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Community groups urge Norfolk school board to sustain and expand Equity & Excellence Learning Centers
Summary
Seven speakers at public comment praised the EELC pilot, urged alignment with the community schools framework to access state and federal grants, and asked the board to formalize partnerships that would sustain wraparound services and youth voice.
A coalition of community speakers used the board's public‑comment period to press for expansion and sustainable funding for Norfolk Public Schools' Equity & Excellence Learning Centers (EELCs).
Crystal Blue Brown, president of the Norfolk Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, spoke for her chapter and said the group's long‑running local programs — tutoring, mentoring, and arts exposure with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra — directly support Norfolk students. Keening Baskerville, representing New Virginia Majority’s education campaign, told the board the EELC pilot has reduced absenteeism and improved behavior at participating schools and urged the district to explore aligning the EELCs with community school frameworks to secure state and federal grants.
Elise McMath (New Virginia Majority) recommended using the community school model’s needs assessments and community advisory groups to make the EELCs eligible for additional funding and to staff them appropriately. Jasmine Garcia, a community‑based provider who runs Gear Recovery, described the EELCs as “more than an after‑school program,” emphasizing partnerships with local organizations for social‑emotional supports and mentorships.
Other speakers — including Raytron White, Archie Diana Bacon and Bernadine Brown — urged board members and principals to maintain visible community presence and wraparound supports, arguing that relationships between schools and neighborhoods can reduce absenteeism and help students succeed. The comment period included recognition of the EELC pilot schools (Booker T. Washington High, Ruffner Middle, P. B. Young, Jaycox Elementary, and Southside STEM Academy) and a common theme that sustainability requires long‑term funding commitments and stronger community‑school advisory structures.
Board members did not take immediate action on the comments but members and staff acknowledged the request for further partnership planning and grant alignment work. Several speakers asked that students be given a greater role on advisory committees; Jasmine Garcia specifically urged the board to create “safe spaces” for student voice on health and wellness policy committees.
