ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The State Education Department announced on Friday that Commissioner MaryEllen Elia has rescinded the offer to Dr. Kenneth Eastwood, who was appointed as a Distinguished Educator to the Rochester City School District in March.

According to a spokesperson, Dr. Eastwood was unable to come to an agreement with the school board on the terms of his contract.

Dr. Eastwood, who has 30 years of experience as an educator, including nearly 20 years as a superintendent, was expected to help improve performance in the district by serving as a consultant and reviewing the district's systems, structures and operations.

According to the latest statistics, the Rochester City School District has the second lowest 4-year, 5-year, and 6-year graduation rates of any district in New York State that has more than 30 students in a cohort.

The board expressed concerns last month about the manner in which the hire was handled and the money that it would cost.

“So if this person comes in as a partner and adds his insight into how we can make changes, we welcome that, but we have some concerns on if that’s really going to be the case,“ said Van White, Rochester City School Board President. 

At the time of the hire, Commissioner Elia expressed optimism about Dr. Eastwood's impact on the district.

“For far too many years, the Rochester City School District has struggled to address a myriad of issues relating to instruction and student support that have created impediments to student learning,” Commissioner Elia told reporters on March 27th. 

The State Education Department released a statement on Friday after the sides were unable to reach a deal.

"While this is extremely disappointing, Commissioner Elia and Chancellor Rosa determined it is in the best interest of Rochester's students to rescind the appointment at this time. We are conducting a nationwide search for a qualified individual to serve in the position of Distinguished Educator for the district.”

Van White said he was surprised that the offer was rescinded, but added that going forward, it will take more than one person to make substantial improvements to the district.

"My feeling is, my colleagues feeling is, we're in some turbulent waters, that can't be debated and to the extent that you can get a number of people to grab oars in the boat and row to shore and maybe give us some sense of direction about where we need to be, to get on land. That can be a beneficial thing," said White.