Roanoke City Public Schools

On Tuesday, Roanoke City Public Schools proudly celebrated Dr. Eli C.S. Jamison's nine years of dedicated service to the Roanoke City School Board.

Prior to Tuesday evening's School Board Meeting, a reception was held in honor of Dr. Jamison's leadership and contributions over the past nine years. During the meeting, she was presented with a resolution recognizing her service.

Since joining the Roanoke City School Board on July 1, 2017, Dr. Jamison has represented the Board at countless events, functions, and meetings. In addition to her current role as Trustee, she served as Board Vice Chair from 2020 to 2022 and Board Chair from 2022 to 2025. She also served on the Roanoke Valley Governor's School Regional Board from 2024 to 2026, including one year as Chair.

Dr. Jamison will complete her service on the Roanoke City School Board on June 30, 2026, reaching the term limit of eligibility.

We are proud to honor Dr. Jamison's legacy and thank her for her unwavering commitment to excellence and for always keeping our students at the heart of every decision.

At Tuesday night's School Board meeting, Roanoke City Public Schools proudly recognized the 2024-2026 RCPS-Radford University Educational Leadership Cohort, as well as outstanding spring athletics achievements by student-athletes from Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School! 🎉

Launched in fall 2024, the RCPS Radford University Educational Leadership Cohort is a partnership between RCPS and Radford University that supports educators pursuing a Master of Science in Educational Leadership. Fourteen educators have now completed the program, demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to their profession and preparing to serve as the next generation of leaders across our division. We congratulate each of them on this significant accomplishment and look forward to the impact they will continue to make in our schools.

The School Board also recognized several student-athletes for exceptional accomplishments during the spring sports season:

Rodney Balisage (William Fleming High School, Outdoor Track)
• Region 5C Champion, Discus

Ernesto Gomez-Meza (William Fleming High School, Boys Soccer)
• Blue Ridge District Player of the Year

Niav Murphy (Patrick Henry High School, Outdoor Track)
• Region 5C Champion, 3200M
• Region 5C Champion, 1600M
• VHSL State Champion, 3200M

Tomashaniq Phillips (Patrick Henry High School, Outdoor Track)
• Region 5C Champion, Shot Put
• VHSL State Runner-up, Shot Put
• VHSL State Runner-up, Discus

Ana Maria Rincon (Patrick Henry High School, Girls Tennis)
• Region 5C Individual Champion
• Region 5C Doubles Champion

Kathryn Rincon (Patrick Henry High School, Girls Tennis)
• Region 5C Doubles Champion

Congratulations to all of these outstanding educators and student-athletes on their well-earned recognition!

Congratulations to the Roanoke City Central Council PTA on receiving recognitions at the annual Virginia PTA meeting! 🎉 We appreciate their partnership in support of our students!

Roanoke City Public Schools is proud to announce that our Communications and Marketing Department has received three awards this year from the National School Public Relations Association for Publications and Digital Media Excellence!

The awards include:

• Award of Excellence in Video Series for "By Name: The People Behind the Purpose," a series that explored our Leaders, Teachers, and Support Staff of the Year and how their work impacts our students, staff, division, and community. A special thank you to Roanoke Valley Television - RVTV, with whom this honor is shared.

• Award of Merit in Marketing Material for an informational grip card highlighting and promoting the Community Empowerment Center at Booker T. Washington.

• Honorable Mention in Special Purpose Publication for "Legacy Work: A History of RCPS," a wall exhibit displaying important moments and people throughout RCPS history, which can be found in the main hallway of the Community Empowerment Center.

Congratulations to our Communications and Marketing Department for being recognized on the national stage with these honors!

At last night's School Board meeting, the following school and division leaders were appointed:

• Reyhan Deskins was appointed to Principal of Patrick Henry High School - Roanoke, VA
• Krystal Paitsel was appointed to Interim Principal of Westside Elementary School
• John-Michael Deeds was appointed to Executive Director of Human Resources for RCPS

All three will start their new roles (which are existing vacancies, not new positions) on July 1, 2026. Please join us in congratulating them! Please click on their photo to learn more.

We are thrilled to announce that, for the 14th consecutive year, Roanoke City Public Schools has been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation! We are one of only 28 school divisions in Virginia to receive this distinction for 2026, and one of just three in Southwest Virginia.

This recognition reflects the dedication, hard work, and talent of our students and staff, of whom we are tremendously proud!

We are so proud of the more than 930 students — now RCPS alumni! — who crossed the stage on Friday, June 5, 2026. Congratulations, Class of 2026! 💙💛💜

Both high schools are currently working to process all of the individual graduation portraits and will send them to each senior's student email address before the end of the month. Please be patient, as the staff sends them out individually. Your school will notify you when they have been emailed. In the meantime, please enjoy a sampling of some of our favorite photos from both ceremonies.

🍽🍎 Roanoke City Public Schools will offer free summer meals to children ages 18 years or younger June 8-July 31 through the USDA's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Meals are provided on-site on a first-come, first-served basis at school locations. Dates and times will vary by location.

➡ Full schedules with times, dates, and locations can be found on our website: https://www.rcps.info/summermeals

Congratulations to our Patriots! We were so proud to celebrate all of them this morning. Be sure to check out the full album below! 👇

All graduates will receive free graduation portraits courtesy of RCPS and Patrick Perkins Photography LLC. Patrick Henry High School - Roanoke, VA will email the portraits to each student's email account before the end of the month, and will notify families when they are ready.