Rochester City School District

The Rochester City School District operates 35 schools, including 24 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 8 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The district serves a diverse student population and faces significant challenges, with many schools struggling to meet academic benchmarks. However, the data also reveals several standout schools that are outperforming the district and state averages.

Among the highest-performing schools in the district is School of the Arts, a 7-12 grade high school with over 80% proficiency rates in Common Core English Language Arts and Algebra II, well above the district and state averages. Other standout elementary schools include School 15 - Children's School of Rochester and Austin Steward Elementary School 46, both of which have significantly higher proficiency rates in 3rd-6th grade ELA and Math compared to the district as a whole.

However, the district faces significant challenges, with a 4-year graduation rate of 84.3% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 31.5%, both well below state averages. Proficiency rates on Regents and state assessments are generally low across the district, with most schools performing well below state averages. Additionally, most schools have very high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high levels of economic disadvantage. While per-student spending varies widely across the district, this does not appear to directly correlate with academic performance, suggesting that simply spending more money may not be the sole solution to improving outcomes.