WJCC Releases Revised School Rezoning Maps: Is Your Neighborhood Affected?

Aug 7 '26 August 7, 2026

A local parent’s perspective on the proposed Williamsburg-James City County school boundary changes—and why these decisions matter beyond the lines on a map.

By John Womeldorf | Mr. Williamsburg

If you have children in Williamsburg–James City County Public Schools—or you’re considering moving to the Williamsburg area—there are some significant proposed changes to school attendance zones that are worth paying attention to.

And for me, this one is personal.

I was a parent with two kids who attended public schools here in James City County, and our family went through rezoning ourselves back in the early 2010s when Hornsby Middle School opened.

I remember the conversations, the concerns and how strongly parents and neighborhoods felt about where their children would attend school.

When you’re looking at a rezoning map, it’s easy to see nothing more than lines and colors. When your own kids are affected, it’s an entirely different story.

WJCC Has Released New Proposed Maps

Williamsburg–James City County Schools released revised proposed attendance-zone maps this week following community feedback and input collected through a public survey last spring, which drew both participation and criticism of the May proposal.

According to Kara Wall, WJCC’s chief communications officer, the revisions were made based on community feedback and the school division’s guiding principal framework.

That framework is built around five key factors:

Balancing utilization across the division
Considering racial diversity and socioeconomic factors
Maintaining neighborhood schools
Managing transportation concerns
Minimizing disruption and keeping students together through the transition to middle and high school

Under the latest plan, approximately 16% of WJCC students would change schools.

That number does not include students who are already scheduled to graduate or who would naturally transition between school levels.

The August proposal leaves attendance zones unchanged for:

James River Elementary
Matthew Whaley Elementary
Norge Elementary
Stonehouse Elementary
James Blair Middle
Toano Middle
Jamestown High School

DJ Montague Elementary and several other boundaries were adjusted in the revised maps in an effort to better balance enrollment and keep neighborhoods together.

Why Is WJCC Rezoning Schools?

There isn’t one simple answer.

The school division is trying to balance a number of competing priorities at the same time: school capacity, future residential growth, transportation and bus routes, keeping neighborhoods together, minimizing disruption as students progress through the school system, and socioeconomic and ethnic diversity.

That’s a difficult balancing act.

Some schools are already overcrowded. Stonehouse Elementary is one example, and it serves a portion of James City County where additional residential development is occurring or planned.

WJCC is also preparing for new preschool centers for the 2027–28 school year, which will change how classroom space is used across the division. At the same time, the district is working to reduce reliance on portable classrooms due to security concerns, making capacity planning even more complex.

Community Feedback and Guiding Principles Shaped the Revisions

Wall said the updated maps reflect both public input and the division’s guiding principles.

The steering committee reviewed feedback from the spring community survey and used that input to refine the May proposal.

Another community survey is now open and will close on August 16.

“From the beginning, we have been committed to conducting this work deliberately, transparently and with meaningful opportunities for community engagement,” Superintendent Daniel Keever said at a recent school board meeting. “Every piece of feedback has been considered.”

Neighborhood Changes: Some Families Stay Put

Under the new maps, some local families will no longer need to worry about switching schools.

Wall said the division was able to “minimize student impact” by reassigning several neighborhoods back to their existing school zones after further capacity analysis.

Pointe at Jamestown and 4H Club Road

Students living in the Pointe at Jamestown and a portion of 4H Club Road are currently assigned to Clara Byrd Baker and Berkeley.

Those areas had been reassigned to Matoaka and Hornsby in the May draft, but the updated maps now allow those students to remain in their current schools.

Zone assignments were also revised for portions of 4H Club Road, Foxfield, Jamestown 1607, and Oak Hill residential areas near the Jamestown and Sandy Bay Road intersection. Students in those communities will also remain in their current school assignments.

Season’s Trace

Season’s Trace students were originally shifted from D.J. Montague to J. Blaine Blayton in the May proposal. In the revised plan, they will remain at D.J. Montague.

Hall said the division was able to make these adjustments without disrupting feeder patterns.

Some Students Will Face Longer Commutes

While many neighborhoods saw reduced disruption, some students could face longer commutes under the updated plan.

Students in Longhill Grove, Warhill Green, and Powhatan Apartments would attend an elementary school farther from their nearest option under the revised map.

These students are currently assigned to D.J. Montague but would be transferred to J. Blaine Blayton.

High school students in these neighborhoods would also move from Lafayette to Warhill.

“We’ve shared some sentiments on the push and pull of the guiding principles on one another,” Hall said. “The committee was mindful of overall implications of transportation, where two communities will be faced with moderate commutes, rather than one community with a long commute and one with a shorter commute.”

Ford’s Colony Remains a Major Challenge

Ford’s Colony, the largest developed neighborhood in the county, “continued to present a challenge to assign its 2,700 acres to one elementary school,” Wall said.

Assigning all Ford’s Colony students to D.J. Montague would push that school beyond capacity while leaving Matoaka underutilized in the low 60% range, according to Wall.

Additionally, the southeastern portion of the county is expected to see a decline in school-age population, further complicating long-term balancing efforts.

The August maps maintain a split boundary through Ford’s Colony that appeared in earlier proposals. The division aligns with existing Board of Supervisors and school board voting district lines.

Families in Ford’s Colony closer to Matoaka and within the Jamestown voting district will be assigned to Matoaka, while those in the Powhatan voting district will be zoned for D.J. Montague.

Students in both voting districts will attend Hornsby Middle School and Lafayette High School.

What Hasn’t Changed

The school board made no changes to attendance zones for James River, Matthew Whaley, Norge, or Stonehouse in the updated maps.

As a result, utilization levels for those schools remain the same as in the May proposal, Wall said.

See Exactly How Your Neighborhood Is Affected

WJCC has created an interactive mapping tool that allows residents to compare current and proposed attendance zones side-by-side.

You can zoom down to individual neighborhoods to see exactly what is changing.

View the interactive WJCC rezoning maps here:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0d84280c63284cadbb7aeaf84e5bc820

I’ll also include several images of the proposed maps with this article.

If you’re a parent—or simply a homeowner curious about whether your neighborhood is affected—I would encourage you to spend a few minutes with the interactive map.

What Happens Next?

The steering committee will make a recommendation to Superintendent Daniel Keever at the School Board Work Session on September 1. Keever will then present his final recommendations to the School Board on September 15.

A vote on the proposed attendance zones is expected on October 20.

If approved, the new attendance zones would take effect beginning in the 2027–2028 school year.

I’ve Been Through This as a Parent

Having lived through WJCC rezoning with my own children, I know these decisions can have a very real impact on families.

And after more than 20 years helping people buy and sell homes throughout Williamsburg and James City County, I’ve also seen just how important school attendance zones can be to people deciding where they want to live.

That’s one reason I think it’s important to follow this process closely.

These aren’t simply lines being moved around on a map.

They affect children, families, neighborhoods—and potentially the character of those neighborhoods—for many years to come.

If your neighborhood is affected, take a look at the maps, learn what’s being proposed, and make your voice heard while there is still an opportunity to do so.

About John Womeldorf — Mr. Williamsburg

I’m John Womeldorf, better known as Mr. Williamsburg, and I’ve been a full-time Realtor in the Williamsburg area for more than 20 years. I’m also a longtime James City County resident who raised two children here and has watched Williamsburg, James City County and the surrounding communities grow and change tremendously over the years.

I created MrWilliamsburg.com because I believe real estate is about much more than houses.

When someone asks me what it’s like to live in Williamsburg, they’re rarely asking only about square footage and home prices. They want to know about the neighborhoods, schools, restaurants, traffic, development, history, events, local businesses and the decisions being made today that could shape our community tomorrow.

That’s why I write articles like this.

My goal is to share the kind of local information and perspective that can be difficult to find elsewhere—whether you’ve lived here for 30 years or you’re researching Williamsburg from hundreds of miles away and considering making it home.

Have a Williamsburg-area real estate question?

Whether you’re thinking about buying, selling, relocating to Williamsburg or simply trying to understand our local real estate market, I’m always happy to talk.

John Womeldorf | Mr. Williamsburg
Liz Moore & Associates
📞 757-254-8136
✉️ john@mrwilliamsburg.com
🌐 MrWilliamsburg.com

Living here. Working here. Writing about the places, people and issues that make Williamsburg home.

If you have children in Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools—or you’re considering moving to the Williamsburg area—there are some significant proposed changes to school attendance zones that are worth paying attention to.