Long-Range School Facility Master Plan

February 12, 2008 Update

Virginia Beach City Public Schools is committed to providing state-of-the art schools to its approximately 70,000 students. Testimony to this is the fact that 22 schools and a school plant facility have been replaced or renovated since 1998. To ensure that the school division continues on this course, a Long-Range School Facility Master Plan was developed by the Long-Range School Facility Master Plan Steering Committee with input from Virginia Beach residents and presented to the School Board on September 5, 2007.  This comprehensive plan addresses recommendations for renovations, additions, and new schools for Virginia Beach City Public Schools over the next 10-15 years.

To learn about how the Long-Range School Facility Master Plan was developed, please read the following:

What was the role of the Long-Range School Facility Master Plan Steering Committee?
The purpose of the Steering Committee was to review demographic and facility data, examine future trends that will impact educational facilities, engage the community in dialogue regarding the future direction of building renovation/replacement, formulate options to address school facility needs, and present recommendations to the School Board with regard to future K-12 school facility needs. Members of the Steering Committee included: school division teachers and administrators, a military liaison, representatives from local colleges and universities, PTA members, City of Virginia Beach staff, School Board and City Council members, along with Virginia Beach residents.

Did other members of the community provide input to the Long- Range Facility Master Plan?
One of the most important steps in this process were the opportunities for Virginia Beach citizens to provide input on the recommendations that were ultimately presented to the School Board on September 5, 2007. An Educational Framework Conference was held on March 13, 2007, to gain broad-based input regarding division-wide academic and facility topics. Results from the Educational Framework Conference along with various options that could impact the division’s school buildings were shared during the May 9 & 10, 2007, Community Dialogues. Those who participated in these dialogues provided input to help determine the preferred options and priorities for the renovation, replacement, and possible closure of school district facilities.

How did the Steering Committee determine the preferred options and priorities for the renovation, replacement, and possible closure of schools that was included in the Long-Range Facility Master Plan presented to the School Board on September 5, 2007?
In addition to the data collected from the Educational Framework Conference and the Community Dialogues, facility assessment and appraisals of school buildings were considered. During the year-long process, the “systems” of 36 facilities were assessed to include: roofing, heating, ventilation, cooling, windows, flooring, and plumbing along with lighting, interior environments, and technology. The assessments and appraisals of the physical condition of these 36 schools were all taken into consideration when drafting the final plan.

The Long-Range Facility Master Plan references four planning areas. How were these four areas determined and which schools are included in each area?
These four planning areas were determined by high school boundaries to make the process of assessing and appraising school facilities more manageable. The schools included in the four planning areas – Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest – are as follows:

On October 2, 2008, the Virginia Beach School Board accepted the Long-Range Strategic Plan Report along with the steering committee's 14 recommendations. This plan will serve as a blue print for the school division over the next 10-15 years.

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