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Hampton City Schools details Bethel High science-wing build and launches bus-tracking app
Summary
Officials said the Bethel High science-wing addition is about 30% complete, will add 40,762 square feet and 19 learning spaces with a projected December 2026 finish, and the division launched a 'Where’s My Bus' app on Jan. 12 that had more than 2,000 users within a month.
Bethel High School will get a two-story science-wing addition that officials say will modernize classroom space and support the division’s science academies. Dr. Dan Bolling, Hampton City Schools’ chief operations officer, told the school board on Feb. 4 that the addition will be about 40,762 square feet and include 19 new learning spaces and extended-learning areas designed for team teaching and small-group work.
"This project delivers long overdue upgrades, providing students and teachers with a state-of-the-art instructional environment that will strengthen science education and support the academies of Hampton for years to come," Bolling said. He described current site work — soil remediation, footers, block (CMU) walls — and said the project is roughly 30% complete. Weather delays moved an original November completion into December 2026, he said.
Bolling outlined near-term milestones: block walls rising, an elevator shaft, and the arrival of a crane to lift steel for the building’s center skeleton. He also said the design includes single-use, gender-neutral restrooms and multiple prep rooms for science classrooms. "So you'll really start seeing things move along pretty quick," Bolling said of the coming weeks.
During the same presentation Bolling briefed the board on transportation technology. Hampton City Schools rolled out the Where's My Bus app on Jan. 12, 2026; the district said the free app shows bus-stop pickup and drop-off times, offers GPS tracking and can push notifications to a user’s phone when a bus is about two miles away. Bolling said the district had more than 2,000 users within the first month and called the app a helpful communication tool for notifying families of running delays or driver absences.
Board members praised the app as a safety and communication improvement. "It's a great app," board member Jason Samuels said, noting it could reduce morning calls to transportation and give families earlier notice of delays.
The construction update and app rollout were presented as part of the superintendent's staff reports. No formal board action was taken on either item at the Feb. 4 meeting; Bolling fielded board questions after the presentation and the board moved on to other agenda items.
