Superintendent participates in facilities talk with U.S. Secretary of Education
Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) Superintendent Dr. Michele Mitchell participated in a roundtable discussion
with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona,
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, along with other regional school superintendents and officials on January 4 at Victory Elementary School in Portsmouth. On the same day, President Joe Biden announced $47 million in new federal grant awards to support investments in school infrastructure, including $5 million for Virginia schools.
The group discussed ways that states, districts and communities can improve school facilities with the goal of more equitable access to healthy, sustainable and modern learning environments for all students.
NNPS receives government grant for propane school buses
NNPS was awarded $525,000 to replace 15 diesel school buses with new propane school buses as part of the Clean School Bus Grant, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on January 8.
A total of 67 applicants across the country will receive a share of the nearly $1 billion awarded through the Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition.
NNPS currently has 153 propane buses, and the additional 15 will bring its total to 168, which is more than half of its total fleet of 318 buses, according to Shay Coates, NNPS executive director of student transportation.
“Newport News Public Schools is honored to earn a 2023 EPA Clean School Bus Program Grant Award to increase the number of propane-fueled school buses in our fleet,” Coates said. “Propane not only reduces emissions, but also saves our district thousands of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs each year.”
Archers excel at regional tournament as three teams advance to state
Three NNPS archery teams and six individual archers placed first at the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Regional Tournament on January 6 at An Achievable Dream Middle and High School.
More than 200 students from 10 schools participated as Denbigh, Menchville and Warwick high schools; Gildersleeve, Ella Fitzgerald and Passage middle schools; and B.C. Charles, Richneck, Yates and Dutrow elementary schools were represented.
Team winners for high schools were Menchville, coached by Dan Cerny, with a score of 3,087; for middle schools Ella Fitzgerald, coached by Josh Cerny, with 2,922; and for elementary schools Richneck, coached by Lindsay Sessions, with 2,301.
Winning teams advance to the NASP State Tournament in Doswell on March 9.
