The Newport News School Board voted in favor of two major proposals on Tuesday night.
The first approved a fiscal year 2019 budget that would ask for $3.7 million in additional funding from the City of Newport News to give city teachers a 4 percent pay raise.
The second drew a negative response from some in attendance.
The board voted to close Huntington Middle School, a more than 80-year-old community fixture in need of heavy repairs, and move its students to other schools in the city.
Sixth and seventh graders currently at Huntington will be moved to Heritage High School next year, while current fifth graders in Huntington’s zone will be split up between Hines and Crittenden middle schools.
The transfers will take place this fall and not everyone is thrilled.
“We are punished for the lack of concern in our community and I feel its disgusting,” said Rev. Rodney Hunter. Hunter attended the school when it was Huntington High School. “You can’t tell me that the mold and bugs were discovered overnight.”
Hunter, along with several others who attended the meeting, feel if students leave Huntington the school itself will be forgotten.
The district estimates renovating the existing building would cost nearly $20 million and a full rebuild would cost more than $36 million.
Several school board representatives signaled that they would approach the Newport News City Council about the issue in the fall.
