NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Amid continued declining enrollment of the city's public schools, Norfolk City Council has called for the city School Board to develop a plan within the next five months for closing and consolidating 10 schools, with the closures starting by August 2026. R-09-Resolution-Re questing-the-Norfolk-School-Board-to-Prioritize-a-Plan-to-Consolidate-SchoolsDownload The resolution, adopted by council unanimously, threatens to provide consequences to the School Board for any delay, including changing the city's appropriation to Norfolk Public Schools from a lump-sum one to a directed appropriation to give council more control over school division appropriations "in order to ameliorate the estimated loss of funds due to surplus capacity of school buildings." Council said it acknowledges the difficult choices the board faces in closing or consolidating the 10 schools, but "eliminating unneeded buildings must be a priority addressed immediately." The resolution states that the School Board is to close at least two schools per year until the number of school buildings does not exceed the number needed. In 2025, the city provided Norfolk Public Schools $164.2 million toward its operating costs, with the city responsible for 100% of its capital costs. The council resolution noted that it has remained committed to increasing per-pupil spending. even with student enrollment declining from 31,176 in 2010 to a projected total of 24,459 in 2025, a 21% decrease. The school division created a long-range facility plan steering committee in 2024, part of a larger initiative to modernize its facilities. NPS creating new committee to tackle ambitious modernization plan Council also noted in the resolution that, since 2019, the school division's facilities master plan highlighted a rebuild of Maury High School as well as Granby, Norview and Jacox elementary schools, and consolidating Tidewater Park Elementary School, Madison Alternative School, Easton Preschool and Lindenwood Elementary School. Previously: Norfolk schools proposed facility plan aims to consolidate aging buildings Previously: Norfolk community concerned over proposal that would close school, relocate other students Council also cited a survey by the board's consultant that said the school division has, since 2013, operated at three to 17 schools above its need based on population served. The report cited potential savings of nearly $71 million over a five-year period from 2018 to 2022 — $8.5 million in 2018, $8.4 million in 2019, $16.7 million in 2020, $17.2 million in 2021 and $20.3 million in 2022. ...read more read less