
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 3, 1990                   TAG: 9003052182
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CITY SCHOOLS

THERE were no real surprises in a federal report that Roanoke schools' had only minimally met desegregation goals for their secondary-level magnet programs. School officials had been keeping up with the programs' enrollment. But the existence of the report, issued in October, apparently took some School Board members by surprise last week.

Such surprises are not conducive to good policy planning. For instance, federal evaluators suggested that city schools consider changing the performing-arts theme of the magnet program at William Fleming High School and Ruffner Middle School. With the federal suggestions in front of them, board members are in a better position to decide what should become of that magnet program.

The failure of the magnet programs to attract the desired enrollment doesn't necessarily mean they are unsuccessful.

For one thing, the goals seem to have been too high. School officials had said their magnet proposal for secondary schools would "totally eliminate racial isolation" over the two-year federal funding period that ended last year. That statement was too optimistic. William Fleming High School retained a black-majority enrollment - 54 percent - compared to the system's overall enrollment of 40 percent black.

However, Fleming's enrollment breakdown did improve: The number of white students leveled off last year after having declined since 1981. And white enrollment increased 9 percent at Ruffner. School officials credited the schools' Center for Visual and Performing Arts and Lawson Technology Center.

Also, Roanoke County and Salem schools made enrollment-policy changes that threw city schools a curve. Enrollment in the magnet programs last year was about 300 students; the city originally had expected 800. The expected figure was far off probably because some students who might have been attracted to magnet programs transferred to the county or Salem. The county eliminated its $1,200 tuition for non-resident students, and Salem reduced its fee to $100.

The magnet programs not only are improving the quality of education offered in the city schools, but also are important in maintaining racial balance. They are especially important now that open-enrollment policies permit students to transfer easily among the three valley school districts.

The city has a good thing going with the magnet programs. The programs need regular evaluation, however, if they are to be refined and improved. To make responsible decisions about changes in the programs, School Board members should insist they get the information they need in timely fashion.

by CNB