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.
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 April 2019, Catherine Burton of Monterey Elementary was named the recipient of the Virginia Council for Learning Disabilities Early Career Special Educator Award.
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.
The NAMM Foundation named Roanoke City Schools one of the Best Communities for Music Education for seven consecutive years
In March 2019, the Patrick Henry High School Forensics Team won its 5th State Title.
In February 2019, Patrick Henry High School Girls Swim Team won its fourth consecutive State Title.
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.
In September 2018, Jamie Nichols of Lucy Addison Middle was named the Region 6 Teacher of the Year.
Forest Park Academy has exceeded 1,300 graduates. This specialized school helps high school students overcome challenges and graduate.
Anne Travers of Virginia Heights Elementary received the
2018 Special Education Teacher Award from the National Association of
Special Education Teachers (NASET).
Jeff Midkiff of Patrick Henry High School received the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award in June 2017 at Yale University.
​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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RCPS has Pre-AP/Honors Programs at all five middle schools.
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.
Each summer, we offer a six week summer enrichment program for rising kindergarten through rising 8th 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).
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): 13,686
Total Staff: 2,218
Special Education Students: 2,155
English Language Learners: 1,723
Gifted Students: 959
Student Ethnic Distribution
African American: 44.48%
Caucasian: 37.17%
Hispanic and other: 18.35%