The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (locally known also as ''WJCC'' or ''WJC'') is a combined

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

which serves the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

of Williamsburg and

James City County James City County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,254. Although politically separate from the county, the county seat is the adjacent independent city of Williamsburg. Located ...

in the

Virginia Peninsula The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. It is sometimes known as the ''Lower Peninsula'' to distinguish it from two other peninsulas to the ...

area of the

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

region in southeastern

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The system consists of approximately 11,000 students in 15 schools, of which there are 9 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 3 high schools. The system employs 800 instructional staff members and over 600 support staff members. James River Elementary School, located in the Grove Community in the county's southeastern end, is a

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

. It offers the

IB Primary Years Programme The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students in grades Kindergarten to Fifth grade. While the programme prepares students for the IB Middle Y ...

, one of only five such schools Virginia as of October, 2006

Clara Byrd Baker, a public elementary school in Williamsburg, was opened in September 1989. Originally built to house 600 students, it was expanded in 1992 to increase its capacity to 800 students. The three

high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, all of which are within the county's borders (though they have Williamsburg addresses), are Jamestown, Lafayette, and Warhill High Schools. All are considered above average institutions. For the 2001–2002 academic year, the public school system was ranked among the top five school systems in the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United Stat ...

and in the top 15% nationwide by ''Expansion Management Magazine''. There are also two regional Governor's Schools in the area that serve gifted and talented students. A new middle school and a ninth elementary school were opened and began operating in September 2010, at the start of the 2010–11 school year.

History

The district formed in the mid-1950s when the city and county systems combined. - page cited: 436. The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools system (known informally as "WJCC"), as of 2020, has approximately 11,300 students in 16 schools—9 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 3 high schools. Within the county's boundaries there are two established high schools,

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

, and Jamestown. A third high school, Warhill, opened in the Lightfoot area in August 2007. The ninth elementary school, JB Blayton, opened in 2010 along with the new middle school to replace James Blair, Lois S. Hornsby Middle School. In 2018, James Blair Middle School opened, to be the most recent school to open in the WJCC Schools district.

Governance

The school board has seven members, with two from Williamsburg and the others from James City County.

Demographics

As of circa 2015, of the 11,000 students, about 1,100 (about 10%) live in Williamsburg and the remainder are in James City County.

Schools

James Blair Middle School entrance Williamsburg VA 2022-06-25 07-43-43 1

;High schools All high schools hold students in grades 9–12. * Jamestown High School * Lafayette High School *

Warhill High School Warhill High School is a public high school operated by the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (WJCC). Serving the joint school division of the independent city of Williamsburg and James City County, Virginia, the school is located at ...

;Middle schools All middle schools hold students in grades 6–8. *Berkeley Middle School (Williamsburg) *James Blair Middle School (Williamsburg) *Toano Middle School *Lois S. Hornsby Middle School ;Elementary schools All elementary schools hold students in grades K–5. *Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School *J. Blaine Blayton Elementary School *James River Elementary School **Located in the Grove Community in the county's southeastern end, James River is a

. It offers the

International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students in grades Kindergarten to Fifth grade. While the programme prepares students for the IB Middle Y ...

, one of only five such schools Virginia to do so.About James River
." James River Elementary School. Retrieved on February 24, 2007. *Laurel Lane Elementary School *Matoaka Elementary School *D.J. Montague Elementary School *Norge Elementary School *Stonehouse Elementary School *

Matthew Whaley Elementary School Matthew Whaley School is a public elementary school located in the Peacock Hill neighborhood of Williamsburg, Virginia, occupying a historic school building. It is within the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools. The Georgian Revival str ...

(Williamsburg)

Changes for 2010–11 school year

As of the 2010–11 school year, a new 9th elementary and a new middle school (replacing James Blair Middle School) opened. Although planned to operate separately, the two schools are adjacently-located off Jolly Pond Road near the present county school bus garage. The new schools were formally dedicated on October 2, 2010. An audience of close to 100 people joined the school board, members of the James City County Board of Supervisors and Williamsburg City Council and the families of the namesakes for the ceremony. The new schools are: * J. Blaine Blayton Elementary School, named in honor of Dr. J. Blaine Blayton, an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

physician and civic leader who lived in the Grove community in James City County. Dr. Blayton was a supporter of public education and the first African American to serve on the James City County school board. His son, Oscar, was the first African American to attend the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...

. * Lois S Hornsby Middle School, named for Mrs. Lois Hornsby, a philanthropist who has lived in Williamsburg for more than five decades. Ms. Hornsby is the mother of musician

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...

and widow of lawyer and real estate developer Robert Hornsby, Sr. The newest middle school, Hornsby, will effectively replace James Blair Middle School. The Blair complex was originally built as a high school, and is one of the school division's older structures. For the 2010–11 school year and the immediate future, the division plans to operate only 3 middle schools, although a newer portion of the Blair complex is scheduled to be modified to accommodate the Academy for Life & Learning, an alternative education program for older students. The school system's central administration will utilize the larger, remaining portion of Blair for its offices. While current facilities will be adequate to meet most of the system's needs, a future renovation of the Blair complex for reuse as a middle school is anticipated, possibly by 2017.

New school for 2017–2018 school year

In 2017 a new middle school will be built on the James Blair site, with plans to be opened in fall 2018. The WJCC School Board accepted a proposal by the Superintendent on October 21, 2014. The proposal includes two phases. In the first phase, a new building will be constructed beside the current James Blair school building. In the second phase, the old building will be demolished and a new building will be constructed in its place. The final project will cost around $40 million and house around 900 students.

References

External links

Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
Official Website * {{Williamsburg School divisions in Virginia Education in Williamsburg, Virginia Education in James City County, Virginia