This is a time of great uncertainty and hardship for all of us. Though it may seem that everything is on “pause,” our local, state, and national governments are still making decisions that greatly affect children’s lives. Last night the Rochester City School District (RCSD) released its draft 2020-21 budget.

The 2019-20 school year has been devastating for the RCSD’s students and school community. There is the still unresolved budget crisis that caused hundreds of mid-year layoffs and the now unfolding global pandemic that has forced students out of school indefinitely. Looking ahead 2020-21 may be even worse. Deep cuts are being proposed that will eliminate hundreds of teachers and administrators, and possibly entire programs.

With a projected budget gap of $61.8 million there will have to be serious decisions made about how the budget gap is closed. Parent and community voice is critical in this process, which is why The Children’s Agenda will be providing information and support to you.

We will be releasing our budget review in the next two weeks and hosting a training on the 2020-21 draft budget. If you have questions about the 2020-21 RCSD draft budget, or would like to get more involved with The Children’s Agenda’s advocacy efforts, you can reach out to Eamonn Scanlon, our Education Policy Manager: eamonn@thechildrensagenda.org

Please stay safe, and know that we are still advocating for all of Rochester’s students.