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Rochester City School District Reports

TCA’s Statement on the NYS 2026-27 Enacted Budget

June 1, 2026

The Children’s Agenda is grateful for the groundbreaking investments in New York’s child care system in the SFY27 enacted budget. Proposed by the Governor and with full support from the legislature, the $3 billion dedicated to the program is a significant milestone on the path to achieving universal child care. We are disappointed that there were no new investments in the child care workforce and are concerned that the fragile condition of the workforce will be a barrier to the success of this initiative.
Similarly, we applaud the $1.6 billion investment in New York’s Universal Pre-K program, enabling the program to serve nearly all 4-year-olds in the state. The Children’s Agenda is disappointed that State leaders failed to ensure equity for three-year-old children in need of Pre-K programs outside of New York City. To achieve a truly universal Pre-K system, New York State must increase per-pupil rates for all pre-kindergarteners.
With the Early Intervention program, so effective in helping infants and toddlers get developmentally on track, only level-funded at $205 million, we are deeply concerned that the state is leaving behind thousands of children and families whose rights to those services and therapies are neglected in this budget.

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TCA’s Response to the RCSD 2026-27 Budget Vote

May 14, 2026

The Rochester City School District voted to adopt the Draft 2026-2027 Budget in a 4-3 decision on May 12th, despite vocal opposition from parents, students, and teachers. While The Children’s Agenda is glad that the RCSD Administration responded to our advocacy by restoring some of the previously cut positions for social work, guidance counseling and Home/Hospital Instruction, we are deeply disappointed with the process leading up to the vote which ended up adopting budget cuts to these urgently needed programs while other programs remained untouched or were even increased. This speaks to a central concern of ours during the budget deliberations: Too often the decisions to cut certain programs were presented as a fiscal necessity rather than a choice and set of spending priorities. This budget does not make across the board cuts or address long-term fiscal challenges. Instead, it sacrifices specific programs and support staff to maintain or increase spending on other priorities.

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TCA Review of the RCSD 2026-27 Draft Budget

April 28, 2026

The Rochester City School District (RCSD) 2026-2027 Draft Budget uses the district’s savings, significantly cuts support services for students (social workers and guidance counselors), and nearly eliminates Home/Hospital Instruction to balance the budget. However, many positions were also added throughout the book, the largest increase being for Special Education. While The Children’s Agenda has many concerns with the cuts made in the Draft Budget, we applaud the Superintendent’s investments in Special Education and English Language Learners.

The three focus areas of this report are Mental Health, School Climate and Suspensions, and School Meals, which were selected by the 70 parent leaders we work with in our Very Invested Parents (VIP) group. The Draft Budget makes deep cuts to social-emotional supports, alternatives to suspensions, and food service, which runs directly counter to our recommendations. We are also deeply concerned that no new mental health satellite clinics are opening next school year, leaving nearly 6,000 RCSD students without access to a clinic.

We call on the Superintendent and Board of Education to reverse the damaging cuts to mental health supports, social-emotional supports, alternatives to suspensions, and food service. We also need greater transparency and public discussion about the many sweeping changes being proposed in the Draft Budget.

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2025 Impact Update

March 23, 2026

Every sturdy structure begins with a strong foundation, and every meaningful change in the lives of children and families starts the same way: with people who believe it is possible, and who commit themselves to making it real.

That is the spirit behind this year’s Impact Report, and its theme: Building Blocks of Progress.

Throughout 2025, we continued to focus on initiatives that create positive, long-term change for children and families across New York state. Because persistent structural and racial inequities result in worse outcomes for children of color and minoritized children especially, we work to center the voices and lived experiences of families in everything we do, from local neighborhoods to the state capitol. Our strengths in policy-driven research, effective organizing, and impactful advocacy are only as powerful as the community of people and organizations that stand behind them.

We also know that this work does not happen in a vacuum. Political headwinds shift. Budgets are contested. Hard-won progress is sometimes threatened. But our answer remains the same, regardless of any one election or new law: we keep fighting for children, we keep building power, we keep exposing cruelty, and we keep making the case for policies that work.

We never give up on a New York where every child thrives.

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TCA’s Response to the NYS Senate and Assembly One-House Budget Proposals

March 17, 2026

We applaud both the NYS Senate and Assembly for building on Governor Hochul’s proposed budget with bold investments that will transform the lives of children and families across New York. At the same time, we believe there are missed opportunities for New York’s children and families.

Read more to find out what The Children’s Agenda supports in the One-House budget proposals.

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TCA’s Response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State Address

January 15, 2026

In her 2026 State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed bold investments that will profoundly and positively impact children, families, and our economy across the state for generations to come. In a time of real setbacks from the current federal administration, we applaud Governor Hochul’s leadership and determination to fight for families.

Read more to find out what we’re applauding this year, what we believe is missing, and what New York voters say they want from State leaders in this year’s budget.

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Review of Key Priorities in Proposed Budget for Rochester CSD 2025-26

April 30, 2025

The Children’s Agenda’s annual review of the Rochester City School District (RCSD) budget is a collaborative effort with the over 70 RCSD parents and caregivers who make up the Very Invested Parents (VIP) group. Every dollar spent by RCSD is directly or indirectly connected to children. The Children’s Agenda prioritizes our advocacy based on both what parents see as the most pressing issues facing their children, and what research says are the most effective policy and funding solutions.

This report is divided into three sections based on areas of concern selected by the VIPs: Mental Health, School Climate/Student Discipline, and Transportation. Each of these topics has a direct impact on student performance at school. When children are not present physically, or preoccupied emotionally and mentally, they are falling behind. Students need the motivation and ability to concentrate that comes with good mental health. Children also should not miss classes because of transportation issues or suspensions and expulsions.

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SNS Factsheets for Select Monroe County School Districts in 2023-24

April 7, 2025

In New York, students are suspended from schools in response to a wide range of behaviors, including minor infractions like being late to class and dress code violations. This form of punishment begins as early as Pre-Kindergarten. The overreliance on exclusionary discipline continues despite research that indicates suspensions are ineffective and harmful and that they deepen academic inequities, especially for students of color, those from low-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities.

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Supporting Youth Mental Health in Schools

June 14, 2022

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 1 in 5 children had a mental health disorder, but only about 20% of those children received care from a mental health provider.
Mental health-related emergency department visits increased 24% for children 5 – 11 years old and 31% among adolescents 12 – 17 years old during the first 8 months of the pandemic.
Late in 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health.

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A Better Start

April 27, 2022

Rochester’s families deserve pre-kindergarten and kindergarten placements that meet their children’s needs. This report is a first step to better understand parents’ enrollment decision-making and how they experience enrollment policies. The goal is to help the Rochester City School District improve existing policies and processes so families have a better experience with enrollment.

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Reports by Area

Reports by Agenda Item