ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702140003
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
In achieving their goal of reducing racial imbalance, Roanoke's magnet schools have a mixed record: They've been moderately successful in some instances and decidedly unsuccessful in others.
At Forest Park Elementary, the ratio is unchanged since the school was established in 1992: 91 percent of the children are black.
At Westside Elementary, where 70 percent of the pupils are black, the imbalance has actually worsened slightly.
"When you look at all 12 magnet schools, we have been successful in improving racial balance, but a couple have not been as successful," said Sandra Burks, director of magnet schools for the city.
The federal government's target goal for racial balance in magnet schools is 50 percent white, and 50 percent black or other minorities.
But the goals for specific schools are established during the magnet grant application process and can vary from the ideal of an even split, said Stephanie Stullich, a program analyst for the U.S. Department of Education.
Eight of the 12 magnet schools in Roanoke have a black enrollment of more than 50 percent.
The magnet schools with the best racial balance are Fishburn Park, Huff Lane, Highland Park, Lincoln Terrace and William Fleming, all with a minority enrollment ranging from 35 percent to 56 percent. In each case, the balance has improved since the schools became magnets.
Addison also has improved its racial balance since it became a magnet school in 1990. Seventy-seven percent of Addison's students were black then. This year, it is 64 percent.
Many school divisions are under a court order to desegregate schools when they create magnet schools, Burks said.
But Roanoke did not face a court order and school officials allowed all children living in the magnet schools' attendance zones to remain at the schools. Unlike some school systems, Roanoke did not "empty" magnet schools and require all students to apply so it could get a racial balance when it established the programs.
"The School Board decided to keep the best of both worlds - to keep attendance zones intact while offering other students the opportunity to attend magnet schools," Burks said.
This has made it more difficult to reach the goals for racial balance in schools with a historically high percentage of black students because fewer slots have been open for whites, she said.
She said it is difficult to recruit white children to some schools because of people's perception of the schools and the neighborhoods surrounding them.
It's easier to recruit to magnet schools with a clearly defined theme, such as plants and animals at Fairview Elementary, Burks said. At Fairview, which is located off Salem Turnpike in a racially mixed area of Northwest Roanoke, 36 percent of the children are white.
School officials actively recruit students to magnet schools to improve racial balance.
They use a variety of methods: brochures, newspaper and television ads, billboards and recruiters visits to schools.
Each year, the schools have a magnet fair with booths that feature displays of magnet offerings. Students and parents can obtain information on magnet schools, view videos and talk with teachers and principals.
Burks said the school system also does targeted recruiting by sending brochures and making contacts with children at schools with majority white enrollment.
In an effort to attract more white children to Forest Park, for instance, the city might do a mailing in the attendance zones for Fallon Park and Grandin Court elementaries, two schools with a white enrollment of about 80 percent.
Unlike some school systems with magnet schools, Roanoke does not keep a waiting list of magnet applicants from year to year. It accepts applications for each school year.
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Charts by staff. 1. Racial balance goal. 2. Racialby CNBbalance. KEYWORDS: MGR