When Robert Jeffrey Jr. moved back to the Roanoke Valley and opened a business in 2015, he left behind a history of financial problems in Washington state. Similar issues have
HEATHER ROUSSEAU photos, The Roanoke Times
Verletta White, superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools,
answers questions during a news conference Monday announcing a
three-part âEquity in Action Program.â A display board shows the
plan to build a new technical education center on the campus of
William Fleming High School, purchase The Roanoke Times building in
downtown Roanoke and move the school divisionâs administrative
offices there, and repurpose the current school central office
space into the Booker T. Washington Center for Community
Empowerment & Education.
HEATHER ROUSSEAU, The Roanoke Times
Kathy Duncan, principal of the Roanoke Technical Education
Center (ROTEC) and also career and technical education director for
Roanoke City Public Schools announced a major project Monday to include establishment of a career and technical education center on the campus of William Fleming High School.
In addition, school officials said they plan to buy The Roanoke Times building downtown to use as a new central office. The current central administration offices will become the Booker T. Washington Center for Community Empowerment & Education, a newly released written plan says.
Setting up the three new facilities will cost an estimated $15 million, officials said.
The new technical training center responds to a concern that students would benefit from greater access to quality technical training, which goes by the acronym CTE in school circles. Right now, the city school system operates a tech ed center only at Patrick Henry High School.