Mission
Graduate students prepared for life in a rapidly changing world.
Vision
To be a model for urban public education.
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Core Beliefs
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We believe:
- Our diversity is a source of strength.
- Our schools must be safe.
- All students are capable of meeting high expectations.
- We are accountable for our students’ success.
- Every individual in our Division contributes to student success.
- We have a responsibility to work collaboratively with our families.
- Respect, trust, and honest communication are the foundation of successful and productive relation-ships.
- The vitality of our community depends on a strong school system.
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Highlights and Initiatives
Roanoke’s on-time graduation rate is 90%.
All schools are fully accredited.
Both high schools are modern with state-of-the art facilities.
The first phase of the new Fallon Park Elementary is completed. The second phase will be ready by December, 2019.
In September 2019, Virginia's Department of Education released state accreditation results. For the second consecutive year, all Roanoke City Schools are fully-accredited. Click here to see the results
In September 2019, Grandin Court Elementary was announced as a National Blue Ribbon School
In September 2019, William Fleming High School was named a
National Unified Champion Banner School by the Special Olympics. Only
38 schools nationwide have received this honor.
In June 2019, Crystal Spring Elementary, Highland Park
Elementary, Patrick Henry High School, and Westside Elementary were
awarded the 2019 Board of Education Continuous Improvement Award.
In May 2019, Crystal Spring and Grandin Court Elementary Schools received the 2019 Board of Education Excellence Awards.
In May 2019, Tajai Jackson of William Fleming High School won three Regional titles in Track.
In May 2019, the Patrick Henry High School Girls Lacrosse Team won the Regional Championship.
In April 2019, Nicole Doherty of Patrick Henry High School was named the 2019 NATIONAL Outstanding Teacher of American History by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In March 2019, Joanne Villers of the Roanoke Valley Governor's School received the 2019 Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year Award by the Virginia Blue Ridge Section of the American Chemical Society.
In March 2019, Patrick Henry High School's Forensics Team won its 5th State Title.
In February 2019, Patrick Henry High School Girls Swim Team won its fourth consecutive State Title.
The NAMM Foundation has named RCPS one of the Best Communities for Music Education for seven consecutive years.
In February 2019, Noah Bowers of Patrick Henry High School won two individual State Titles in swimming.
In November 2018, Caroline Eschenbach of Virginia Heights
Elementary received a $25,000 prize from the Milken Foundation. She is
only recipient from Virginia this year. Click here for more information about the award.
Forest Park Academy has exceeded 1,200 graduates. This specialized school helps high school students overcome challenges and graduate.
Jeff Midkiff of Patrick Henry High School received the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award in June 2017 at Yale University.
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​Eighth graders and all high school students receive laptops for school and home use
The Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science and Technology (RVGS) is a specialized regional center for the advanced study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). RVGS serves 269 students from 7 localities. Roanoke City has 128 slots available.
The Community College Access Program (CCAP) allows
graduating seniors to attend Virginia Western Community College
tuition-free for up to three years. To learn more about the program, click here
Students from Patrick Henry and William Fleming High
School can take dual enrollment classes at Virginia Western Community
College.
Students participate in 42 different sports programs at the middle and high school levels.
RCPS offers 27 Advanced Placement (AP) courses for high school students. Additional AP courses are offered through Virtual Virginia.
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All students have access to musical instruments,
thanks to a partnership with VH1 Save the Music Foundation. Middle and
high schools have string orchestras, bands, and choral programs.
RCPS has Pre-AP/Honors Programs at all five middle schools.
Each summer, we offer a six week summer enrichment program for rising kindergarten through rising 9th graders. The program is free for RCPS students.
Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) received the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award from Yale University for its partnership with the Roanoke Symphony.
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FACTS ABOUT ROANOKE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (RCPS)
Elementary Schools: 17
Middle Schools: 5
High Schools: 2
Programs: 4 (Forest Park Academy, Governor’s School for Science and Technology, Roanoke Technical Education Center (ROTEC) and Noel Taylor Academy).
Click here for School Quality Reports from the Virginia Department of Education
Need to know what school your child will attend? View Attendance Zones here. To see a virtual tour of any of our schools, click here.
Number of students (Pre-School – Grade 12): 13,749
Total Staff: 2,259
Special Education Students: 2,324
English Language Learners: 1,812
Gifted Students: 986
Student Ethnic Distribution
African American: 44.12%
Caucasian: 35.28%
Hispanic and other: 20.60%