A drive down Main Street in Riverhead reveals the beauty of the Peconic River, the historic presence of the County Court House, and colorful Polish Town. Roanoke is an inner city school and one of the most diverse of four K-3 schools in the district. Sixty percent of our students are on free or reduced breakfast and lunch. Roanoke has a high transient population.
Families move in and out of the district as they seek jobs and affordable housing.
Between 30 and 40 percent of our parents struggle with poverty and have significant problems with substance abuse and other poverty related ills. Despite the fact that between 40 and 50 percent of our incoming kindergartners score in the first to fourth stanines on the incoming kindergarten screenings, all of our nonclassified students score on or above grade level on the third grade New York State DRP and PEP tests. The Suffolk County Reading Council has recognized Roanoke Avenue School as an Honor School for the last six years. Roanoke has also been recognized by Title One as a Schoolwide Project since 1996 and an exemplary model to which the State Education Department has sent many school districts to visit. Through team building of staff and community, our shared vision for all students is based on high performance standards, a collaborative program design, ongoing staff development, parent and community involvement, cultural inclusiveness, and constant monitoring of student progress.