ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702140006
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
SIXTH-grader Jamie Payne lives in the Gainsboro neighborhood in Northwest Roanoke, a few blocks from Addison Middle School. But she can only dream of what it would be like to attend the school.
Because of the city's busing plan to improve racial balance in schools, the children in Jamie's neighborhood don't attend Addison when they reach the sixth grade. They are sent to Jackson Middle School in a predominantly white neighborhood in Southeast Roanoke
In elementary school, Jamie learned about the magnet space program at Addison. She wanted to go to the school this year, but she could not get admitted because she is black.
Sixty-four percent of Addison's students are black. Jamie could not go to the school because she would increase the racial imbalance.
Jamie's second choice was William Ruffner Middle School, another magnet school in a racially mixed neighborhood in Northwest Roanoke.
She was interested in the arts and dance program at Ruffner. But because its enrollment is 63 percent black, she was denied admission to Ruffner for the same reason as Addison - her race.
Her third choice was James Madison Middle School, a magnet school with a technology theme in a predominantly white neighborhood in Southwest Roanoke. She was admitted to Madison because only 22 percent of its students are black.
Jamie's mother, Melinda Payne, is a member of the city School Board.
Having a child denied admission to a magnet school "doesn't just happen to other people," Payne said. "It happens to School Board members, too."
Payne believes magnet schools have helped improve racial balance and upgrade the quality of education in city schools . But the rejection of some applications because of race has caused hard feelings, she said.
"We can leave a bad taste with some people when we try to do something positive," she said.
"It upsets some people when you say that 'if a child is black, she can go here. But if the child is white, she can go there'."
A little more than half of the 574 applicants to all 12 magnet schools were admitted this year.
Of 277 applications that were denied, 53 percent were turned down because there was no space, and 41 percent were rejected because of race. Six percent were denied because of the students' poor attendance and behavior.
When the applications are broken down by race, a different picture emerges.
Nearly three of every four black or other minority applications were rejected, but about two of every three white applicants were admitted.
Sandra Burks, director of the magnet program, said federal guidelines were the main cause of the wide variation in the admission rates for white and black applicants. The schools can't admit students whose race causes the racial imbalance at a magnet school to widen.
Having to deny applications because of racial guidelines is one of the negatives of the magnet program, she said, but the schools have no choice.
"We're very careful in screening each applicant and we have to enforce the rules fairly," Burks said.
This year, 241 minority students applied for admission to magnet schools, but only 65 - or 27 percent - were admitted.
Fifty-three percent of the 176 rejected black applicants were denied because of race and 44 percent were turned down for lack of space. Three percent were denied for attendance and behavior reasons.
Nearly 70 percent of the 333 white applications were approved. Of the rejections, 20 percent were for racial reasons, 70 percent because of a lack of space, and 10 percent were because of attendance and behavior problems.
Some parents say the rules governing admissions to magnet schools send the wrong message to children - that race makes a difference.
Jasmine Gunn is a biracial child who attended a preschool program at Forest Park and lives across the street from Fairview Elementary, another magnet school. But Jasmine could not attend either Forest Park or Fairview as a kindergartner because they have a majority black enrollment.
She goes to Roanoke Academy for Mathematics and Science, another magnet school that is more than two miles from her home. Roanoke Academy's enrollment is 88 percent minority, but Jasmine lives within the school's attendance zone.
"I didn't think you could decide things by race," said Cathleen Duley, Jasmine's mother. "I don't think it's right."
School Board member Charles Day said the racial issue troubles him, but he believes magnet schools have been good for the city.
"It's something that you don't feel good about - young people being denied the opportunity to participate in programs - but I understand and respect the federal guidelines," said Day, a retired principal, teacher and coach in city schools. "The magnet schools have given us a lot of things that we couldn't otherwise afford, but that is one of the downsides to them."
Payne said she was concerned about the high black enrollment in some schools such as Forest Park and Roanoke Academy.
"I think we've got to consider putting more magnet schools in white neighborhoods and attract African-American children to them," she said.
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