Roanoke City Public Schools opens Community Empowerment Center as part of district equity plan

Roanoke City Public Schools officials celebrated the opening of a Community Empowerment Center and marked completion of the district’s Equity and Action Plan, which they said has increased access to school services across the division over the past four years.

A staff member described the center as "a 1 stop hub of support" that helps families start school enrollment, offers workshops to strengthen family engagement and connects families with community partners. "Since its opening, it has already supported more than 300 families in navigating RCPS registration, accessing resources, and connecting them with the support they need," the staff member said.

The Equity and Action Plan was highlighted by an agency official as a multi-year effort to improve accessibility across the division. The official said the center represents the next phase of work in a historic building reimagined to centralize services for families and students.

Event organizers emphasized the role of community partners in operating the hub and framed the initiative as long-term, generational work. "This is more than a building. This is legacy work," a staff member said.

Members of the public shared brief testimonials. One resident who said she was part of the Afghan community thanked center staff, saying they helped enroll her children in kindergarten and provided school supplies. Another resident described feeling "content" after staff helped complete enrollment for a child at Roanoke Academy School.

The event concluded with a countdown and a staff member declaring the center open: "It has happened." Organizers said the center will guide families through enrollment and refer them to partners for ongoing support; details on operating hours, staffing and funding sources were not specified in the remarks.

The opening signals the district's public-facing step to implement the Equity and Action Plan, with officials pointing to early uptake in registration support as an initial indicator of demand.