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Roanoke City school board approves first-phase boundary plan centered on new Preston Park Elementary
Summary
The Roanoke City School Board approved the first part of a multi‑phase boundary plan on May 26, shifting feeder patterns around the new Preston Park Elementary (700 capacity) to bring elementary schools closer to 85–90% functional capacity; board and staff said outreach included two town halls and a May survey.
The Roanoke City School Board voted May 26 to approve the first part of a multi‑phase attendance‑zone plan that will shift elementary feeder patterns around the new Preston Park Elementary School.
Superintendent Dr. White introduced the recommendation and Chief Operations Officer Chris Perkins told the board the changes are intended to move elementary schools toward a functional capacity target of 85 to 90 percent. "In the first part, we are asking for your approval based on our recommendation of changes to Preston Park, which is coming online this summer as a new elementary school with a capacity of 700," Perkins said.
Perkins said the boundary work is a multi‑year effort and the first phase includes modest adjustments to Fallon Park, Lincoln Terrace and Round Hill. He said outreach for phase 1 included two town halls (one virtual, one in person) and a survey open May 4–18 that drew 127 responses from community members, students, parents and staff; about 54 percent of respondents supported all or part of the plan and roughly 29 percent opposed it. Perkins said district staff expect the plan to affect a little over 2,600 students across five schools and about 4,000 families and others in the affected areas.
Board members asked about transfer windows, transportation impacts and projected capacity at Monterey; Perkins said the superintendent’s policy allows staff to extend the transfer request window as an initiating event, that transportation partners had performed well this year, and that Monterey’s proposed capacity under the plan would be about 82 percent once finalized. "We will be notifying families" through written notices, robocall and email if the plan is approved, Perkins said.
After brief discussion, the board moved and voted to approve the boundary plan. The board and staff said GIS shape files and an attendance‑locator system will be posted so families can look up exact school assignments. The board did not take amendments and the motion carried.
The board will begin implementing the phase‑1 changes this summer; staff said they will offer orientations, counseling and other supports to help students who transfer as a result of the boundary adjustments.
