An ambitious plan put forward by the Rochester City School District hopes to transform the educational system for students in the area. On Thursday evening, Superintendent Barbara Deane Williams proposed what she calls, “The Path Forward."

The long-term proposal for the district hopes to ensure even enrollment throughout the three “zones” of the city’s schools, while offering better opportunities for students with disabilities and those who don’t speak English. The latter hopes to serve the recent influx of students into the district from Puerto Rico. But the proposal goes much farther than just rearranging students.

The district also hopes to create what it calls, “Metro Schools," which would allow students who live in suburban areas around the city, to commute with their parents who happen to work in Rochester, and attend school within the RCSD.

“I think this is a very good idea,” said Adam Urbanski, the President of the Rochester Teachers Association. “This could attract students not only from the City of Rochester, but from surrounding areas as well.”

The proposal details plans to replicate more successful schools in the district, like the School of the Arts, School without Walls, and the School of Inquiry. The superintendent hopes that this could transform struggling schools into more successful models.

“I think the system here works because the students have an opportunity for expression, which I think is so important,” said Sheryl Smith, a parent of students enrolled at the School of Arts. "To be able to communicate in a way that is artistic, and allows them to express what they are going through in a way that is healthy. The school of the arts has allowed that to happen, and I’ve seen that for my children and many others who have done well.”

But there remain many details to be worked out. The concept of “Metro Schools” would require outside funding, and an expression of interest from prospective suburban student families. Regardless, to many teachers and parents, the vision put forward provides an outline for a district that many say has been looking for a new direction. For more information on "The Path Forward," visit the detailed PowerPoint outlining the full proposal.