Community members give input at initial NNPS efficiency study meetings
Published October 2, 2026
Newport News Public Schools families, staff and community members listened to a presentation and shared their thoughts, feedback and questions at the first round of division-wide efficiency study public meetings.
Meetings were held on September 29 at Warwick High School, September 30 at Woodside High School and October 1 at Heritage High School to provide information and collect viewpoints from the community. Those who were unable to attend can offer their thoughts through an online survey.
NNPS is partnering with consulting firm WXY to guide a study to develop new school attendance zones that maximize facility and resource utilization. A final recommendation for revised attendance zones will be made to the School Board in January 2027 for consideration and possible implementation for the 2027-2028 school year.
School Board members have prioritized equitable access to high-quality educational opportunities and services for all students; community schools anchored by clearly defined feeder patterns, operational efficiency, including reducing bus times and maximizing usage; and safety and security, including eliminating modular learning environments, they said in welcoming attendees to the meetings.
The study process began with a request for proposals to choose the consulting company in February. The study will conduct a comprehensive analysis of school zone boundaries, feeder patterns, and program locations; develop and refine three draft boundary scenarios with community input; and present proposed boundary adjustments to the School Board for consideration, according to WXY.
The first round of meetings this week featured presentation of key findings from data analysis, a question and answer portion, surveys, and small group discussions to discuss priorities that will inform the draft boundary scenarios. Consulting company WXY introduced the project, described the conditions currently in place, and outlined the criteria used to develop the study.
In-depth data was presented on enrollment trends, how school building space is utilized, school attendance within and outside of zones, school choice, school bus ride times, feeder patterns and planned residential development.
Attendees were asked to choose which priorities were most important to them: utilization, distance to school and transportation, rezoning the fewest students, promoting student diversity in schools, and access to high-quality educational opportunities and services. They were also asked what else not on that list, as it relates to school boundaries and facilities, is an important consideration for them.
All input from in-person and online participants at the meetings was collected and will be used to shape WXY's formation of new school boundary recommendations, according to the company's representatives.
WXY will formulate three possible new school boundary scenarios to present at three community meetings planned for December. Feedback from those meetings will be used to choose one final plan, which the School Board will vote on in January, 2027.
An interactive web tool is available to explore data about schools within the division, complete online surveys about priorities by October 12, and share feedback about draft scenarios as the process moves forward. Questions and comments regarding the study may be emailed to [email protected].
For the latest details, timeline and updates, visit the efficiency study website.
