In 1961, Norfolk Public Schools and Hampton Public Schools collaborated in an effort to establish Virginia’s first non-commercial, educational television station. Out of this effort, WHRO (Home Room One) was created. The utilization of instructional programs on WHRO TV soon expanded to Newport News, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk and Nansemond, York, and Isle of Wight counties; and in 1968, these school divisions incorporated to own and govern the station as The Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc. (HRETA), a private nonprofit educational corporation. Over the years, WHRO has moved from live instructional broadcasts to providing other educational services for the owner member school divisions. Today we provide ongoing, sustained, high quality teacher training; leading-edge, technology-based instructional resources; and opportunities for student recognition.
As our educational services changed over time, so did the number of owner members. With Hampton Roads school divisions as far west as Sussex and Southampton counties, as far east as Accomack and Northampton counties, and as far north as Middlesex County, HRETA grew to a consortium of 19 school divisions. We are excited to announce that 19 has now become 21 with the addition of our newest member owners, West Point and Surry County Public Schools. These school divisions recently decided to join the HRETA family and add their names to the list of proud owners of WHRO.