NNPS and City of Newport News Celebrate Huntington Middle School: The Next Chapter
Posted: September 11, 2023
Newport News Public Schools and the City of Newport News hosted Huntington Middle School: The Next Chapter on September 7 at the site of the future Huntington Middle School.
The outdoor event commemorated the proud history of Huntington High School and Huntington Middle School and celebrated the launch of the "next chapter," which includes the construction of a new 600-student middle school, anticipated to open during the second semester of the 2025-2026 school year.
The event recognized the strong partnership between the City of Newport News, Newport News Public Schools and the community.
"The City of Newport News and Newport News Public Schools are proud to join together to create a 21st century middle school to serve the students of today and tomorrow," said Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones. "The next chapter of Huntington builds upon an extraordinary legacy of more than 100 years of learning to create a place with educational services to support STEAM learning and the comprehensive resources students need to thrive and be successful in life. In addition to the middle school, our plans for the site include a state-of-the-art resource center with a library, community center, outdoor sports options, and more."
School Board Chairwoman Lisa Surles-Law commented "Newport News Public Schools has been looking forward to this next chapter of the Huntington story. A story rich in history that began in 1920. Building on this legacy of learning, Huntington Middle School will continue to educate our students and proudly serve our community in a new, state-of-art facility. The School Board and the City of Newport News have worked together to move this vision forward. We are committed to honoring the past while continuing to instill the values and educational purpose that the Huntington legacy has built."
Construction of the new middle school is the priority and is expected to begin in spring 2024. The new school will be a 600-student education center, a multi-story, state-of-the art institution with a focus on STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The building will feature student learning studios and labs, and open collaboration areas.
In addition to the middle school, plans for the site, known as the Southeast Community Resource Area, also include a state-of-the-art public library, community center, sports features, and a splash pad.
Event speakers included Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones, School Board Chairwoman Lisa Surles-Law and School Board Vice Chairman Dr. Terri Best. Joseph Small, a seventh-grade student at Huntington Middle School, sang a rendition of What a Wonderful World.
Local and state elected officials, Huntington alumni and staff, and members of the community were in attendance to commemorate the historic event.
For more pictures from the event, visit the NNPS Facebook album.
