The Rochester City School District is a publicschool district that serves approximately 21,000 students in the city of Rochester, New York. It is currently operating with a budget of $1.065 billion, which comes out to approximately $50,700 per student.[7] This is, according to Census Bureau data, $20,827 more than the New York State average of $29,873 per student, and over three times the national average of $15,633 per student.[8]
The school district is run by a board of education that sets school policy and approves school spending. The board hires a superintendent under contract to carry out its policies.
Board Liaison to: Abraham Lincoln School No. 22, Dr. Alice Holloway Young School of Excellence, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School No. 9, Franklin Lower and Upper Schools, Leadership Academy for Young Men, Rochester International Academy
Term Expires: December 2025
Beatriz LeBron, Vice President
Board Liaison to: All City High, James Monroe Lower and Upper Schools, Clara Barton School No. 2, Virgil I. Grissom School No. 7, Anna Murray-Douglass Academy School No. 12, Children's School of Rochester School No. 15, Dr. Charles T. Lunsford School School No. 19, Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29
Term Expires: December 2028
Isaiah Santiago, Commissioner
Board Liaison to: Northeast College Preparatory High School, Northwest Junior High, Wilson Foundation Academy, Roberto Clemente School No. 8, Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10, John Walton Spencer School School No. 16, Pinnacle School No. 35, Andrew J. Townson School No. 39, and Rochester Early Childhood Education Center (RECEC)
Term Expires: December 2028
Amy Maloy, Commissioner
Board Liaison to: LyncX Academy, Home Hospital Instruction, NorthSTAR, School of the Arts, John Williams School No. 5, Dr. Louis A. Cerulli School No. 34, Montessori Academy School School No. 53, World of Inquiry School School No. 58
Term Expires: December 2028
James Patterson, Commissioner
Board Liaison to: OACES Program, Youth and Justice Program, Enrico Fermi School No. 17, Charles Carroll School No. 46, Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50, Flower City School No. 54
Term Expires: December 2025
Jaqueline Griffin, Commissioner
Board Liaison to: School Without Walls, Francis Parker School No. 23, Nathaniel Hawthorne School No. 25, Henry Hudson School No. 28, John James Audubon School No. 33, Mary McLeod Bethune School No. 45, Frank Fowler Dow School No. 52
Term Expires: December 2028
Camille Simmons, Commissioner
Board Liaison to: Edison Career & Technology High School, P-Tech Pathways to Technology at Edison, Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School, Rochester Early College International High School, Rochester Preschool Parent Program, Rise Community School No. 106, George Mather Forbes School No. 4, Abelard Reynolds School No. 42
Clara Barton School No. 2 (PreK–6), Principal - Andrea Lee, Assistant Principal - Evangelina Johnson
George Mather Forbes School No. 4 (PreK–6), Principal - Karon Jackson, Assistant Principal - Delores Davis
John Williams School No. 5 (PreK–8), Principal - Terrilyn Hammond, Assistant Principals - David Gizzi and Loretta Hollomon
Virgil I. Grissom School No. 7 (PreK–6), Principal - David Lincoln, Assistant Principal - Mark Wilkins
Roberto Clemente School No. 8 (PreK–8), Principal - Stephanie Thompson, Assistant Principals - Andrew Grantham and Tiffany Lee
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 9 (PreK–6), Principal - Sharon Jackson, Assistant Principals - Burnice Green and Maria Ortiz-Viera
Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10 (PreK–6), Principal - Eva Thomas, Assistant Principals - Jason Wertz
Anna Murray-Douglass Academy No. 12 (PreK–8), Principal - Kathleen Trepanier, Assistant Principals - Margaret Crowley and Faith Hart
The Children's School of Rochester No. 15 (PreK–6), - Principal - Jay Piper, Assistant Principal - Chanta Willis
John Walton Spencer School No. 16 (PreK–6), Principal - Lisa Garrow, Assistant Principal - Robert Burns
Enrico Fermi School No. 17 (PreK–8), Principal - Yajaira Nguyen, Assistant Principals - Nancy Coddington and William Cronmiller
Dr. Charles T. Lunsford School No. 19 (PreK–8), Principal - Moniek Silas-Lee, Assistant Principal - Elizabeth Cross
Abraham Lincoln School No. 22 (PreK–6), Principal - Clinton Bell, Assistant Principal - Kristal Haines
Francis Parker School No. 23 (PreK–6), Principal - Kathryn Yarlett-Fenti, Assistant Principal - Carla Roberts
Nathaniel Hawthorne School No. 25 (PreK–6), Principal - Adrienne Steflik, Assistant Principal - Denise Quamina
Henry Hudson School No. 28 (K–8), Principal - Susan Ladd, Assistant Principals - Brenda Harrington and Jennifer Monroe-DeWitz
Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29 (PreK–6), Principal - Joseph Baldino, Assistant Principal - Thomas Anderson
John James Audubon School No. 33 (PreK–6), Principal - Melody Martinez-Davis, Assistant Principals - Margaret Brazwell (Florence S. Brown PreK), Bonnie Ellis (Blue House), Michelle Killings (Gray House), and Thomas Pappas (Gold House)
Dr. Louis A. Cerulli School No. 34 (PreK–6), Principal - D'Onnarae Johnson, Assistant Principal - Akilah Collins
Pinnacle School No. 35 (K–6), Principal - Brenda Torres-Santana, Assistant Principal - Valerie L. Holberton
Andrew J. Townson School No. 39 (PreK–6), Principal - Ryan Claire, Assistant Principal - Luke Wilson
Abelard Reynolds School No. 42 (PreK–6), Principal - Lisa Whitlow, Assistant Principal - Mark Davis
Mary McLeod Bethune School No. 45 (PreK–8), Principal and Administrator Grades PreK-2 - Christine Manuele-Turnquist, Assistant Principal Grades 3-5 - Patricia Brockler, Assistant Principal Grades 6-8 - Thomas Anderson
Charles Carroll School No. 46 (PreK–6), Principal - Gina DiTullio, Assistant Principal - Theodora Waters
Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50 (PreK–8), Principal - Connie Wehner, Assistant Principal - Felecia Drysdale and Lynda Mortis
Frank Fowler Dow School No. 52 (PreK–6), Principal - Mary Ferguson, Assistant Principal - Redell Freeman
Montessori Academy School No. 53 (PreK–6), Principal - Dr. Kimberly Harris-Pappin, Assistant Principal - Elisa Ruise
The Flower City School No. 54 (PreK–6), Principal - Jody Durick, Assistant Principal - Tylynn Presha
World of Inquiry School No. 58 (K–12), Principal - Kwame Donko-Hanson, Assistant Principals - Stephen Campe and Nyree Wims-Hall, Academy Director, Jennifer Johnson
RISE Community School No. 106 (PreK–6), Principal - Kelly Lampman, Assistant Principal - Glenna Smith
Joseph C. Wilson Foundation Academy (K–8), Principal - Rhonda Neal, Assistant Principal - David Dorsey
Dr. Alice Holloway Young School of Excellence (7–8), Principal - Deborah Washington, Assistant Principal - Jeanne Markman
East Lower School (6–8), Principal - LeAndrew Wingo, Assistant Principals - Jeffrey Halsdorfer, and Joseph Saia
East Upper School (9–12), Principal - Marlene Blocker, Assistant Principals - Akua Kankam, Maycanitza Perez, Deon Rodgers, and Michele Sadik, Freshman Academy Director - Edward Mascadri
Edison Career & Technology High School (9–12), Principal - Jacob Scott, Assistant Principals - Josephine Buonomo-Cilento, Heidi Jackson, and Jerome Vacca, Academy Directors - Robert Goldsberry and Babette Phillips
Franklin Lower School (7–8), Principal - Stephanie Harris, Assistant Principal - Terry Richards
Franklin Upper School (9–12), Principal - Richard Smith, Assistant Principals - Cheryl Donatella, Donna Groff-McNulty, Brandi Smith, and Steve Soprano
Rochester Early College International High School (9–12), Principal - Uma Mehta, Assistant Principal - Stacy Watts
School of the Arts (7–12), Principal - Kelly A. Nicastro, Assistant Principals - Samantha Brody, Mario Belculfine, Brian Chandler, and Alan Tirre, Athletic Director - David Michelsen, Arts Center Director - Andrea Gregoire
School Without Walls (9–12), Principal - Coretta Wright, Assistant Principal - Lakisha Wilson
In 2019, the Rochester City School District was ranked the 3rd worst school district in upstate New York,[16] and in 2017 it was ranked the 8th worst in New York State.[17]
In 2007, the New York State Education Department named 14 Rochester elementary schools among the state's "most improved" schools in English language arts and/or math. Newsweek ranked Wilson Magnet High School 49th among the nation's top 100 high schools based on advanced curriculum.
The Children's Institute, a non-profit children's advocacy organization, has ranked the district's pre-K program one of the best in the nation.
In 2003, a plan to redesign the grade-level configuration was approved by the board of education. It changed the district from one of elementary schools (preK–5), middle schools (6–8) and high schools (9–12) to one of elementary schools (pre-K–6) and secondary schools (7–12). The plan was implemented in stages over four years.
Given the district's continued struggles there has been much local media coverage analyzing the district from varying perspectives, and most recently this has been done through the Democrat and Chronicle's Time to Educate Series. The motto of this media initiative is "Something. Must. Change."[18] In 2018 the editorial board of that paper wrote "It is time to declare an emergency".[19]
^"1"(PDF), 2010-2011 Budget Book and District Profile, Rochester, New York: Rochester City School District, May 13, 2010, p. 3, archived from the original(PDF) on July 23, 2011, retrieved May 3, 2011, On April 29, 2010, the Board of Education unanimously passed a budget of $693.7 million for the Rochester City School District for 2010-11 that focuses on the district's core work of teaching and learning. It represents a 3.1% decrease from the amended budget for 2009-10
^"A Look Inside the RCSD". District Profile. Rochester, New York: Rochester City School District. 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011. Our schools provide a quality education for approximately 32,000 students in pre-K through grade 12 and 10,000 adults.
^ ab"General Information". District Profile. Rochester, New York: Rochester City School District. 2011. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011. Has approximately 6,500 employees, including: 3,900 teachers, 300 administrators, 2,300 support personnel