The story below is from our July/August 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Photo above: Ana Morales / Archival Image Courtesy of The Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Libraries
The former elementary school has a new identity in Fallon Park Elementary School.
Many years before there was a Fallon Park Elementary School in southeast Roanoke, there was the stately Belmont Elementary.
Belmont, pictured here, was built in 1871 on Dale Avenue. Over time, the school’s population grew and even with additions to the building, space was tight.
Belmont closed its doors in 1975 and merged its student population with another city school, Jamison Elementary, according to news reports. That same year, the two schools formed the new Fallon Park Elementary School. The $2 million school building was constructed on land that Frank Fallon gifted to the city of Roanoke.
Fast forward to 2018, and Fallon Park Elementary took on a new visual identity. The school received a four-phase facelift, making way for new student and administrative spaces and a community health clinic.
The school now has a two-story wing with administrative offices, a new cafeteria and 13 additional classrooms. It also has a STEAM lab, a new library, a renovated gym and a fine arts wing.
Additionally, a community health clinic, called the Local Impact for Tomorrow center, is attached to the school. It provides health and wellness services for all Roanoke City Public School students as well specific services for Fallon Park students and their families.
As of the 2023-2024 academic year, the school had a total of 577 enrolled students, according to the Virginia Department of Education.
The story above is from our July/August 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
