Roanoke school leaders consider changing attendance zones

  Roanoke city school leaders are considering changing attendance zones.

  Depending on what they decide, any changes could affect students and parents primarily from the soon-to-be closed William Ruffner Middle School and Raleigh Court Elementary School, or it could impact many more by completely revamping all city attendance zones.

  The city of Roanoke’s public school attendance zones have been in place since 1971.

  Designed 38 years ago on the heels of desegregation, the plan’s primary goal then was to diversify schools.

  Sweeping changes could impact diversity, one of the cons to any plan of districe-wide zone changes.

  Savings from transportation costs is one of the pros.

  A number of elementary schools have “secondary” attendance zones too far away for students to walk, resulting in parents either having to drop them off or decide to catch the school bus.

  Roanoke City Schools is have four informal informational sessions on the zoning considerations.

  The schedule is below:

March 10, 6:30 p.m., Fallon Park Elementary School gym
March 12, 6:30 p.m., Breckinridge Middle School cafeteria
March 17, 6:30 p.m., William Fleming High School auditorium
March 18, 6:30 p.m., Patrick Henry High School cafeteria

  The school system is also required by law to have a public hearing on such an issue before voting. 

  The public hearing will take place March 26th at 6:30 p.m. at Lucy Addison Middle School.

  School board chairman David Carson said he would like to have the final vote no later than the board’s first meeting in April, which is April 7th.

  You can link to a map of current Roanoke city schools attendance zones here.

  You can link to the school system’s main page on explaining what going on with its attendance zone considerations here.