NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Norfolk residents are now getting a better picture of plans for the city’s School Board to consolidate and close a number of public schools in the school division.

10 On Your Side first learned of the plans near the end of March. Then, Norfolk City Council gave the school board just five months to develop a list of schools to close and consolidate, with closures expected to begin by August 2026.

City Council said they asked School Board members to make the changes in response to declining enrollment in the city, specifically with elementary-aged students.

Now, a list of facilities that could be impacted, based on recommendations from school officials, has been released to the public. The preliminary consolidation, renovation and rebuild plan spans from 2026-2033, and includes 10 closures, one renovation, three rebuilds and five repurposes.

The preliminary list of schools recommended for closure are:

• Berkley Campostella Early Childhood Education Center
• Ghent School
• Granby Elementary School
• Lindenwood Elementary School
• Norfolk Technical Center
• Norview Elementary School
• P.B. Young Sr. Elementary School
• Tarrallton Elementary School
• The Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs Center
• Willoughby Early Childhood Center

Five schools — Monroe, Oceanair, St. Helena and Chesterfield elementary schools, along with Lake Taylor High School — would be repurposed as part of the plan to help students who are a part of the closed schools and programs.

The consultant also recommended rebuilding Maury High School along with Suburban Park and Jacox elementary schools. The School Board approved an initial design to rebuild Maury earlier this year.

Sewells Point Elementary School would be renovated under the preliminary plan.

The full proposal, including the 10 closures and potential timeline, can be found below:

Two community engagement sessions, also called the “right-sizing sessions,” are expected to be held Thursday, when residents will be able to learn more about the plans and provide feedback.

The first meeting will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday at Booker T. Washington School, followed by a second meeting at Granby High School from 5-7 p.m., also Thursday. More information on the proposal, including background information, survey results and next steps can be read in full below:

The proposal states too many Norfolk classrooms are sitting half-empty, mostly due to declining enrollment since 2015 at the elementary level.

According to the proposal, “declines are projected to continue in the coming years due to city population trend and division enrollment history.”

So instead of paying to keep what the proposal labels as unused space open, the plan aims to reinvest that money into newer facilities for students

For generations, Lindenwood Elementary has been a pillar for one Norfolk community, and it is one of 10 campuses that Norfolk Public Schools may shut down as part of a sweeping consolidation plan.

Under the plan, Lindenwood students would move to Willard Elementary, which has a newer roof and HVAC system – but for many, this is about more than distance—it’s about loss.