NORFOLK, Va. — After a sometimes-contentious meeting that lasted more than two and a half hours Wednesday, the Norfolk School Board crafted a tentative plan to close or repurpose multiple school buildings.

The move comes after Norfolk City Council voted in March to force the board to come up with a plan to close and consolidate schools due to declining enrollment and funding issues.

The board had four options on the table when they began Wednesday’s meeting, and two more options crafted by board members were brought forward during the meeting.

One of those new plans, developed by board members Tanya Bhasin and Jason Inge together with interim superintendent Dr. James Pohl, became a point of contention, with Vice Chair Alfreda Thomas calling it “underhanded” for them to work on a fifth

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