Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 19, 1995 TAG: 9510190051
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
This school year, Roanoke had an increase of 219 students, or 1.7 percent, as its enrollment rose from 12,908 to 13,127.
It is the first time in more than a decade that the city's enrollment has topped 13,000.
Roanoke County reported an increase of 63 students, or 0.5 percent. The county enrollment is 13,754.
Salem had the largest rate of enrollment growth in the Roanoke Valley, 2.5 percent, as it increased by 93 students to 3,840.
Roanoke's enrollment is up 387 from two years ago.
Roanoke Superintendent Wayne Harris said the enrollment increase indicates that parents and students have confidence in Roanoke's schools.
Harris said the figures contradict the perception that the city is losing many students to neighboring school divisions.
``People with children are not moving out of the city,'' Harris said. ``We believe that we are attracting some people with the variety of the education programs that we are offering.''
Nearly 350 students from surrounding localities are attending Roanoke's tuition-free, federally funded magnet schools.
Roanoke gained enrollment even though 150 fewer students than expected are attending William Fleming High this year.
William Fleming's enrollment is about 1,394, but school officials had expected about 1,550. Patrick Henry High has 1,690 students.
The school system has appointed a team to try to locate the unaccounted-for William Fleming students or determine if they have moved.
Because of the enrollment increases in recent years, Roanoke has been forced to use some portable classrooms and to build an addition at Crystal Spring Elementary School.
``It's a nice kind of challenge to have,'' Harris said. ``We will have to make other additions if this continues.''
During the past six years, Roanoke's cumulative increase has topped the county's.
Since 1990, Roanoke has gained 451 students, or 3.6 percent. The county's enrollment has increased by 360, or 2.7 percent.
Salem has recorded the largest rate of growth in the valley, 9.2 percent, since 1990.
Superintendent Wayne Tripp said Salem's enrollment is its largest in more than a dozen years.
``We have grown steadily in the past seven or eight years. We have our largest kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade this year,'' Tripp said.
Collectively, there has been an increase of 1,134 students, or 3.8 percent, in public schools in the valley since 1990. There are 30,721 children in public schools this year.
Despite the enrollment increase in Roanoke, the pupil-teacher ratios in almost all classes are substantially below state-mandated standards.
Pupil-teacher ratios average 18.1-to-1 in high schools, 18.3-to-1 in middle schools and 19-to-1 in elementary schools.
Among Roanoke's elementary schools, Westside has the largest enrollment, 659, followed by Fallon Park, 634, and Fairview, 519.
The largest middle school is Ruffner, 756; James Madison ranks second with 625 students.
The biggest increase in Western Virginia this year was recorded by Bedford County, which gained 400 students. Bedford's enrollment increased to 9,889.
by CNB