ROANOKE, Va. – Parents gathered for an emergency PTA meeting to talk about a $16.5 million deficit Roanoke City Public Schools is currently facing Thursday night.
This comes after Roanoke City Council changed its school funding formula, which reduced the school’s share of local tax revenue from 40% to 34%. The deficit could lead to widespread cuts across the district.
Parents spoke out about their concerns at the meeting on Thursday.
“You just trust that local officials... that everyone’s doing the best that they can. And I do believe that, but you then find out that things are not going as smoothly as you thought,” Jewel Aggaard, Grandin Court Elementary School PTA President, said.
“It is a moment to say let’s get involved, because if we don’t, things might continue to get worse. So let’s all work together, let’s make sure we’re staying informed so that we can hold people accountable and stay informed and communicate clearly to the people who are going to be affected by these changes,” Aggaard said.
This comes as the Roanoke City School Board is working to finalize its 2026 to 2027 budget. That deadline is set for March 10.