a school’s free- and reduced-price meal percentage, so allocations move as enrollment shifts — slides 20-21; 3:12:15.

• Named ratios for two student groups. Language-instruction staffing ratios run from 1:20 at the lowest proficiency level to 1:100 for monitored former English learners; special education staffing is set by caseload points tied to each student’s disability and level of service — slides 24-25.

• A decision timeline. A redistricting public hearing on Oct 6, with the board acting on the proposed attendance zones on Oct 20 — slide 26.

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What changed between the May draft and the August maps

The board saw the committee’s first draft on May 12 and its revision on Aug 4. Four areas moved between those two drafts; three of them returned to their existing schools. The Aug 4 deck sets them out side by side — Redistricting Update, Aug 4 2026, slides 8-11.

Pointe at Jamestown, portion of 4H Club Rd

Portion of 4H Club Road, Foxfield, Jamestown 1607, Oak Hill, Jamestown & Sandy Bay Rds

Seasons Trace

Longhill Grove, Warhill Green, Powhatan Apartments (Longhill & Centerville Rds)

The same deck lists the areas the committee weighed but did not move:

• Ford’s Colony

• Kingspoint

• Mirror Lakes/Wellington

• Scott’s Pond

• Cranston Mill Pond Rd., and

• the Treasure Island Rd./Jockey’s Neck Trail area — each with the building-utilization and transportation figures behind the call (slides 12-17).

Two related agenda items from work session

2025-2026 Academic Progress Update

The division’s spring 2026 SOL results were presented at the work session. Among the results staff presented:

• grade 3 reading pass rates up 3 points, with 7 of 9 elementary schools improving their grade 3 reading pass rate;

• chronic absenteeism down to 8%;

• and a 3 to 5.5 point rise in reading and math growth in grades 4-8 (slide 13).

The deck breaks reading, math and science pass rates out by student group and by locality (slides 26, 28 and 30), revealing academic gaps that several public-comment speakers pointed to two weeks later. Board member Dr. Daniel Cavazos also flagged those gaps at the work session directly:

We got to close that gap. 792 black and Hispanic students weren’t proficient last year. That’s almost 800 students. … They can’t read by the third grade. You can’t pivot into bigger and better things.

— Dr. Cavazos, 2:32:45

WJCC United Transition Roadmap

During the work session, the division’s plan was laid out for what happens after a vote on redistricting. It sets out five phases:

• Anticipation (before the board votes),

• Awareness (Oct-Dec 2026),

• Connections (Jan-May 2027),

• Readiness (June-Aug 2027) and

• Belonging (the 2027-28 school year) (slide 13).

Another roadmap update is expected on Oct 6 (slide 24). Families will be told their 2027-28 school assignments in the second week of November (slide 19).

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Public comment

24 people spoke on redistricting, grouped below by subtopic. Quotes are from the meeting’s automatic captions.

The maps’ effect on equity and diversity

• Speaker #4 (38:58): “We are asking the board and Dr. Kever to ensure a map advances educational equity.” (41:12)

• Speaker #8 (48:24): “Does this map bring our students together or does it separate them further?” (50:18)

• Speaker #9 (50:33): “Our request is that every proposed boundary change be evaluated for whether it actually advances educational equity.” (51:02)

• Speaker #11 (54:05): “by concentrating need in certain schools, we are going to end up with bad long-term outcomes in terms of economic mobility” (54:45)

• Speaker #20 (1:10:31): “maybe we can all admit that we’ve been wrong and rethink these drawings and everything about them” (1:10:53)

• Speaker #22 (1:13:29): “there is no reason that a school should see an increase of nine or 12 percentage points in the percent of economically disadvantaged students when other schools stay the same” (1:14:22)

• Speaker #26 (1:18:41): “The proposed maps risk creating wider economic and academic disparities between schools rather than fostering balanced and inclusive learning environments.” (1:19:03)

Process, data, and analysis before a vote

• Speaker #2 (34:39): “without the appropriate studies and additional information, we are not making an informed decision at this time” (36:32)

• Speaker #3 (36:49): “I’m asking this board to halt this process immediately and investigate my findings” (38:49)

• Speaker #5 (41:25): “Before approving any map, I am asking the board to conduct and release a school by school equity impact analysis that includes special education.” (43:25)

• Speaker #12 (56:28): “We need a concrete plan, not a promise that one will come after the maps are approved.” (58:14)

• Speaker #13 (58:46): “I’m asking that you not approve the redistricting map without addressing the demographic change that will come about.” (58:52)

Resources and staffing

• Speaker #17 (1:04:13): “The board should consider and make a plan for investing in these resources.” (1:05:03)

• Speaker #18 (1:05:50): “That money follows how many low-income children live here, not which building they sit in.” (1:07:23)

• Speaker #19 (1:08:04): “Our community wants to know what special solutions, resources, and measurable supports will be put in place to address these inequities.” (1:08:48)

• Speaker #21 (1:11:03): “no matter what maps go forward, we need a bold plan to address long-standing inequities” (1:12:12)

• Speaker #27 (1:20:09): “you’re being asked to approve where the need goes before you’ve seen a plan meeting it” (1:21:55)

Neighborhoods, commutes, and school communities

• Speaker #7 (46:08): “… will now have to drive past this very school to get to their new middle school” (47:47)

• Speaker #23 (1:15:43): “I don’t want to do the redistricting because I’ll miss all of my friends” (1:15:47)

• Speaker #24 (1:16:16): “I just encourage the board to consider other options. Think outside the box.” (1:17:02)

• Speaker #25 (1:18:24): “… I just basically won’t know anyone” (1:18:24)

• Speaker #28 (1:22:31): “all of the PTA administration for James River Elementary will be moving to Laurel Lane next year” (1:24:06)

Support for the plan

• Speaker #15 (1:02:18): “I would like to vocalize my support for the current redistricting initiative” (1:02:43)

• Speaker #16 (1:03:24): “I think the best thing all of us can do is to support.” (1:03:54)

More Public Comment

Renaming James Blair Middle School

• Speaker #6 (44:05): “This community will not rest until every enslaver’s name has been removed from a public school building.” (45:39)

• Speaker #10 (52:42): “I’m here to ask you once again to reconsider changing the name of James Blair Middle School.” (52:56)

Special education services

• Speaker #1 (32:28): “Give General education and special education teachers protected time to collaborate and plan together.” (33:47)

Academic achievement

• Speaker #14 (1:00:09): “I respectfully ask this board to direct the administration to develop a written plan … consisting of phonics-based curriculum, trained coaches for every elementary school, universal early screening and mandated intervention in a third grade reading gate.” (1:01:41)

Other Agenda Items

• Sep 1 work session (Full agenda):

  • Approval of Personnel Actions — Approved 7-0

  • Instructional Technology Focus Group Update — reviewed, no vote. A board member asked whether devices could be dropped entirely in kindergarten and first grade; staff answered that they had not considered eliminating them (1:11:03).

• Sep 15 regular meeting (Full agenda):

  • Approval of Personnel Actions — Approved 7-0

  • Approval of the Fiscal Year 2026 Year-End Financial Report and Proposed Commitments of Fund Balance — Approved 7-0

  • Approval of Request to Modify and Extend Construction Management Services for Two Pre-K Centers to McDonough Bolyard Peck (MBP) — additional cost $263,840, bringing the contract to $818,200 — Approved 7-0

  • Approval of 2026-2027 Textbook Selection and Adoption Proposal — projected cost $475,000, plus $15,000 in CCR funds — Approved 7-0

  • Approval of Calendar Year 2027 School Board Meeting Dates — Approved 7-0

  • Consent agenda: 13 items, all approved.

Upcoming Meetings

From the Sep 15 agenda packet (item 13.02):

• Work Session & Action Items, with Redistricting Public Hearing

  • Tuesday, Oct 6. Closed session 5:00 p.m. in Room 200; open session 5:30 p.m.

  • Auditorium, Berkeley Middle School, 1118 Ironbound Road.

• Joint Meeting

  • Friday, Oct 9, 8:30 a.m.

  • Legacy Hall, 4301 New Town Avenue.

• Regular Meeting

  • Tuesday, Oct 20. Closed session 6:00 p.m. in Room 200; open session 6:30 p.m.

  • Auditorium, Berkeley Middle School, 1118 Ironbound Road.

How to participate: At a regular meeting, speakers sign up before the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., and each speaker may have 2 minutes to address the School Board.

The Oct 6 work session carries a Redistricting Public Hearing, open session 5:30 p.m. (agenda item 13.02; deck slide 26).

Contact the board: The school boardmember’s contact information is listed on the division’s School Board page.

Leave a comment

This summer, the Williamsburg-James City County school division conducted a survey from May 12 to June 7 about its ongoing redistricting process, an effort to redraw the boundary lines of school zones to address capacity concerns.

The division published the redacted survey results on June 29, 2026 as a 3,106 page PDF. The survey consists of both multiple choice questions as well as ones that asked for written responses.

To make the written response results easier to review, I used Claude Code to convert the survey responses into an interactive web page. Try it out for yourself by clicking the button below, or read on to learn how it works and how to use it.

Explore WJCC Survey Results

How it works

The page lists all 1,374 survey submissions with written responses, and each entry shows who answered (Staff, parent, etc.), their position on redistricting (agree/disagree), and the date they responded.

You can search responses by keywords, such as “diversity”, “Ford’s Colony”, etc. You can filter the responses by respondent category (Staff, parent, etc.), their school affiliation, and their position on redistricting. You can also narrow down responses by date or range of dates by clicking and dragging on the timeline filter.

You can also download the data yourself as the original PDF or a CSV or JSON file. I’ve also written a blog post explaining how I created the page if you’d like to take a crack at something similar yourself.

Where to begin?

It can be a little overwhelming to dive in and navigate 1,374 survey responses, even with a slick interactive web page. To help, I’ve produced some charts based on the survey results to help get you started.

First let’s look at which school affiliations (keeping in mind respondents could pick more than one) and see how those correlate with positions on redistricting. We can see from the chart that the group who selected Stonehouse Elementary as their school had the most opponents to the school division’s plans.

If we select “Stonehouse ES” from the school dropdown menu on the survey explorer page, we can see all responses that selected that school in their survey submission. We can filter further by selecting “Strongly disagree” from the position dropdown menu.

We can see in the numbers next to the “Who Answered” buttons, which update as you filter, that the vast majority of respondents who strongly disagree with redistricting and are affiliated with Stonehouse ES are parents/guardians.

“This is not fair to the kids currently in the affected areas, nor their parents that purchased homes with the expectation that they will go to a particular school.” - Respondent #99, self-identified Parent of Stonehouse ES student.

Despite the Stonehouse case, if we look at respondent categories across the survey results, we see that “Students” as a group have the highest percentage of opponents to redistricting (53%), noting that the total number of student respondents is less than a tenth of total “Parent” respondents (94 vs 1,101).

So what schools are the student respondents from? If we click the Students “Who Answered” filter and select “Strongly Disagree” from the position dropdown, we can see that some students did not disclose their school affiliation, but for those that did one name jumps out: Lafayette High School. If we filter by that school, we can see in the updated timeline that the majority of them filled out the survey on the same day, June 1.

“I believe that I should be able to graduate in the high school that I went to for 3 years. I have contributed to my community here at Lafayette High School, I have made friends, participated in multiple athletics, been part of a team… It is truly unfair to redistrict students who are in the last year of their high school careers.” - Respondent #445, self-identified Lafayette High School student.

Finally, if we look at how respondents answered one multiple choice survey question about their redistricting priorities, we can see that 732 of them selected “Neighborhood Considerations– Keep neighborhoods together as much as possible, avoid splitting down the middle of the street.”

Another popular priority was “Demographics - Consider racial and ethnic diversity as well as socio-economic indicators within schools.” If we search “diversity” in the survey explorer page, we can see that 229 responses mentioned that term.

We can filter further by going to the “Question” dropdown menu and selecting the “Biggest concern” option. If we go through the redistricting positions, we can see that diversity was mentioned as a concern more by responses who either somewhat agreed or strongly agreed with redistricting (53) than those who somewhat or strongly disagreed (22).

“You’ve cut the diversity down it seems. Kings Mill and Ford’s Colony, both ‘affluent’ neighborhoods are now going to ‘preferred’ schools it seems. The lower income sections of town are staying at the schools with tougher reputations.” - Respondent #75, “Strongly Agreed” with redistricting.

What’s Next

I hope these examples spark your curiosity. If you find anything interesting as you explore the results (or any bugs/errors), please let me know!

You may have noticed the branding for this newsletter has changed. Round the Triangle is now Track the Triangle. Read more at the updated About page.

My plan is to bring back the WJCC school board meeting recaps this month. Stay tuned!

Data from charts

POSITION ON REDISTRICTING BY SCHOOL AFFILIATION

Respondents who selected multiple schools count toward each one, so these groups sum to more than the 1,470 people who answered the question.

James River ES: 85% agree, 15% disagree, of 33 answering (11 strongly agree, 17 somewhat agree, 2 somewhat disagree, 3 strongly disagree)

Matthew Whaley ES: 81% agree, 19% disagree, of 89 answering (16 strongly agree, 56 somewhat agree, 8 somewhat disagree, 9 strongly disagree)

Matoaka ES: 79% agree, 21% disagree, of 57 answering (20 strongly agree, 25 somewhat agree, 6 somewhat disagree, 6 strongly disagree)

Jamestown HS: 74% agree, 26% disagree, of 164 answering (42 strongly agree, 79 somewhat agree, 16 somewhat disagree, 27 strongly disagree)

Berkeley MS: 74% agree, 26% disagree, of 148 answering (37 strongly agree, 72 somewhat agree, 19 somewhat disagree, 20 strongly disagree)

Norge ES: 73% agree, 27% disagree, of 52 answering (17 strongly agree, 21 somewhat agree, 6 somewhat disagree, 8 strongly disagree)

Clara Byrd Baker ES: 68% agree, 32% disagree, of 74 answering (19 strongly agree, 31 somewhat agree, 9 somewhat disagree, 15 strongly disagree)

Toano MS: 67% agree, 33% disagree, of 64 answering (21 strongly agree, 22 somewhat agree, 8 somewhat disagree, 13 strongly disagree)

Laurel Lane ES: 66% agree, 34% disagree, of 71 answering (16 strongly agree, 31 somewhat agree, 8 somewhat disagree, 16 strongly disagree)

Bright Beginnings: 66% agree, 34% disagree, of 29 answering (10 strongly agree, 9 somewhat agree, 4 somewhat disagree, 6 strongly disagree)

Hornsby MS: 65% agree, 35% disagree, of 101 answering (26 strongly agree, 40 somewhat agree, 13 somewhat disagree, 22 strongly disagree)

Warhill HS: 62% agree, 38% disagree, of 118 answering (33 strongly agree, 40 somewhat agree, 22 somewhat disagree, 23 strongly disagree)

J. Blaine Blayton ES: 61% agree, 39% disagree, of 46 answering (8 strongly agree, 20 somewhat agree, 8 somewhat disagree, 10 strongly disagree)

James Blair MS: 56% agree, 44% disagree, of 97 answering (26 strongly agree, 28 somewhat agree, 16 somewhat disagree, 27 strongly disagree)

D.J. Montague ES: 53% agree, 47% disagree, of 101 answering (16 strongly agree, 38 somewhat agree, 20 somewhat disagree, 27 strongly disagree)

Lafayette HS: 49% agree, 51% disagree, of 238 answering (37 strongly agree, 79 somewhat agree, 40 somewhat disagree, 82 strongly disagree)

Stonehouse ES: 47% agree, 53% disagree, of 133 answering (27 strongly agree, 36 somewhat agree, 18 somewhat disagree, 52 strongly disagree)

POSITION ON REDISTRICTING BY RESPONDENT CATEGORY

The relationship question was check-all-that-apply, so respondents are counted in every category they selected; these groups total 1,738 against 1,470 answering.

Staff: 82% agree, 18% disagree, of 203 answering (68 strongly agree, 99 somewhat agree, 23 somewhat disagree, 13 strongly disagree)

Parents: 64% agree, 36% disagree, of 1,101 answering (256 strongly agree, 449 somewhat agree, 152 somewhat disagree, 244 strongly disagree)

Other stakeholders: 60% agree, 40% disagree, of 48 answering (11 strongly agree, 18 somewhat agree, 7 somewhat disagree, 12 strongly disagree)

Community members: 54% agree, 46% disagree, of 292 answering (65 strongly agree, 93 somewhat agree, 38 somewhat disagree, 96 strongly disagree)

Students: 47% agree, 53% disagree, of 94 answering (18 strongly agree, 26 somewhat agree, 14 somewhat disagree, 36 strongly disagree)

MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITIES IN DEVELOPING NEW SCHOOL BOUNDARIES

Shares are of the 1,466 who answered. They add to more than 100% because respondents could pick up to two; the form did not enforce the cap, and 18 respondents recorded three or four selections (11 with three, 7 with four).

Neighborhood Considerations: 732 respondents, 50%

Minimize Impact: 601 respondents, 41%

Demographics: 469 respondents, 32%

Transportation: 466 respondents, 32%

Capacity & Utilization: 240 respondents, 16%

Natural Barriers & Major Roads: 191 respondents, 13%

Other boundary priority: 155 respondents, 11%

Island Zones: 88 respondents, 6%

Full option text as it appeared in the survey:

Neighborhood Considerations – Keep neighborhoods together as much as possible, avoid splitting down the middle of the street.

Minimize Impact – Move the fewest number of students to accomplish the boundary adjustment, set long term boundaries (10-12 years) accounting for known enrollment variations

Demographics – Consider racial and ethnic diversity as well as socio-economic indicators within schools.

Transportation – Minimize time on bus, logical safe stops for group pickups, efficiency with time and dollars

Capacity & Utilization – Optimizing the use of school facilities to match current and projected enrollment balancing utilization at the current, 5-year, and 10-year forecasted trends.

Natural Barriers & Major Roads – Use natural barriers and major roads to create efficiency in setting boundaries and keeping neighborhoods together.

Island Zones – consider known enrollment variations and population projections in setting boundaries, avoid current and future islands

Long time! :) I wanted to share a presentation I gave this June along with Mary Lassiter at a town hall hosted by the Village Initiative.

This event came shortly after the Williamsburg-James City County school board decided not to move forward with changing the name of James Blair Middle School, despite the evidence we presented about Blair’s role in institutionalizing slavery in Virginia, and despite the racist slurs that appeared in the community survey about the name change.

My portion of the presentation covers the report I published on how the school came to be named after James Blair in 1954, a moment when WJCC doubled down on segregation after the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional.

Mary’s portion focuses on our campaign to rename Magruder Elementary school in York County, which is named after a Confederate general. The York County school board recently conducted its own survey, but it has not shared the results and has not made a decision on the name change.

Regardless of the school boards’ inaction, our Campaign for Honorable and Inclusive School Names is still committed to changing the names of these schools to ensure that every student in our area feels welcome and is treated with dignity. If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch.

But what about Round the Triangle?

Yeah…sorry I’m still thinking about what to do with this newsletter, but please let me know if you have ideas!

-Joe

This Thursday at 6:30 PM EST, the Village Initiative—a Williamsburg-based nonprofit—will host a town hall at the Stryker Center to discuss our campaign to rename James Blair Middle School.

I’ll be sharing findings from my recent report on the school’s history and that of its namesake, James Blair, and his role in institutionalizing slavery. My co-organizer, Mary Lassiter, will also speak about our campaign to rename Magruder Elementary in York County, which is named after a Confederate general.

If you're in the Williamsburg area, we’d love for you to join us and be part of the conversation. You can help spread the word for the event by sharing the graphic below on social media!

Thanks for your support,
Joe

The school board preserved the school name despite the renaming committee’s recommendation to change it and months of testimony describing the horrors that Blair inflicted on the Black community.

This indifference to racial equality recalls the 1954 WJCC school board that named the school James Blair, the same one that doubled down on segregation despite the Supreme Court declaring it unconstitutional.

Understanding what the name James Blair represents today means going back to when—and why—it was first chosen.

The Blueprint for a Joint Segregated School System

The school named after James Blair began as a whites-only high school. Its construction marked the start of the new joint school division between Williamsburg and James City County.

The plans for this segregated joint school division had white students attending the new high school and Matthew Whaley elementary, while Black students, first grade through high school, would be confined to one school, Bruton Heights. The rollout of this plan was overseen by infamous segregationist superintendent Rawls Byrd.

At the Dec. 10, 1953 meeting of the JCC school board, members briefly discussed naming the new high school for the first time. At the same meeting, the school board also reviewed an exchange between superintendent Byrd and a lawyer representing Black JCC citizens.

That lawyer raised the issues that Black students from the upper county would have to travel much farther to go to school under the new joint school division and that the current plans didn’t invest in Bruton Heights as much as the white schools.

Byrd had dismissed those concerns, saying that the county had voted for “a particular type of school consolidation” and that the unequal investment in the schools was due to there being fewer Black students.

Student population projections had allegedly showed 400 more white students by 1959, but at that time (1953) there were only 175 more white students than Black students.

Regardless, Byrd’s logic that more students justified more funding doesn’t explain why the division’s white schools were to receive higher quality amenities too, like a gym and a library, when the black school wouldn’t.

Earlier in 1953, Byrd had also responded to a letter from a “Mr. Whiting” who had requested that Byrd arrange a meeting between the school boards and Black citizens about building a new Black elementary school as part of the new joint school division.

In his response, Byrd used the excuse of public opinion to justify the unequal distribution of school resources, writing "the majority of county citizens do not want elementary schools in the upper end of the county."

Resisting Desegregation

News that segregation had been ruled unconstitutional was the headline on the May 21, 1954 issue of the Virginia Gazette. In their coverage, the paper had asked Byrd for comment on whether the Brown v. Board of Education decision would affect the planned segregated WJCC school division. Byrd said that the school boards would take a wait and see approach.

Earlier that May, the school boards had formed a naming committee for the new high school. By June 14, name suggestions had been submitted, but the school boards postponed discussion, distracted by the Supreme Court ruling.

Byrd had put the question to the Williamsburg school board about whether to proceed with the plan for the segregated joint school division. According to the minutes, the board had stated that “they had no definite information to cause them to change the building plans already set up."

Byrd said that he had attended a separate meeting of Virginia school superintendents, where a majority of the superintendents believed the Brown v. Board ruling could be circumvented. Byrd said he doubted that was possible "even if such a course were considered to be a desirable one."

A few days later at the JCC school board meeting, members also discussed the "wisdom of awarding the contract for the additional construction at the Bruton Heights School" in lieu of the Supreme Court decision.

At that meeting, Byrd said it was possible for the allocated money to be used elsewhere but that "he had no information which led him to be sure that any one of the other schemes was a better risk then going ahead with the Bruton Heights expansion" and that "there was no immediate answer as to the plan that would be followed in Virginia and other Southern states."

The school board decided to award the contract and proceed as planned with the segregated joint school division.

The Naming of “James Blair”

On July 8, 1954, the Virginia Gazette reported that the joint division’s new high school would soon have a name. A requirement for the school name to be selected was that it represented "a colonial citizen of the area,” the article said.

At the joint meeting, school board members discussed the top proposed school names: John Rolfe, Alexander Spotswood, and James Blair. They would eventually vote in favor of James Blair, who "had a more direct influence on education than anyone of the several names suggested."

The naming committee concurred, writing "[Blair's] services to colonial education cannot be over-estimated."

That influence on Virginia education, in Blair’s case, included loaning the College of William & Mary its first enslaved people and expanding the College’s investment in enslaved labor while he was president. Generations of black children were born into slavery to toil at the College-owned Nottoway Plantation, and the profits extracted from them would go towards white student scholarships.

The school boards didn’t mention Blair’s ties to slavery when they chose his name—but they were explicit in honoring his role in “colonial education,” a system that marginalized Black people and was supported by their enslavement.

Naming a whites-only school “James Blair” just weeks after Brown v. Board sent a clear message. It reaffirmed the racial hierarchy that Blair had championed, an educational system built on the suffering and exploitation of Black people.

The Push for Equal Education

In 1960, Black high school junior Lafayette Jones attempted to enroll at James Blair High School. Byrd, still superintendent, retaliated by calling Jones's father stating that if his son "did not rescind his request, his father-a carpenter - would never find work in town again."

At a Bruton Heights faculty meeting around the same time, Byrd reportedly told teachers that if Jones continued to try to attend James Blair, he would "shut down Bruton Heights and fire all the teachers."

Jones would graduate from Bruton Heights in 1961, recalling that Byrd said that "no black kid would ever go to that school," referring to James Blair. Byrd would enforce segregation for 10 years after the Supreme Court decision, and the first fully integrated class of 1969 would graduate only after Byrd retired.

On May 24, 2016, the WJCC school board voted to rename Rawls Byrd elementary school because of Byrd’s discrimination against the Black community and for his resistance to integration. Jones was a key organizer in the campaign to rename.

In a notable difference from the more recent school board decision, the 2016 board voted to change the name before conducting a survey.

“I think it’s really important not to delay on letting the public know, officially, that we very much support the changing of that name,” former school board member Jim Beers said at the May 24 meeting. “I think it’s appropriate for a statement.”

The 2016 board developed the policy for the naming and renaming of facilities in the WJCC school division that the Campaign for Honorable and Inclusive School Names referenced to request renaming James Blair Middle School in September 2024.

Renaming James Blair

This February, the current school board voted 5-1-1 in favor of looking into renaming James Blair Middle School based on our request. They formed a renaming committee, that committee issued a community survey, and when the results came back showing a slim majority opposed to renaming, board chair Sarah Ortego, along with members Kim Hundley and Amy Chen, reversed their earlier support. Or maybe they never supported renaming to begin with.

The 2016 school board had chosen principle over popularity when they removed Rawls Byrd’s name from the elementary school. Today’s school board did the opposite, justifying the unequal status quo by citing public opinion, just as Byrd had done when dismissing Black families’ calls for equal treatment 70 years ago.

But just as the decision to keep the name James Blair can be traced back to the racial prejudice of the segregation era, the Campaign for Honorable and Inclusive School Names takes inspiration from those who faced adversity to make our school division more equal.

We look to leaders like Rev. James B. Tabb, who would be one of the first to enroll his children at whites-only schools in Williamsburg. As president of the local NAACP, Tabb worked with the community across racial lines to make our school division fully integrated.

We also honor Mary Lassiter, one of our campaign organizers, and her classmates who were the first fully integrated class to graduate in Williamsburg, overcoming hardship to earn an education on par with their white peers.

And we’re following the precedent set by the 2016 school board, who understood that school names have meaning and that the school board has the discretion to show initiative when it comes to righting a past wrong.

We are disappointed that some of the school board members did not have the courage to follow through at this time, but our campaign is more resolved than ever to rename James Blair Middle School. We are committed to continuing public education on this topic, and in the upcoming election we will support school board candidates who have the moral conviction to stand for equality in education.

Two responses to the James Blair Middle School (JBMS) renaming survey used the n‑word in expressions of hate speech targeting Black people. These comments weren’t included in public reports of the survey results and only came to light when I pressed for unredacted records.

In March, the Williamsburg‑James City County (WJCC) division surveyed students, staff, parents, attendance zone residents, and community members about renaming JBMS due to Blair’s role in institutionalizing slavery in colonial Virginia. The school division compiled these survey results into a presentation which was shared with the volunteer renaming committee and the WJCC school board.

Curious, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the survey data spreadsheets. When I scanned the spreadsheets, I noticed two instances where the comment section read “(Comment redacted because of profane language).”

What I uncovered

I followed up with the school division to clarify what code citation justified these redactions. The Records Coordinator replied with the unredacted files, writing, “My apologies. I didn't notice that the file I released was the ‘redacted’ version.”

Here are the previously redacted comments (I have censored the comments, but you can download the survey data to see them uncensored):

• “Nahh, f*** the n****s.” — 8th‑grade student, James Blair Middle School (Student survey, response #328)

• “Rename it Black n***** Middle School.” —unidentified respondent, City of Williamsburg (Community survey, response #75)

What these remarks mean

Critics of renaming JBMS have focused on the estimated $92,334.50 price tag, trying to frame the debate around money rather than values. But these unredacted comments make it clear that finances are only part of the reason this school name change has been so fiercely resisted. Alongside budget worries voiced in good faith, racial hostility is an undeniable part of the opposition.

Even one racial slur would be one too many, but two people felt comfortable enough to use the n-word in response to this survey. These remarks cannot be dismissed as mere “profane language,” not when the issue at hand is fundamentally about race. They reflect a lingering resentment towards the notion that Black people deserve to be treated with dignity, a racial prejudice that can be traced back to James Blair.

Clearly, we have much more to do to address racism in our school community. Fortunately, we have a real opportunity right now to do just that by renaming James Blair Middle School. By choosing not to honor an enslaver, we would be taking a step towards racial healing and ensuring that every student in our school division feels like they belong.

What you can do to support the name change

• Email the school board before today’s work session
  Tuesday, May 6 • 4:30 p.m. • School Board Central Office
  You can find school board member emails here. Let them know you condemn these racist remarks and support renaming the school.

• Speak at the May 20 board meeting
  Tuesday, May 20 • 6:30 p.m. • James Blair Middle School
  Public comment is open and a final vote on the renaming is likely. A strong turnout will show that our community will not let racism win in this case.

This past week, the Williamsburg-James City County school division posted a survey asking community members to share thoughts on renaming James Blair Middle School by March 25. Submissions will be reviewed by the renaming committee formed last month by the WJCC school board and a final recommendation will be presented to the board at the April 1 work session. This all follows Mary Lassiter and I’s request last September to rename the school based on James Blair’s significant role in institutionalizing slavery in colonial Virginia.

Anyone can take the survey, but those living within the WJCC school division are especially encouraged to fill out the short form. You can do so here.

In the preface to the survey, the renaming committee provides important historical context about Blair, like how he personally enslaved people and expanded institutionalized slavery, including at the College of William & Mary. This context was not provided the last time a survey was sent out to rename the school in 2017.

The committee also clarifies the costs of the name change, estimated to be $92,334.50, or .05% of the division’s FY25 operating budget.

Critics of the name change have leaned on the argument that the time and money for the proposed school renaming should instead be spent “on the children,” alleging that this money could be better used to pay teachers or purchase supplies.

Does that mean that no school division money should be spent on infrastructure upkeep? In 2017, extensive renovations were made to James Blair Middle School, costing approximately $40 million. These changes were necessary because the school’s size could no longer accommodate the growing student population. In other words, the school building had become outdated.

Renaming the school is necessary in the same way, because the school’s namesake, James Blair, has long been outdated. We no longer have a segregated school system like when the school was named James Blair in 1954, one of many public building namings after pro-slavery figures in reaction to the civil rights movement. Today, we hold equality as a cornerstone of education, unlike Blair who enslaved generations of black children to labor on a plantation so white students could receive scholarships to go to W&M.

Changing the name of James Blair means more than altering signage and jerseys; it will make it so that all students that attend the school feel like they belong there. Just like the school needed more space to welcome the increasing number of students, the school also deserves name that all students today can be proud of.

Please do take the survey and read the committee’s preface before filling out the form. I believe that if we are not afraid to reckon with James Blair’s shameful history, our community will make the right decision and take a step in moving forward beyond the legacy of slavery.

-Joe

P.S. If you live in York County, the school board there is also reviewing our request to rename Magruder Elementary, named after a Confederate General. This is in violation of the school division’s own policy to not name buildings after individuals. We urge you to support our campaign there as well by emailing their school board or speaking at the next school board meeting tomorrow at 7 PM at York Hall.

It’s been awhile! I’m following up to give an update on the request to rename James Blair Middle school in Williamsburg, which the WJCC school board is expected to vote on next Tuesday, February 18. I’m asking for your help to ensure this measure passes, so that the community can take an important step to move beyond the legacy of slavery. Read to the end to see what you can do to support our campaign.

Why James Blair Middle Should be Renamed

The campaign, which was started by Mary Lassiter and her brother Carl in 2020, has been featured in Round the Triangle since the publication started. I interviewed historian Jennifer Oast about how James Blair, the co-founder of the College of William & Mary, was not just an enslaver himself but helped institutionalize slavery in Virginia. I did a follow up podcast about the campaign, which also discussed our request to rename Magruder Elementary in York County, named after Confederate General John B. Magruder.

Last September, our campaign submitted a formal request to the WJCC school board asking to rename James Blair Middle to James B. Tabb Middle, commemorating local community leader Rev. James B. Tabb. The board discussed the request at its recent work session last Tuesday, which you can watch here.

Because of James Blair’s advocacy for institutionalized slavery, Virginia’s colonial government allowed churches and other organizations to hold enslaved people. Blair loaned the W&M its first enslaved laborers, and while he was college president, W&M purchased a plantation with 17 enslaved people. The profits of that plantation funded scholarships for white students for decades. It is fair to say that generations of black children were born into slavery because of James Blair.

James Blair Middle School, originally a whites-only high school, was named for him in 1954 as part of Virginia’s pro-segregation Massive Resistance movement. It was a reaction to the Civil Rights movement and meant to enforce the unequal education system that Blair helped establish. My co-organizer Mary, who was part of the first fully integrated graduating class at James Blair High in 1969, remembers seeing a mural at the school’s entrance that depicted a towering Blair standing over a subservient Black enslaved man.

We believe it’s time to change this school name and instead honor someone who exemplified the values of our school division. Unlike Blair, Rev. Tabb was all about equality in education—he was one of the first to enroll his daughters in whites-only schools before full integration and, as the local NAACP president, played a key role in ushering our community into an integrated school system. He served as a pastor at multiple churches, received a funeral procession down Duke of Gloucester Street after his passing, and was honored posthumously with a joint resolution by the Virginia General Assembly.

Here’s how you can help rename James Blair Middle:

• Email the school board to voice your support for renaming James Blair Middle. Here are their email addresses: https://wjccschools.org/about-wjcc/leadership/school-board/members/
• Show up at the Feb. 18 board meeting. Arrive by 6 PM so you can sign up to speak during public comment. Let us know if you’d like help preparing a short speech.

Thank you so much for your support. Let’s work together to ensure our schools reflect the best of our community. If you’d like to connect with the campaign or have any questions, you can join our Facebook group.

Does this mean Round the Triangle is back?

At this time, I’m not sure when or if I will be bringing Round the Triangle back. If you want to see the newsletter return, please message me and let me know what you liked best about previous editions or what you would like to see in the future.

Before signing off, a personal update

Thank you to everyone who sent me nice messages in response to my announcement about my father’s illness. My dad, Dr. Anthony J. Caterine, passed away peacefully on January 9. I miss him every day. You can read his obituary here.

I am writing to you to let you know that I’ve made the difficult decision to pause the Round the Triangle newsletter for the rest of the year, if not longer. Sadly, my father was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and my time and energy right now needs to be focused on my family.

For those of you who are paid subscribers, I will be pausing all billing, and you will not be charged again until I resume sending out newsletters. If you would prefer to cancel your subscription altogether, I completely understand and am happy to accommodate that as well.

I hope that I’ll be able to relaunch Round the Triangle, or some version of it, sometime next year, but I can’t guarantee any definite timeline at this point.

I want to sincerely thank all of you for supporting this project, especially those who invested their dollars. It means a lot, and I look forward to corresponding with y’all again sometime in the future.

Sincerely,
Joe

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Calls for Collective Bargaining Grow

Summary: During public comment, multiple speakers advocated for collective bargaining rights for Williamsburg James City County school division teachers and staff, highlighting the importance of having a seat at the table to improve working conditions, pay, and benefits. Several speakers also spoke in opposition.

Background: Collective bargaining empowers workers to negotiate contracts with their employer. Many public employees in Virginia have won collective bargaining rights in the past few years since a longtime ban was lifted in 2021.

What’s next: For months, the Williamsburg James City Education Association has been calling for the school board to form a joint committee to create a bargaining resolution. During closed session, the school board consulted with legal counsel related to collective bargaining under Virginia law.

All Students Must Turn Off Cell Phones During School

Summary: The board discussed a revision to the student conduct policy which will extend the ban on cell phone use during school hours to high school students. Violating this policy can result in confiscation of devices.

Background: This policy change follows an executive order from Gov. Youngkin last month that requires school divisions to adopt “cell phone-free” education measures by 2025.

What’s next: The board said that this policy change will be communicated to students and parents, and that mental health resources will be available for students.

Other Headlines

• Community activist Mary Lassiter called for the name of James Blair Middle School to be changed to James B. Tabb Middle after a renowned local civil rights leader. Blair was instrumental in institutionalizing slavery in colonial Virginia.

• The school board approved the superintendent’s recommendation to declare September 15-October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month for WJCC schools.

• All 16 WJCC schools earned a “No Place for Hate” designation, following efforts last year to identify ways to address bullying and planning activities that encourage an inclusive and respectful school culture.

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I know - I did not send out the usual Williamsburg James City County school board work session summary last week! My apologies. But I have a pretty good excuse. My wife and I welcomed our newborn son to the world last Thursday! :) He is healthy and handsome, and we’re excited to raise him in Virginia!

Rest assured, Round the Triangle summaries …

Read more

The Project

With data from the US Department of Health and Human Services obtained by The New York Times, I filtered the data for Virginia and used a Google tool called Looker Studio to develop three dashboards designed to help readers dig into the details of this issue.

Timeline of Migrant Children Arrivals

📅 Timeline Dashboard: Readers can select a time period to see how many migrant children were sent to which zip codes within that window.

Key Takeaway: More unaccompanied children arrived in Virginia after the start of the pandemic (April 2020) than in the previous five years.

Relationships with Sponsors

👨‍👩‍👦 Relationship Chart: This chart allows readers to explore the types of relationships these children have with the adults they were released to (sponsors) after immigration proceedings.

Key Takeaway: Nearly 3,000 migrant children were placed with distant relatives or unrelated sponsors in Virginia.

Overview of Migrant Children in VA

📊 Overview Dashboard: Readers can search by country of origin, gender, release date, and sponsor category, with results illustrated on a map and table.

Key Takeaway: Culpeper County stands out, where a disproportionate number of migrant children have been sent compared to the relatively small local population. Dozens of migrant children in that county have gone missing.

The Goal

My hope is that these tools equip policymakers and advocates with the information they need to find solutions to better ensure these children receive the care and education they deserve.

If you have any questions about this story or these dashboards, message me!

Round the Triangle Q2 Financial Report

Income: $300

• $300 (Paid subscriptions)

Expenses: $97.22

• $60 (ChatGPT subscription)

• $7.46 (ChatGPT API calls)

• $29.75 (FOIA Invoices)

Balance: $237.78

• $35 (Q1 Remaining Balance)

• $202.78 (Q2 Remaining Balance)

Hope you’re having a great summer! This month, instead of the usual newsletter summary format, I’m trying out a more “minutes” type report for the Williamsburg-James City County School Board July 9 work session. You can view and comment at the link below:

Unofficial Minutes

I know I haven’t sent many emails lately. I’ve been working on a lot of projects - hopeful…

Read more

Below is a summary of this week’s Williamsburg-James City County School Board regular meeting. Next month, there is no regular school board meeting. Be on the lookout for some investigative reports from Round the Triangle.

Subscribe now

If you’d like to receive a summary of the July 9 WJCC School Board work session, please upgrade to a paid subscription or refer a friend to earn one month complimentary access.

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No Hosang Shenanigans?

I know, right? After board member Michael Hosang’s tirade at the June 4 work session, where he insinuated that Black students performed worse when there were more Black teachers, he was noticeably tight-lipped at this week’s meeting.

Before the board comment period, which is when Hosang typically gets on his soapbox, board chair Sarah Ortego reminded the board, not “addressing anyone in particular,” that their comments, including the tone in which they are given, set an example for the community and have an impact.

“Of course, we want free and open expression,” Ortego said. “I just want to remind everyone that this is not a place to have personal arguments or vendettas.”

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WJCC School Board Summary June 18, 2024

Committees Present Annual Reports, Make Recommendations

• Career Ready Advisory Committee

  • Recommendations:

    • Provide stipends for Career and Technical Student Organization advisors

    • Expand local employer partnership network

    • Create more enrollment opportunities in trades-based courses

  • Board Response: Emphasized importance of community partnerships and diverse options for students.

Read Report

• Student Advisory Committee

  • Recommendations:

    • Foster a more positive learning environment

    • Improve attendance rates

    • Diversify learning mediums

    • Involve students more

    • Plan to evaluate collective student voice in coming year

  • Board Response: Supported adding student representative to committee, praised leadership from students and committee members.

Read Report

• Special Education Advisory Committee

  • Recommendations: More support for inclusive audit recommendations and family engagement opportunities.

  • Board Response: Highlighted the importance of connecting families with resources and role of community advocacy groups.

Read Report

Admission of Homeless Children Policy Update

• Background: These revisions were prompted by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which mandates full and equal educational access for homeless children.

• What’s changing?: The updated policy ensures immediate enrollment of homeless children and provides better services, including transportation and meals.

• The Bigger Picture: The recent Williamsburg Independent School System Feasibility Study noted there are roughly 231 students experiencing homelessness in WJCC and called for more comprehensive support.

Read Policy Edits

Other Headlines

• The board approved an amendment to extend the agreement with EverDriven Technologies to address the current shortage of 20 bus drivers. The contract is extended to June 30, 2025 with a budget of $1.2 million.

• To achieve the goal of 85% of K-12 students meeting state literacy standards by 2028, the WJCC Literacy Plan includes training school administration and teachers based on Virginia Literacy act guidelines.

• During public comment, several speakers advocated for recognizing lacrosse as a varsity sport. Board members appreciated the input but said careful planning would be needed in order to add a new sport.

Upcoming Events

• Policy Committee Meeting:

  • When: June 20, 8:30 am

  • Where: Virtual

• Special Call Meeting:

  • When: June 27, 8:15 am

  • Where: Room 300 in the Annex at the School Board and

    Central Office, 117 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA

• WJCC School Board Work Session:

  • When: July 9, 4:30 PM

  • Where: Room 300 in the Annex at the School Board and

    Central Office, 117 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, VA

This public meeting summary is produced and edited by me with the help of ChatGPT.

Below is a summary of this week’s Williamsburg-James City County School Board regular meeting for paid subscribers. Free subscribers will be given access this Sunday.

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No Hosang Shenanigans?

I know, right? After board member Michael Hosang’s tirade at the June 4 work session, where he insinuated that Black students performed worse when the…

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This month’s regular meeting of the Williamsburg-James City County School Board is tonight at 6:30 PM at James Blair Middle School. You can download the agenda here.

Here are some agenda items I’ll be watching:

• Extension of third-party transportation contract to cover the current shortage of 20 bus drivers in the school division.

• Annual report from the Special Education Advisory Committee, which requested updates to grading policy to better accommodate students with disabilities.

• The revised Admission of Homeless Children policy to ensure better support and access to education for homeless children.

• Amendments to Worker’s Compensation Policy including more comprehensive injury reporting and return-to-work procedures.

• WJCC Literacy Plan in line with the Virginia Literacy Act, aiming to bring 85% of K-12 students to state literacy standards by 2028.

Interested in another topic? Questions about the meeting?

Contact me!

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I’ve produced a few different podcasts about this campaign, which you can listen to below:

During this webinar, I will also share how you can support our campaign. We will be tabling at two upcoming events, Freedom Fest on June 15 and the Juneteenth Freedom Celebration on the 19th, and we will have other speaking engagements in the coming months.

Register for Webinar

Hope to see you at the webinar!

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Good evening!

Below is a summary of this week’s Williamsburg-James City County School Board Work Session. To access the report, you can upgrade to a paid subscription or you can register for the Zoom meeting this Sunday, June 9 at 10 am where I will go over the report and facilitate discussion about the work session.

Register for Zoom

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