NNPS hosts update, seeks community input
Posted: October 24, 2025
Newport News Public Schools hosted an Update to the Community to share information on transportation, zoning, and Magnet and Specialty Programs on October 23 at Hines Middle School.
Video replay of the session is available below and here. All community members are invited to provide their feedback by filling out the online survey in English or Spanish by noon on October 29.
"We wanted to make sure that we are very transparent with the information on exactly where we are at this point," said Newport News School Board Chairman Dr. Terri Best. "And we want to make sure that when we make choices and we make decisions that will impact your students, that we hear from you and that you understand what we're trying to do.
"We always try to do whatever's in the best interest of children. But we want to be, again, completely transparent and make sure that you have all of the information."
Chief Operations Officer Rusty Fairheart presented an overview of current transportation operations. He outlined challenges the department faces; the impact that changes made prior to this school year have had so far; the effects that transportation for students enrolled in Magnet and Specialty Programs have on the flow of buses around the city daily; and improvement strategies that might be utilized.
The most pressing challenges are staffing; student behavior and consequences; cross-town bussing that is required to comply with the 1971 court-approved desegregation plan; Magnet and Specialty Programs; and geography including the city's unique shape, school locations and Warwick Boulevard, Jefferson Avenue and Interstate 64 being the only available main traffic arteries.
School divisions are required to provide transportation for students with disabilities and those classified under the federally-mandated McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act to schools or programs regardless of travel distance. NNPS was providing transportation for 980 students under that program as of the end of last school year to and from locations ranging from the Middle Peninsula to the Southside.
"Outside of our mandated responsibilities, which are transporting students with disabilities and McKinney-Vento, our Magnet and Specialty Programs probably force the biggest burden on our transportation throughout the school division," Fairheart said.
So far, changes made at the start of this school year to slightly increase the walking distance where no student transportation is provided and to bus stops, adjust school day start and end times at five schools, allow students to opt out of transportation, and eliminate a number of daily shuttles between schools have had a significant impact, according to Fairheart.
The adjustments have saved more than 4,000 bus travel miles each day, produced 575 fewer bus stops and eliminated 26 bus routes, while the average distance for a student to walk to the nearest bus stop increased just .013 miles. The schedule changes resulted in 13 fewer routes and buses needed daily, all routes now being covered by drivers and reduced the number of miles being driven between schools.
Fairheart explained that transportation for Magnet and Specialty Programs heavily impacts transportation efficiency because students are transported from wherever they live to whichever school they attend for the instructional specialty. He reviewed slides for each of the Magnet and Specialty Programs, illustrating with bus stop maps and enrollment charts the numbers of out-of-zone students and how few students will often be on buses from one part of the city to another.
Fairheart outlined transportation's suggested improvement strategies:
- Requiring families to opt in for transportation for the 2026-2027 school year, which means that parents and guardians would have to notify NNPS that they want transportation for their students
- Evaluate each student classified under McKinney-Vento to make sure educational locations are best for them taking travel time into consideration
- Consolidation of after-school activities
- Adherence to strict distance policy for field trips
- Longer bus ride times for some routes that will utilize more seats and reduce the need for additional buses for Magnet and Specialty Programs
During the public comment period, one attendee voiced concern over her child and their classmates having a longer walk to and from the bus stop. Executive Director of Transportation Shay Coates connected with her after the meeting to gather details and her contact information for follow-up.
