ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Rochester City School District Board of Education voted Thursday to move forward with a reconfiguration plan that involves closing some schools and buildings.
In September, RCSD Superintendent Dr. Carmine Peluso introduced the plan, which would close 11 schools and five buildings. The district says that it would keep schools with grades seven to eight to around 600 students and schools with grades nine to 12 to around 1,000 students.
The current operating capacity, according to the district, is 37,483. At the time the plan was proposed, only 21, 711 were enrolled.
Under the plan as approved, the following schools and buildings will close:
- Clara Barton School No. 2
- Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10
- Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29
- Andrew J. Townson School No. 39
- RISE Community School No. 106
- Wilson Foundation Academy
- Dr. Alice Holloway Young School of Excellence
- Franklin Lower School
- Monroe Lower School
- Franklin Upper School
- Northeast College Preparatory High School
- School No. 20
- School No. 29
- School No. 39
- School No. 44
- School No. 106
Additionally, Schools No. 39 and 106 will remain in the district’s inventory while Schools No. 20, 29, and 44 will return to the City of Rochester. A full breakdown of the plan can be found here.
“The decision to close schools was undeniably complex and challenging,” RCSD Superintendent Carmine Peluso said in a statement released Thursday evening. “It was not a choice made lightly; rather, it was made with a heavy heart and a deep sense of responsibility. We are determined to transform this District to create better opportunities for our students and prepare them for a promising future.”
The district says a lottery for the students in the affected schools will begin in December. Updates will be provided on a monthly basis.
The district also held two communitywide conversations in October ahead of the vote, with many parents offering concerns about these closures.
