The Rochester City School District is a public school district that serves approximately 21,000 students in the city of Rochester, New York. The Rochester City School District (RCSD) spends approximately $30,972 per student in the 2024-2025 school year. This cost is based on the district's adopted budget of $1,071,659,143 and a student enrollment of 34,601, according to the district's website. This is, according to Census Bureau data, more than the New York State average of $29,873 per student, and much higher than the national average of $15,633 per student.
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:
Cynthia Elliott, President 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 Term Expires: December 2025
Superintendent and supporting team
+ Past superintendents Name Tenure Name Tenure Isaac F. Mack 1841–1845 John M. Franco March 1, 1971 – June 16, 1971 (acting)June 17, 1971 – 1980 Samuel L. Selden January 1, 1846 – November 1, 1846 Laval Wilson 1980 – 1985 Belden R. McAlpine November 2, 1846 – 1847 Peter J. McWalters 1985 (acting)1986–1992 Daniel Holbrook 1847–18501857–18581862–1864 Manuel J. Rivera 1992–1994September 1, 2002 – April 30, 2007 Reuben D. Jones 1850–1856 Loretta Johnson 1994–1995 (acting) Isaac S. Hobbie 1856–1857 Clifford B. Janey 1995 – August 31, 2002 Philip H. Curtis 1858–1861 William C. Cala 2007 – December 31, 2007 (interim) Charles N. Simmons 1864–18691876–18781881–1882 Jean-Claude Brizard January 1, 2008 – May 13, 2011 Sylvanus A. Ellis 1869–18751882–1892 Bolgen T. Vargas May 16, 2011 – December 31, 2015 Alonzo L. Mabbett 1878–1881 Daniel G. Lowengard January 1 – 15, 2016 (interim) Milton Noyes 1892–1900 Linda L. Cimusz January 18, 2016 – July 2016 (interim) Charles B. Gilbert 1901–1909 Barbara Deane Williams August 8, 2016 – January 31, 2019 Clarence F. Carroll 1903–1911 Daniel G. Lowengard February 1, 2019 – June 2019 (interim) Herbert S. Weet 1911–1933 Terry J. Dade July 2019 – May 2020 James M. Spinning 1934 – November 1, 1954 Lesli C. Myers-Small May 2020 – September 2022 Howard C. Seymour November 1, 1954 – December 31, 1960 Carmine Peluso September 2022 - January 2023 (interim)January 2023 - June 2024 James S. Wishart January 1, 1961 – August 31, 1961 (acting) Demario StricklandJune 2024 - June 2025 (interim) Robert L. Springer September 1, 1961 – May 31, 1963 Eric J. RosserJuly 1, 2025 - Present Herman R. Goldberg June 1, 1963 – July 31, 1963 (acting)August 1, 1963 – March 1, 1971
Facilities Schools In 2024, the district completed a grade-level and school reconfiguration. Elementary Schools are grades PK-6, Middle Schools are grades 7-8, and High Schools are grades 9-12 (unless otherwise noted).
Pre-Kindergarten Centers Florence S. Brown PreK Center at School No. 33 (PreK), Program Administrator - Dr. Eileen Eller Rochester Early Childhood Education Center NE (PreK–1), Director - Lisa Whitlow Rochester Preschool Parent Program, Director - Rebecca Boyle
Elementary schools George Mather Forbes School No. 4 (PreK–6), Principal - Karon Jackson, Assistant Principal - Delores Davis John Williams School No. 5 (PreK–6), Principal - Tiffany Lee, Assistant Principals - George Lombrado Virgil I. Grissom School No. 7 (PreK–6), Principal - David Lincoln, Assistant Principal - Mark Wilkins Roberto Clemente School No. 8 (PreK–6), Principal - Stephanie Thompson, Assistant Principals - Andrew Grantham Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 9 (PreK–6), Principal - Sharon Jackson, Assistant Principals - Burnice Green and Maria Ortiz-Viera Anna Murray-Douglass Academy No. 12 (PreK–6), Principal - Anthony Rodriquez, Assistant Principals - Margaret Crowley and Faith Hart The Children's School of Rochester No. 15 (PreK–6), - Principal - Jay Piper, Assistant Principal - Chanta Willis Dr. David and Ruth Anderson School No. 16 (PreK–6), Principal - Ryan Clair, Assistant Principal - Eileen Kalbfus Enrico Fermi School No. 17 (PreK–6), Principal - Damaris Saltares, Assistant Principals - David Dorsey and Meybhol Spaienza Dr. Charles T. Lunsford School No. 19 (PreK–6), Principal -Andrea Lee, Assistant Principal - Elizabeth Cross Abraham Lincoln School No. 22 (PreK–6), Principal - Clinton Bell, Assistant Principal - Michele White 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 - Melody Bishop Henry Hudson School No. 28 (K–8), Principal - Susan Ladd, Assistant Principals - Brenda Harrington and Jenny Blaise-Schmidt John James Audubon School No. 33 (PreK–6), Principal - Lisa Garrow, Assistant Principals - Eileen Eller (Florence S. Brown PreK), Kristal Haines (Blue House), Michelle Killings (Gray House), and Lisa Prtichard (Gold House) Ida B. Wells-Barnett Elementary School No. 34 (PreK–6), Principal - Akilah Collins, Assistant Principal - Mia Sinclair Pinnacle School No. 35 (K–6), Principal - Valerie L Holberton, Assistant Principal - Maria Petrella Abelard Reynolds School No. 42 (PreK–6), Principal - Deborah Washington, Assistant Principal - Vaughn Collins Mary McLeod Bethune School No. 45 (PreK–6), Principal - Christine Manuele-Turnquist, Assistant Principal - Patricia Brockler and Jody Durick Austin Steward School No. 46 (PreK–6), Principal - Gina DiTullio, Assistant Principal - Katelyn Clark Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50 (PreK–8), Principal - Lakisha Taylor, Assistant Principal - Felecia Drysdale and Lynda Mortis Frank Fowler Dow School No. 52 (PreK–6), Principal - Richard Smith, Assistant Principal - Redell Freeman Montessori Academy School No. 53 (PreK–6), Principal - Djinga St. Louis, Assistant Principal - Elisa Ruise The Flower City School No. 54 (PreK–6), Principal - Demitria Lawton-Greggs, Assistant Principal - Stacey Sookram World of Inquiry School No. 58 (K–12), Principal (Acting) - Callie Andler, Assistant Principals - Stephen Campe, Megan Comstock, Jessica Flanders
Middle Schools
Andrew Langston Middle School (7-8), Principal - Wakili Moore, Assistant Principal - Ajoua Jackson, Adam Rodger Dr. Freddie Thomas Middle School (7-8), Principal - Stephanie Harris, Assistant Principals - Terry Richards, Catherine Tesoriero
East Lower School (6–8), Principal - LeAndrew Wingo, Assistant Principals - Jeffrey Halsdorfer, and Joseph Saia Loretta Johnson Middle School (7-8), Principal - Moniek Silas-Lee, Assistant Principals - Yarritza Delgado and Thomas Anderson Northwest Junior High at Douglass (7-8), Principal - Rodney Moore, Assistant Principals - Kathleen Orem and Alexci Reyes Thurgood Marshall Middle School (7-8), Principal - Nakia Burrows, Assistant Principals- Carey Belair and William Hucks
Secondary schools East Upper School (9–12), Principal - Caterina Leone-Mannino (acting), Freshman Academy Director - Deon Rodgers, Freshman Academy Assistant Principal - Callie Andler, Grades 10-12 Assistant Principals - Akua Kankam, Stephanie Bliss-Walker, and Michele Sadik Edison Career & Technology High School (9–12), Principal - LaCassa Felton, Assistant Principals - Pina Buonomo, Steve Humphry, Heidi Jackson, Jerome Vacca, Michael Samuel James Monroe Upper School (9–12), Principal - Jason Muhammad, Assistant Principals - Anthony Bianchi, Bernadette Regan, and Reyita Perez Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School (9–12), Principal - Gary Reynolds, Assistant Principals - Chantal Lischer, Kimberly Brown, and Timothy Graziano Padilla High School at the Franklin Campus (9-12), Principal - Adam Rodger (Acting), Academy Director - Kristin Pryor Rochester Early College International High School (9–12), Principal - Sean Coffey , Assistant Principals - Jennifer Monroe-DeWitz, Abraham Steiner, Hedli Jackson and David Dorsey School of the Arts (7–12), Principal - Alan Tirre, Assistant Principals - Samantha Brody, Brian Chandler, and Elimy Buss, Athletic Director - Richard Roche, Arts Center Director - Andrea Gregoire School Without Walls (9–12), Principal - Aylin Rodriguez, Assistant Principal - Jennifer DeFranco
School and alternative programs All City High (10–12), Principal - Armando Ramirez, Assistant Principal - Nicole Littlewood, Academy Director - Susen Hart Family Learning Center at OACES - Program Administrator - Paul Burke Home Hospital Instruction (7–12), Director - Christopher Smith LyncX Academy (7–12), Director - Christopher Smith NorthSTAR Program, Director of Alternative Education Programs - James Nunez Rochester International Academy, Principal - Mary Andrecolich-Montesano Youth & Justice, Director - Christopher Smith
Former schools
Charlotte High School - closed 2016 John Marshall High School - closed 2014 Clara Barton School No. 2 - Closed 2024 Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10 - Closed 2024 Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29 - Closed 2024 Andrew J. Townson School No. 39 - Closed 2024 Leadership Academy for Young Men High School - Closed 2022 Martin B. Anderson School No. 1 - Closed 2017
Gallery
Performance In 2019, the Rochester City School District was ranked the 3rd worst school district in upstate New York, and in 2017 it was ranked the 8th worst in New York State.
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.