Rochester City School District


The Rochester City School District is a public school district that serves approximately 26,000 students in the city of Rochester, New York. It is currently operating with a budget of $916 million, which comes out to approximately $30,500 per student.

History

Dan Lowengard was interim superintendent until 2016; he had a stroke and resigned afterward, with Linda Cimusz taking his position.

Organization

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 of Education

The board of education consists of seven members, elected biennially, who serve staggered four-year terms.
The current board members are:
Note: The commissioner posts being vacated by Ms. Lebron and Ms. Funchess in December 2018 were voted on by City Residents in September, 2018, and Ms. Lebron and Ms. Judith Davis will fill those roles until December 2019, when they can run again for a full four-year term

Superintendent and supporting team

The superintendent, Ms. Barbara Deane-Williams, carries out board policy from the district's administrative offices at 131 W. Broad Street in the city of Rochester, NY. Supporting the superintendent are the following executives:
NameTenureNameTenure
Isaac F. Mack1841 – 1845John M. FrancoMarch 1, 1971 – June 16, 1971
June 17, 1971 – 1980
Samuel L. SeldenJanuary 1, 1846 – November 1, 1846Laval S. Wilson1980 – 1985
Belden R. McAlpineNovember 2, 1846 – 1847Peter J. McWalters1985
1986 – 1992
Daniel Holbrook1847 – 1850
1857 – 1858
1862 – 1864		Manuel J. Rivera1992 – 1994
September 1, 2002 – April 30, 2007
Reuben D. Jones1850 – 1856Loretta Johnson1994 – 1995
Isaac S. Hobbie1856 – 1857Clifford B. Janey1995 – August 31, 2002
Philip H. Curtis1858 – 1861William C. Cala2007 – December 31, 2007
Charles N. Simmons1864 – 1869
1876 – 1878
1881 – 1882		Jean-Claude BrizardJanuary 1, 2008 – May 13, 2011
Sylvanus A. Ellis1869 – 1875
1882 – 1892		Bolgen T. VargasMay 16, 2011 – December 31, 2015
Alonzo L. Mabbett1878 – 1881Daniel G. LowengardJanuary 1 – 15, 2016
Milton Noyes1892 – 1900Linda L. CimuszJanuary 18, 2016 – July 2016
Charles B. Gilbert1901 – 1909Barbara Deane WilliamsAugust 8, 2016 – present
Clarence F. Carroll1903 – 1911-
Herbert S. Weet1911 – 1933-
James M. Spinning1934 – November 1, 1954-
Howard C. SeymourNovember 1, 1954 – December 31, 1960-
James S. WishartJanuary 1, 1961 – August 31, 1961 -
Robert L. SpringerSeptember 1, 1961 – May 31, 1963-
Herman R. GoldbergJune 1, 1963 – July 31, 1963
August 1, 1963 – March 1, 1971		-

Facilities

Schools

Elementary schools

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.

Configuration redesign

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, middle schools and high schools to one of elementary schools and secondary schools. The plan was implemented in stages over four years.

Media coverage

Given the district's continued struggles there has been a plethora of 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." In 2018 the editorial board of that paper wrote "It is time to declare an emergency".