The School Board of the City of Norfolk is a seven-member group of citizens. Beginning July 1, 2018, the School Board became a fully elected body. Elections are held in November School Board members annually elect a chairman and vice chairman amongst the seven members. School Board members are compensated at a rate not to exceed the maximum salary in accordance with the Code of Virginia.

The School Board is charged with setting policies, which assure the proper administration of the educational programs of Norfolk Public Schools. The Board also approves the hiring of a staff to administer and carry out the policies and approves the budget that is necessary to implement the educational program. The only legal requirement for School Board membership is that the person resides in the city of Norfolk.

Members of the School Board come from various sections of the city of Norfolk. Consequently, the Board is a cross-section of the city and truly represents all of Norfolk's citizens. They are citizens who share a common interest in the public schools of the city and are willing to volunteer their time to serve on the School Board.

School Board business meetings are generally held on the third Wednesday of each month and the work sessions are generally held on the first Wednesday of each month. All of the business meetings will be evening meetings with the formal open session beginning at 7:00 p.m. The closed executive session of the Board begins at 4:00 p.m. The work sessions begin at 4:00 p.m. All School Board meetings will be held in the School Administration Building, 800 East City Hall Avenue, Room 1202, unless otherwise indicated. Meeting start times may vary based on need. Notification is sent in advance for any meeting changes. For more information, please contact the School Board office at (757) 628-3994 or e-mail the School Board Clerk at schoolboardclerk@nps.k12.va.us.

On occasion, when special meetings are called or when other times and places for regular meetings become necessary, such changes are publicly announced on the district website and/or in local newspapers. All meetings are open to the public, except for executive sessions, which may be held for discussing items as specified in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Pursuant to the State of Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor’s Executive Orders, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act as amended by the Virginia General Assembly and the School Board’s Emergency Resolution, the School Board and selected staff members will meet in person at the School Administration Building for a School Board Meetings. However, at this time it is impractical and unsafe to allow other persons to attend the School Board Meeting due to physical distancing and safety precautions related to the pandemic. Members of the public will be able to observe the School Board Meeting through live streaming on https://norfolkpublicschools.swagit.com/live/, YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/NPSk12va/live, or tune in to Ch. 47.