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KEEP SCHOOL OPEN

Save Norfolk Highlands Primary

Funding Reality Check

Even the broader per-pupil funding math is small compared with the new costs shown in CPS’s own preschool-center proposal.

The key math, explained simply

Some people may think Norfolk Highlands Primary has to close because the school could lose money if enrollment drops.

The narrow federal-only number is about $2,045 per student. If Norfolk Highlands lost 10 students, that would be:

10 students × $2,045 = $20,450 per year

But let’s use the broader number too. SchoolDigger lists total per-pupil spending at about $16,155 per student, including federal, state, and local money. If 10 students actually left CPS entirely, that broader sensitivity check would be:

10 students × $16,155 = $161,550 per year

For a $500,000 home, covering $161,550 across the citywide tax base would be about $1.97 per year.

By contrast, CPS’s preschool-center proposal adds about $1.37 million to $1.53 million in new net Year 1 operating cost.

That is the point: even the broader 10-student funding scenario is far smaller than the new cost CPS is proposing.

Important distinction: Rezoning NHP students to other Chesapeake schools does not make those students disappear from CPS. The full per-pupil spending number is a sensitivity check for the stronger “what if students leave the district entirely?” argument. CPS has still not published the actual side-by-side cost of keeping NHP open versus conversion.

What numbers are being used?

SchoolDigger lists Norfolk Highlands Primary at 294 students. It also lists spending at $16,155 per student, broken into $2,045 federal and $14,109 state/local per student.

The 2019 Chesapeake Public Schools Facilities Master Plan listed Norfolk Highlands Primary at 317 students in 2018-19 and projected a change of -10 students by 2028-29, or about 307 students.

The June 8 CPS presentation described Norfolk Highlands as having approximately 300 students as of September 30, 2025. These public numbers are all in the same general range.

Enrollment-related funding scenarios

Scenario Math Annual amount
Federal-only sensitivity 10 × $2,045 $20,450/year
State/local sensitivity 10 × $14,109 $141,090/year
Total per-pupil sensitivity 10 × $16,155 $161,550/year

Cost per house to cover the broader 10-student amount

Using the rough citywide tax-base estimate that one penny on the real estate tax rate raises about $4.1 million, covering $161,550 would require about 0.039 cents on the real estate tax rate.

Assessed home value Approximate annual cost
$300,000 home $1.18 per year
$400,000 home $1.58 per year
$500,000 home $1.97 per year
$600,000 home $2.36 per year
$750,000 home $2.96 per year
$1,000,000 home $3.94 per year

For comparison, the narrow federal-only $20,450 scenario would cost about $0.25 per year on a $500,000 home.

Now compare that to CPS’s proposed preschool-center costs

CPS’s own June 8 presentation shows the Early Childhood Center plan creating much larger new operating costs.

CPS presentation item Low estimate High estimate
Additional expenditures before VPI funding $2,419,915 $2,968,456
Virginia Preschool Initiative funding $1,048,508 $1,441,699
Net expenditures to operating budget — Year 1 $1,371,407 $1,526,757
Net expenditures to operating budget — ongoing $863,407 $995,507
Federal-only 10-student scenario $20,450/year Narrowest estimate: 10 students × $2,045 federal dollars per student.
Full per-pupil 10-student scenario $161,550/year Broader sensitivity check: 10 students × $16,155 total per-pupil spending.
CPS Year 1 new net cost $1.37M–$1.53M About 8–9 times larger than the full per-pupil 10-student scenario.
CPS ongoing new net cost $863K–$996K/year About 5–6 times larger than the full per-pupil 10-student scenario.

Bottom line

If the question is, “Would lower enrollment create a funding problem big enough to justify removing Norfolk Highlands Primary as a neighborhood school?” the public numbers do not show that.

The narrow federal-only scenario is about $20,450 per year. The broader full per-pupil sensitivity check is about $161,550 per year if 10 students actually leave CPS entirely.

That broader amount would be about $1.97 per year for a $500,000 home if covered across the citywide real estate tax base.

CPS’s own preschool-center plan shows much larger added costs: $1.37 million to $1.53 million in Year 1 and $863,407 to $995,507 ongoing.

The real question is still the one CPS has not answered: what is the actual side-by-side cost of keeping Norfolk Highlands Primary open compared with partial co-location, another site, or full conversion?

Sources

  1. SchoolDigger: Norfolk Highlands Primary.
    Used for current enrollment, per-pupil spending, federal per-pupil dollars, and state/local per-pupil dollars.
  2. Chesapeake Public Schools 2019 Facilities Master Plan Background Report.
    Used for 2018-19 Norfolk Highlands enrollment, capacity, and projected enrollment change.
  3. CPS June 8, 2026 Early Childhood Center Plan presentation.
    Used for the approximately 300 current NHP students, preschool-center enrollment goals, VPI funding, additional expenditures, and net operating-budget impact.
  4. City of Chesapeake Real Estate Assessor’s Office.
    Used for the FY2025-26 real estate tax rate and the city’s tax calculation method.