ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180080
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Empty desks are scarce in Roanoke Valley's private schools.
Baby-boom demographics and the school choice movement have combined to cause a space squeeze in the parochial and independent private schools.
Enrollment is up in these schools as officials scramble to find places for the students.
Private school administrators say many parents are looking for alternatives to public education because they want higher academic standards, tougher discipline and more emphasis on values.
The failed school bond referendum in Roanoke County last spring also has been cited as a contributing factor in the enrollment spurt.
"We had a lot of interest from county families after the referendum was defeated," said Marilyn O'Dell, director of admissions for North Cross School. "I'm not sure how many enrolled for that reason, but we had some parents who were concerned about that."
Many classes at Roanoke Catholic School are filled, and there's a waiting list of students. The school has consolidated parts of its library to free up space for classes.
Roanoke Catholic has a record enrollment of nearly 500, up from 417 last year - and about 350 four years ago.
Because of its continuing growth, Roanoke Catholic has started raising money to build a new school.
"These numbers work well with our capital campaign," said Ray-Eric Correia, vice principal of the upper school. "We are close to capacity."
North Cross School, a private, independent school in Roanoke County, has its largest enrollment in a decade with 534 students, up 6 percent from last year.
Some North Cross students commute up to 11/2 hours. Students come from as far away as West Virginia and from Botetourt, Floyd, Franklin and Montgomery counties.
"The nationwide trend toward choices in education has hit the valley," O'Dell said. "More parents are looking at their options."
Roanoke Valley Christian School is operating at capacity with 524 students. The school, which is affiliated with Shenandoah Baptist Church, has rejected applications because it doesn't have space to accommodate more students.
"Our facilities are maxed out," Principal Rick Brown said. "We could have a larger enrollment if we had more space."
Community School, a private school near Hollins College, has doubled its enrollment in the past 10 years, but it recorded a small decline this year, said Marcy Johnson, administrative director.
The school has 137 students in all of its programs.
Johnson said she expects Community School to continue to grow, but school officials want to preserve the close-knit atmosphere and sense of community.
Enrollment also is up in several smaller private elementary and speciality schools in the valley.
About 2,000 children attend all of the private schools, while about 30,000 are enrolled in public schools in Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County. Enrollment at public schools is up about 125 in the county and 75 in Salem this year. Roanoke expects a small increase, but the final count won't be known until the end of the month.
The National Association of Independent Schools, which represents 1,100 nonprofit, unaffiliated private schools, has reported that their enrollment has risen 11 percent over the past decade. One in every six students in those schools is receiving financial aid.
Private school enrollment also is becoming more diverse, according to the association. Seventeen percent of the students are minorities, up from 11 percent a decade ago.
For the fourth consecutive year, enrollment in Catholic schools nationwide has increased. Catholic schools have recorded gains at elementary, middle and high schools. Nearly 2.7 million children attend the schools in this country.
A recent study by Public Agenda, a national nonprofit organization, disclosed that a majority of Americans believe private schools do a better job than public schools in areas they are most concerned with - school safety, order, higher standards and smaller classes.
The nationwide survey also shows that a majority think private schools are better at providing an environment that promotes values such as honesty and responsibility, as well as an appreciation for religious values.
The survey disclosed that nearly six in 10 parents say they would send their children to private schools if they could afford it.
But a recent survey by Phi Delta Kappa, a national education fraternity, showed strong support for public education. It showed that two-thirds of parents give an A or B grade to the school where their oldest child attends.
Roanoke Superintendent Wayne Harris said he didn't want to get into a debate over the merits of private and public schools, but he added "there is a myth about the dissatisfaction of parents with public schools."
Harris said the city may be losing some children to private schools and other school systems, but it is also attracting some students from other localities.
"I respect the right of parents to choose the school where they want to send their children, but the vast majority of city children are in city schools," he said. "We are not losing large numbers of students to private schools or other school systems."
At Roanoke Catholic, part of the school's appeal is an environment where ethics and values are emphasized, Correia said. Parents also are looking for a school with high academic standards and a good college preparation curriculum, he said.
North Cross' O'Dell said the growing school population is a factor in the rise in private school enrollment. "Demographically, there are more school-age children."
North Cross has received more inquiries as more people move into the valley from other areas where public schools are not as good, she said. "Many of these people are more familiar with private schools and more likely to consider them."
Roanoke County Superintendent Deanna Gordon said she doesn't think the county lost any significant number of students because of the defeated bond referendum. She said enrollment is up at Cave Spring High, Cave Spring Junior, Hidden Valley Junior and most other Southwest County schools this year.
"I suspect that a small number of parents were so disappointed by the bond referendum that they checked into private schools and other options, and I'd be surprised if a few didn't enroll their children in them," she said. "But it was not enough to make an impact on us."
Gordon said she has never felt threatened by private schools or the school choice movement. "There are many different reasons for choosing a private school, and certainly parochial schools have more freedom to explore religious teachings."
Gordon said county schools offer a wide range of quality academic programs, but it can be debated whether they meet the needs of every child.
At Community School, Johnson said some parents are turning to private schools because they have smaller classes and give more individual attention to students.
"Parents are looking for alternatives," she said. "They feel public schools are forced to teach to kids in the middle."
Because they have smaller classes, private schools give more attention to highly motivated, academically talented children, Johnson said.
The quality of public and private schools has become an issue in the national debate over vouchers, which is at the forefront of presidential politics. Republican nominee Bob Dole has proposed a plan to provide public funds to pay part of the cost for students to attend private or parochial schools, but President Clinton opposes vouchers.
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