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Virginia Beach outlines $25M plan to consolidate three elementary campuses into two
Summary
Officials presented CIP project 1-028 to reconfigure Diamond Springs, Newtown and Betty F. Williams schools into a two-school 'tri-campus' model, estimating additions of roughly 7,400 sq ft at Diamond Springs and 22,300 sq ft at Newtown with combined costs expected to remain within the $25 million CIP allocation.
Melissa Ingram, executive director of facility services for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, told the school board on Oct. 14 that the division will reconfigure a three-school cluster into two campuses as part of CIP project 1-028.
Ingram said Diamond Springs Elementary would become a pre-K through first-grade site and Newtown Elementary would serve second through fifth grades. "Diamond Springs will require an addition equivalent to about 6 classroom spaces or 7,400 square feet," she said, and Newtown would need roughly 18 classrooms — about 22,300 square feet — to accommodate projected enrollment. Preliminary cost estimates presented to the board put Diamond Springs at $6–7 million and Newtown at $16–18 million; Ingram said the combined work is expected to remain within the division's $25,000,000 CIP allocation for the project.
The presentation included a planning timeline: design through February 2026, bid issuance in March 2026, construction mobilization in June 2026 and construction through December 2027. The reconfiguration and planned move-in were listed for the start of the 2028–29 school year, with the possibility of an earlier move during a break depending on approvals and schedules.
Board members focused questions on operational details. Miss Rogers asked about restroom capacity for the expanded Newtown building; Ingram pointed to restroom locations in the conceptual drawings and said restrooms were included in classroom clusters. The board also asked whether portables would be required; Ingram said "No. Not at this time." She added that construction trailers might be on-site but that Williams Elementary would remain occupied during work and staff would plan move-in timing to minimize disruption.
Several members asked about preserving the Betty F. Williams name in the reconfigured campus. Chair Kathleen Brown and Dr. Robertson noted a naming policy and said staff would bring recommended options to the board and include community input before any final decision.
The presentation concludes with staff offering further details as planning continues; Ingram invited board members to review conceptual plans and indicated staff would return with follow-up materials (cost refinements, restroom locations and community-engagement steps) as the design phase progresses.
