Magnet school programs in Newport News Public Schools offered Katie Carter something traditional education could not: a customized learning environment where her son could thrive.
“We started in a private preschool program, but the traditional private schools weren’t a great fit for my son,” Carter said. “I’m so impressed with the quality of education and the skill of the educators that we have been involved with in the program.”
That sense of confidence in the program began to shift last fall, when the Newport News school board received a transportation update that raised concerns about the future of magnet schools.
Officials outlined budget limitations and ongoing transportation challenges during a presentation in October, pointing to magnet programs as a significant factor that makes bus rides longer, and can put a strain on the number of buses available at a given time.
Newport News School Board Chair Terri Best said in an email there won't be any immediate changes to magnet programs for the upcoming school year, but said the division will be looking at the future of elementary magnet schools.
The district recently hired a New York-based consulting firm to study school building utilization across the city, including looking at educational programs, like magnets.
“Several factors have prompted this review, ongoing transportation challenges as brought to our attention by the division from our employees; parent concerns about some students spending extended times on buses traveling across the division; (and) the national, regional and local, shortage of bus drivers,” Best said at a school board meeting earlier this year.
The October presentation identified magnet program enrollment, particularly at the high school level, as a major issue that keeps buses on longer routes. Many magnet students live outside of their schools’ zoning districts.
This requires buses to travel farther distances and follow complex routes, putting additional strain on the division’s transportation system.
State and federal requirements also complicate drawing the bus routes.
All public school systems in Virginia are required by federal law to provide transportation to students experiencing homelessness, regardless of where they live.
In October, district staff noted there were several students experiencing homelessness who lived across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. Under federal law, Newport News has to provide a way for those children to get to school on the Peninsula until they find permanent housing.
Newport News, in particular, must also obey a 1971 federal desegregation order that further restricts how the district can route buses.
Magnet programs add another layer to those challenges. Because they allow students to attend schools outside their assigned zones, they extend routes and increase the need for buses and drivers.
For families like the Carters, the concern is about maintaining access to programs that have played a meaningful role in their child’s education.
The programs provide a level of choice that allows their children to explore specific interests and a place where their needs are met.
Newport News Public Schools is a member of the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, which holds WHRO’s license.
