Roanoke City Schools expecting best achievement ever for school accreditation

ROANOKE, Va. – As we head into the school year, the Roanoke City Public Schools district is celebrating a successful accreditation year.  

Though the Department of Education has not finalized its decision, Roanoke City believes all of its schools but one will be accredited. Hurt Park Elementary is expected to be accredited with conditions. 

School leaders say this is the highest student achievement ever since the standards of learning testing, or SOLs, started back in the '90s.

They say it's not only a victory for the school system, but for the community as a whole. 

"Strong schools lead to strong cities. Certainly when every school is accredited and making progress that tends to attract folks," said Justin McLeod, coordinator of community relations for Roanoke City Public Schools. 

The Virginia Department of Education usually releases accreditation ratings in September.