John P. Fishwick Middle

John P. Fishwick Middle is a small middle school in Roanoke, Virginia, operated by Roanoke City Public Schools. The school hosts 456 students in grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 39% leaner than the state mean of about 750.

Within Roanoke City Public Schools, which oversees 24 schools and 13,811 students, John P. Fishwick Middle is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, John P. Fishwick Middle records that the largest single group is White at 39%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 30% Black, 20% Hispanic, 9% multiracial. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 57%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.1:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 98% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, John P. Fishwick Middle sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 61.5%; this one delivers 53.0%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Roanoke city indicate median household earnings sit near $55,378, about 30% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 14%. In all, Roanoke city runs 30 public schools (combined enrollment of about 14,392 students), of which John P. Fishwick Middle is one.

Morningside Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.5 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around John P. Fishwick Middle. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts John P. Fishwick Middle at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 56.3%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. John P. Fishwick Middle's enrollment has decreased 20% since 2018, when it stood at 571 (now 456). White enrollment moved from 48% to 39% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 13.8:1 in 2018 to 12.5:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for John P. Fishwick Middle typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.