ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City Council members seem receptive to the idea of a new magnet high school and a plan to locate it at the Jefferson Center.
It was one of three options to address high school overcrowding presented to Council Members during a joint meeting between Roanoke City Council and the Roanoke City School Board.
“I’m thrilled because we’ve got a lot on our plate right now as far as our budget and our CIPs [Capital Improvement Projects] and the Jefferson Center is one of them,” Council Member Patricia White-Boyd said.
There’s a lot of history inside the walls of the Jefferson Center. The building was the site of the old Jefferson High school, which first opened 100 years ago this month.
But with repairs necessary, it’s a legacy at the crossroads.
“This is a win-win, we can honor the building’s history and vision with a historic school and a performance arts venue while charting its path forward for its next 100 years,” said Roanoke City Schools Superintendent Dr. Verletta White.
An updated feasibility study, completed on Friday, continues to show that both William Fleming and Patrick Henry high schools are over capacity and new space - either through expansions on the current sites or a new school building - will be needed to meet projected demand.
White said there are currently more children in Roanoke aged 0 to 9 than from 10 to 19.
“This means even if the division as a whole experiences a slight enrollment decline, our high schools will not,” White said.
Council members found a lot to like about the magnet school proposal.
“This is a brilliant idea, and we don’t have enough land left in the city to do a real high school construction. It’s not here,” Council Member Bev Fitzpatrick said.
Others agreed but also wanted to keep other options on the table.
“I’m more for the magnet school, but I would like to look at how we could secure land for a third high school if that is in our future because that is a long-term prospect,” said Council Member Peter Volosin.
That echoed the concern of some school board members, who first heard the proposal last week.
Jefferson Center executive director Cyrus Pace is taking a wait-and-see approach to the plans and told 10 News in a statement:
“This is initially a conversation between City Council and the City of Roanoke Schools with a long discovery period. Jefferson Center will continue to focus on our three-part mission: stellar concerts, rental and lease space for our community partners, and our education program. We’re always interested in anything that makes Roanoke stronger particularly for students.”
School staff will continue to research options and present a formal proposal to the next joint meeting of the council and school board, scheduled for February.