Brunswick School Board approves plan for new education center

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Brunswick County School Board on Monday approved a plan to establish the Brunswick Education Center, a central hub for several division programs and services.

The school board approved a proposal establishing the Brunswick Education Center at its regular meeting held on Monday, March 9, per a March 10 press release.

The Brunswick Education Center will be located in the current Totaro Elementary building -- which school officials say will be repurposed after the planned closure of the division's three elementary schools at the end of the 2025-26 school year. All elementary students will attend Brunswick Elementary School, per the school division.

"The creation of the Brunswick Education Center will allow us to address facility and organizational needs without major renovation or construction of a new building," said superintendent Darnell Center in a press release. "The Totaro Elementary facility is in good condition and allows us to maximize our existing resources while creating a space that supports early learning, alternative education, and administrative collaboration."

The new center will reportedly house the division's early childhood programs, alternative education programs and central office staff, helping the district bring several services together in one location, per a release.

The center will free up spaces at the middle and high schools currently occupied by alternative education programs, along with creating more space at the elementary building, the district said.

Office staff will also be able to transition out of the division's current administrative facility, allowing the district to avoid major renovations to the building.

The new transition to the new center will happen alongside the opening of the elementary school at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

Additional information about the program transitions and timelines will be shared in the coming months, the district said.