Facing a $14–$16.5 million shortfall, Roanoke City Public Schools may cut after‑school buses, scale back its long‑running gifted program The board also discussed the possibility of phasing out the PLATO (Pupils Learning Appropriately Together) and defer maintenance, changes that would remove daily transportation for about 173 activity participants, narrow gifted instruction to fewer students, and leave buildings and technology more vulnerable unless new funding appears. 

Roanoke, VA

Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff

Published: 3:57 AM EST May 13, 2026

Edited: 3:57 AM EST May 13, 2026

President John F. Kennedy once said, “Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future." 

Roanoke City Council adopted the FY2027 city budget on May 11, 2026. Roanoke City Public Schools will be tasked with eliminating a $14 million to $16.5 million budget deficit for the 2026-2027 academic year. Discussions on how to address this budget crisis have included cuts to staff and positions, scaling back or eliminating programs and services and reducing operational costs – leaving the future for Roanoke City students uncertain.

The school board met April 28 to further deliberate its options. 

One of the main considerations was afterschool transportation for students. The activity bus transports students who participate in extracurricular activities. This mainly benefits athletes, but also includes students participating in clubs, fine arts programs and those serving detention. The board suggests about 173 students use activity buses daily. 

The board originally considered eliminating activity buses entirely – a change that would save RCPS a projected $350,000 for the year – but currently recommends offering the services from Monday through Thursday for the spring season only. This would mean students who participate in fall and winter activities would have to find another alternative home. This recommendation would save RCPS a projected $232,800.

Christopher Link, a school board member, expressed concern that this could lead to a decrease in extracurricular participation, and that “bored adolescents, who are intelligent, are going to go find entertainment for themselves in other ways.” The board has also considered the use of Valley Metro as a method of transportation. 

Chris Perkins, the chief operations officer of building operations for RCPS, said this would cost students $28 per month for unlimited usage, but admits there is no way to track it: “Tracking if this is actually an activity bus ride or not … that’s the difficulty.” This, however, would cost an estimated $24,000 to the funding deficit.

Michael Cherry II, the vice chair of the school board, questioned the safety risks for students who participate in extracurricular activities and the use of Valley Metro.

“I do not want this board or this division to …  stretch ourselves thin trying to provide resources that are going to put our kids at risk for safety,” Cherry II said. “My immediate thought goes to the safety of our kids.”

Franny Apel, the chair of the school board, did not express concern with the use of Valley Metro for students, citing her past teaching in Chicago and the common use of public transport. She did, however, express extracurricular activities as a “net good for our students” and indicated that the board should keep track of how students interact in seasons when activity buses are not provided and what impact that may have. She clarified that while altering the usage of the activity buses is not ideal, the board has exhausted all other options.

“The reality is if we could still offer 100% of the activity bus supports that we were doing, we would do that,” Apel said. “That is the choice that the board would make if we could afford that, but we have to choose something.”

In the meantime, the board encouraged carpools as a preferred alternative, but admitted this may not be available for all students. Another school board member, Eli Jamison, highlighted its importance in her own life.

“I could not have been a working mom without all of my carpools,” Jamison said. “I think it would be worth finding out … how big are the holes we just created?”

The board also discussed the possibility of phasing out the PLATO (Pupils Learning Appropriately Together) program over the next two years, which would save RCPS an estimated $448,000. The PLATO program is a curriculum for gifted students from grades three through five.

The board originally considered eliminating the program entirely, but currently recommends moving the program to a single site – at Highland Park Elementary School – and offering the program to fourth and fifth grade students only. Under the current consideration, third-graders would remain at their home school.

The news of changes to the program has created a public outcry, per Link, but the board shares in the public’s exasperation.

“We typically don’t build up successful programs to then stop them,” Link said.

Jamison added, “I have a child who also went through this program. I know how valuable it is, and I know how painful this is.” 

The board said that while this is the current recommendation, revisions could still be made in the future, contingent on available funds. The board reframed the consideration as less of a phase out and more of a “contraction” of the program for the time being. Another school board member, Joyce Watkins, reiterated the board’s stance.

“Thank you for bringing that to light so that everyone can understand exactly what we’re doing and how we’re listening to the community and listening to our hearts and trying to make it work in a difficult situation,” Watkins said. 

Superintendent Verletta White stressed the importance of the continuity and equity of education, but admits the difficulty in maintaining balance.

“When we’re compromising on one … there’s still a sacrifice on the other side,” White said.

Cherry II spoke to the community and requested understanding.

“We are truly doing the best we can to .. make the best decisions for this division,” Cherry II said. “We are listening; we hear you.” 

He said the board has worked tirelessly to achieve these recommendations, despite the public uproar. He said the board’s goal is to “preserve the forward progression” and momentum. 

“There’s been a lot of work. My eyes are heavy,” Cherry II said. “We‘ve been empowered and entrusted to these seats to lead, and we want to make sure that we lead with poise, with dignity and compassion.”

Apel acknowledged the community advocacy for this multi-decade program, but said "necessity is the mother of innovation,” and the board should view this as a means to find “other mechanisms and deliveries for gifted instruction” that may be “more efficient” and  “better tailored for our division and the realities that we have.” 

“Perhaps there is an even better model out there to meet the needs of our students, " she said.

The board also proposed cuts to deferred facilities and maintenance, grounds and landscaping, and technology, which would defer infrastructure projects, halt landscaping projects and reduce accessibility to computer software. 

This includes reductions in budget to professional learning, student assessments and school and office supplies.

Jamison questioned the consequences of reducing mowing frequency by 30% to 35%.

“The word I wrote down here is … varmints,” she joked.” If we have varmints in the school, that’s a cost.”

Jamison pointed out that she does not know how the board will “budget for these exponential costs in a budget that isn’t planning to exponentially increase.”

“I don’t want to give any false hope that we are going to be awash in funds in coming years,” she said.

Perkins said they have eliminated 19 building operations positions, and urged the remaining workers to “do more … in this new reality.” 

“There are handymen and women that take care of the small repairs, and the small repairs turn into big repairs, and big repairs get deferred,” Perkins said. “And that’s the problem we have.”

While Perkins said he has made plans with his team to “buck up … to meet the call,” he said the upkeep going forward is “very worrisome.” He said he wishes he heard more outcry for those who will have to “pick it up and do a whole lot more in our schools.”

“Our facilities guys, our HVAC guys, our carpenters, our plumbers – all the things that they’re doing, they gotta do more of, and they gotta find ways to do it without the money to do it,” Perkins said. “If we have to use superglue and duct tape, we’ll get it done.”

President John F. Kennedy also said that while children may be "victims of fate," they should not be "victims of our neglect." 

A final detailed budget for school board approval is expected June 9 depending on when the state budget is finalized.