Rochester City School District Opens 2026 – 2027 School Year
(September 8, 2026) The Rochester City School District opened its doors to welcome more than 20,000 PreK-12 students back to the classroom for the 2026 – 2027 school year on Tuesday, September 8.
This year’s District-wide theme is Connected in Action: Strengthening our Commitment to Accelerate Student Success.
“Our goal is to ensure that we are working with our families and the community to be able to elevate and celebrate all students’ achievements,” said Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, Superintendent of Schools. “The first day of school is like Christmas Day for educators; it provides us with an opportunity to welcome our gifts back to our school District so that we can then cherish and support them as they continue.”
Connected in Action focuses on building stronger connections through clearer communication, stronger support for schools, deeper family engagement, and aligned efforts around student success.
The District is also sharpening its focus on the “ABCs” of student achievement this year.
Attendance: “We’re challenged by our attendance here in Rochester,” said Dr. Casandra Wright, Deputy Superintendent. “We want parents and children to know students should be in school every single day.” To that end, the RCSD is encouraging students to "Strive for Five: Show Up Strong, 5 Days Long," a community-driven effort to build daily attendance habits.
Books: “We want students focused on what they are reading, talking about it, and reading some more,” said Dr. Wright. The "Level Up for Literacy" campaign calls on the entire Rochester community to foster a culture of daily reading.
Conduct: “Kind, considerate, and respectful behavior will help you be successful throughout the school year,” said Dr. Wright.
District leadership met with members of the media this morning at Montessori Academy School No. 53 to talk about the excitement surrounding the first day of school. Susan Ladd is a School Chief for the Rochester City School District. “It’s our job to be the bridge between what is happening at Central Office and what’s happening at the school level,” said Ladd. “We take all the District initiatives, make sure our principals have the professional learning they need to be successful, and then make sure they are carrying that on with the students.”
Specifically at School No. 53, students will be participating in a level up academy, a new after-school program designed to help students become stronger in math and reading. “To get students over whatever hump they may have brought with them when they have that summer learning loss and to keep it going throughout the school year so they can be ready for those high-stakes tests in the spring,” said Djinga St. Louis, Principal of School No. 53. “This will be for a selected age group of students who show high needs and could use extra support.”
The District encourages all families to stay engaged throughout the school year, support daily reading at home, and ensure their children build strong attendance habits on day one.
Links to Back-to-School stories from the news media:
Class Back in Session for the Rochester City School District (9/8/26 – News 8)
RCSD Returns: New After-School Programs, Focus on Attendance, School Bus Safety, and More (9/7/26 – News 10NBC)
Rochester City Schools, Many Other Districts Welcome Students Back (9/8/26 – 13 WHAM)
Schools Open: Police Urge Drivers to Watch for Students and Stop for Buses (9/8/26 – WXXI News)