For Immediate Release: July 6, 2023
Contact: Heidi Wilson
Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons announced today that the Virginia Department of Education has awarded a $193,000 college laboratory school planning grant to Roanoke College to establish a lab school for Salem High School students who do not see themselves as college bound.
Roanoke College projects that the school — to be known as The Lab School at Roanoke College — will open in August 2024 with an initial enrollment of 25 students and offer career pathways in education; science, engineering and technology; and communication and leadership. The student population is expected to grow in subsequent years with the anticipated enrollment of students from other divisions.
General education dual enrollment courses will offer students a head start toward meeting college graduation requirements and engage them in interdisciplinary, real-world applications of critical thinking and problem solving. Students completing a full pathway will qualify for a Roanoke College scholarship specific to lab school students.
“I congratulate Roanoke College for its thoughtful application and its vision for providing college and career pathways for Salem students who otherwise might not pursue postsecondary education and the career pathways The Lab School at Roanoke College will officer,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons said.
“I’m grateful to everyone at Roanoke College and Salem Public Schools who worked hard to envision this new lab school and secure the funding to help make it a reality. This is another example of what we can achieve when we link arms and collaborate with local partners. I’m excited to watch this partnership bear fruit for young people in this community,” Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. said.
“We are excited to collaborate with Roanoke College to provide our students will additional career pathways,” Salem Superintendent Curtis Hicks said. “The research is clear that taking college-level courses will benefit our students, making it more likely that they will attend college at some point after high school. We are looking forward to this partnership and the opportunities it will provide for our students and the community.”
Roanoke College is coordinating its planning with Virginia Western Community College, which currently offers dual enrollment opportunities for Salem students.
The 2022 General Assembly appropriated $100 million to the commonwealth’s College Partnership Laboratory School Fund, with up to $5 million designated for planning grants to colleges and universities to develop plans for new lab schools. More information about college lab schools is available on the VDOE website.
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