SUFFOLK, Va. —
The Suffolk Public School (SPS) district held the last of seven public meetings Wednesday night, seeking public input on proposed rezoning plans for the 2025-2026 school year. The plan would modify seven of the district’s elementary schools: Southwestern, Booker T., Elephant’s Fork, Hillpoint, Kilby Shores, Mack Benn, Jr. and Nansemond Parkway.
This proposal dates all the way back to 1970 when the United States filed a lawsuit against the Nansemond County School Board and superintendent. It alleged the school system was segregated, violating federal law established by Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
Leaders are hoping this rezoning will balance racial demographics throughout the district and finally solve the issue with the federal courts.
“The main key is try to achieve unitary status and have Suffolk Public Schools eliminate segregated schools based on current school boundaries,” said District Superintendent Dr. John Gordon III.
At Mack Benn Jr. Elementary, the site of Wednesday's meeting, 73% of the student population is Black, 18% is white and 8% is made up of other races. The proposed new districts would change those percentages to 63, 28 and 8, respectively.
SPS currently has a majority to minority, or “M to M” program, to assist with balancing schools racially. The program allows Black students zoned for predominantly Black schools to attend predominantly white schools, and vice versa. However, school leaders say it’s not enough.
“It’s not sustainable,” explained Gordon. “Any student you have that transfers, you have to make sure you have another race that transfers with it. Also, there’s been somewhat of an impact on transportation, and it could potentially cause an overcrowding problem.”
“Some of our M to M students could have an hour, hour-fifteen-minute bus ride,” added John Littlefield. He’s the district's director of technology and helped draw the maps of the proposed new zones. “Literally there’s students across the street [from Mack Benn], that ride the bus to Southwestern.”
Both Littlefield and Gordon say rezoning always comes with challenges and pushback.
“People just don’t like change,” said Gordon. “But after we’ve had the chance to explain the ‘why’ behind it, I think our school community has been more receptive.”
“Rezoning in itself is challenging. There’s no magic solution,” Littlefield added. “It’s hard for parents to accept. They like their school community, their administration.”
Gordon told 13News Now the goal is to vote on the rezoning plan in June. If it takes effect, the M to M program will cease.
SPS parents can visit the district’s website for an interactive map, showing which district they would fall in under the proposed changes.