Roanoke City Public Schools Superintendent Verletta White announced her retirement on Thursday at a press conference held at the Academy for Math and Science.
White, 58, will retire at the end of the next school year, after seven years with Roanoke City Public Schools. Her education career has lasted over three decades.
“This is not a decision I make lightly,” White said during her remarks. “I will continue to lead throughout the next year with the same focus, passion, and commitment that have guided me throughout my career.”
White said that the decision to retire was entirely hers.
She was named Virginia’s 2024 Superintendent of the Year and was recently elected president of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents for the 2026-27 school year.
“Dr. White is a leader who shows up with purpose every single day,” city School Board Chairwoman Franny Apel said during the press conference. “She has led with consistency, with care, and with a deep commitment to service. And at the center of every decision she has made is one simple question: What is the best for our students?”
White noted school system accomplishments during her tenure, including:
- The opening of the Charles W. Day Technical Education Center.
- The opening of the Community Empowerment Center.
- Piloting the Community Builders Program, which models early intervention strategies to decrease youth violence and chronic absenteeism.
- Building a new Preston Park Elementary School to address elementary overcrowding.
- Carrying out a partnership with Secure Solar Futures to save millions on energy costs and roof replacements.
- Launching a partnership with Hazel Health to provide free virtual therapy and physical care for students.
White said that since 2020, the number of students who are chronically absent has decreased by 20% division-wide. She also said this year’s graduating class of 930 students is the largest in the division’s history.
“My leadership has always been about service,” White said. “Our students walk through our doors each and every day, and our job is to show them that they are capable of doing extraordinary things.”
During the past couple of years, a visible rift occurred between the city and its school division due to budget challenges that led the city to change the way it funds the schools. The school system balanced a $14 million deficit in their budget this year. White did not mention the budgetary challenges or the division’s relationship with the city during her speech.
“Make no mistake, it’s been a challenging year. But budget challenges are part of this work, and it was not the deciding factor; there was no one deciding factor,” White said in a statement Thursday evening. “There are many challenges that superintendents face, and there are many successes. … After 35 years, this is about passing the torch in a stable and responsible way.”
Michael Cherry, school board vice chairman, said there will be a national search for White’s replacement, and the board will do that “with the same level of care, intentionality, and high standards that Dr. White has modeled throughout her tenure.”
Cherry said the board is “extremely grateful” that White gave a full year’s notice before her retirement.
White said she has been weighing the decision with her husband for “quite some time.”
“When you’re approaching year 35, that’s not unusual to start thinking about it,” she said.
White said students have stopped her in the hallways of RCPS’ schools, calling her “Mrs. Dr. White” or “the reading lady.”
She said she considers it an accomplishment that students know who she is “and they know that I’m invested in them.”
As for the next school year, “We have work to do,” White said. “There’s nothing lame about this duck.”
White said she has no concrete plans post-retirement but is planning to stay in Roanoke.
“We’ll see what’s before me and what’s in my path as the year goes on, and as we get closer to the end,” White said. “But in the meantime, I’ll stay focused on the children.”
Here’s what other local and state leaders say about the announcement:
Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb: “I am grateful to Dr. White for her visionary leadership of Roanoke City Public Schools. Interwoven equity is a key component of our city’s nature, and her focus on building equity within our schools and strengthening our CTE programs will be part of her legacy.”
Jessica Blandy, president of the Roanoke City Council of PTAs: “We would like to thank her for her commitment to Roanoke City Schools. RCC-PTA wishes her nothing but the best on her well deserved retirement, and she will be greatly missed.”
Scott Braband, executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents: “This is a loss for the city of Roanoke and the commonwealth of Virginia. She has been a superior leader for public education in Virginia.”
