ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Leaders with the Rochester City School District are responding to the district’s new reconfiguration plan. The proposals were announced by RCSD superintendent Carmine Peluso at a board meeting Tuesday night.
If approved, the district would close nearly a dozen schools, five school buildings, and would reopen five schools by next school year.
As Adam Urbanski, head of the Rochester Teachers Association explains, the union is working with the district on staffing logistics going forward.
“We’d expect no layoffs, virtually, no layoffs because most of the reductions in positions can be accomplished by filling the vacancies that already exist by retirements and resignations. Teachers who are displaced will get the priority for transfers, so they will be the first to claim open positions at other schools,” said Urbanski.
Over the next several weeks, district officials will be visiting the schools in question. There, they hope to seek community feedback before a final vote on the plan is made in October.
“It will certainly not be void of the community’s voice, which is imperative in these decisions. Another reason this is feeling so large is because a lot of the decisions that needed to be made over the years have not been. So, if you don’t treat a wound, it continues to bleed. So right now, we have to level-set and see what happens,” said Simmons.
As part of the plan, three school buildings would return to the city. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans says the city is prepared to re-purpose those properties. He adds the district’s plan is in response to a ‘dire need’ over declining enrollment as well as financial status.
“I think the biggest thing is the financial health of the district. The current financial model is unsustainable, and they had to put forth something to help address it. I think this is an attempt to do that and I think we’ll learn more about the effect of it as they go through the coming weeks and go before a vote with the school board,” said Evans.
The vote is planned for October 19. A full list of city schools that could be affected by the proposed reconfiguration plan can be found here.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Leaders with the Rochester City School District are responding to the district’s new reconfiguration plan. The proposals were announced by RCSD superintendent Carmine Peluso at a board meeting Tuesday night.
If approved, the district would close nearly a dozen schools, five school buildings, and would reopen five schools by next school year.
As Adam Urbanski, head of the Rochester Teachers Association explains, the union is working with the district on staffing logistics going forward.
“We’d expect no layoffs, virtually, no layoffs because most of the reductions in positions can be accomplished by filling the vacancies that already exist by retirements and resignations. Teachers who are displaced will get the priority for transfers, so they will be the first to claim open positions at other schools,” said Urbanski.
Over the next several weeks, district officials will be visiting the schools in question. There, they hope to seek community feedback before a final vote on the plan is made in October.
“It will certainly not be void of the community’s voice, which is imperative in these decisions. Another reason this is feeling so large is because a lot of the decisions that needed to be made over the years have not been. So, if you don’t treat a wound, it continues to bleed. So right now, we have to level-set and see what happens,” said Simmons.
As part of the plan, three school buildings would return to the city. Rochester Mayor Malik Evans says the city is prepared to re-purpose those properties. He adds the district’s plan is in response to a ‘dire need’ over declining enrollment as well as financial status.
“I think the biggest thing is the financial health of the district. The current financial model is unsustainable, and they had to put forth something to help address it. I think this is an attempt to do that and I think we’ll learn more about the effect of it as they go through the coming weeks and go before a vote with the school board,” said Evans.
The vote is planned for October 19. A full list of city schools that could be affected by the proposed reconfiguration plan can be found here. Local NewsRochesterFirst
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