ROANOKE, Va. – All middle school athletic programs for students in Roanoke City Public Schools have been postponed, school leaders announced Tuesday night.
In a letter to families, superintendent Dr. Verletta White said school leaders made the decision “out of an abundance of caution” due to the number of COVID-19 cases in the Roanoke area.
White said there won’t be competitions between middle schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
Athletic practices and competitions demand a level of higher staffing and space to comply with COVID-19 guidelines, and White said the district can’t accommodate that. She also said the district can’t support an athletic schedule with a limitation on spectators at just 25 people.
The school district plans to hold school-based athletic programs for each sport starting in February, pending decreases of COVID-19 cases in the Roanoke area. White said the school district is following CDC criteria for that metric.
Each sport will have a three-week period to hold practices and workouts.
White said school leaders have not made a decision on the football program yet, but the proposed schedule for the middle school football program, from February 4 through April 1, allows middle school football to be played under the umbrella of the high school football program at each high school. White said students in 8th grade will still be allowed to play on junior varsity teams.
White shared the following schedule for the school-based athletic programs:
- Feb. 1 – Feb. 19 Volleyball/Cross Country/Track
- Feb. 22 – Mar. 12 Girls Basketball/Boys Soccer
- Mar. 15 – Apr. 1 Wrestling/Girls Soccer
- Apr. 12 – Apr. 30 Boys Basketball/Softball
- May 3 – May 21 Tennis/Baseball
Read White’s full letter to families here.