ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester City School District has released a revised budget and it comes with a significant price drop.

Superintendent Dr. Lesli Myers-Small says the budget originally came in at $30 million due to inflation, declining enrollment, increased costs of charter school tuition, expenses related to contractual obligations and increasing fuel and energy costs. However, she says that would have put them in a tough spot.

The new number now comes in at $10 million, which officials say was possible by reducing operating expenses, cutting unfilled and frozen vacant positions, reducing out-of-district travel and transitioning some general fund expenditures to ARP and CRRSA.

Despite the smaller price tag, Myers-Small says the budget sets priorities for delivering high-quality instruction, social-emotional wellness and health, and additional support for English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities.

According to the superintendent, the district will be providing 30 different programs this summer to students in grades K-12 that focus on academics, arts, sports, career and technical education and STEAM. It will also be offering more opportunities for families to take advantage of things like the Strong Museum of Play, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Seneca Park Zoo and more. 

The district will engage in high school redesign next school year. Every secondary school will participate in visioning sessions with students and the community to create what it calls "schools of the future."

A new science curriculum will also be implemented that includes materials aligned to new science measures. Students will have access to new state-of-the-art equipment.

The Rochester Board of Education will conduct a public hearing on the budget on Thursday, April 14, at 5:30 p.m. During the hearing, parents, students, staff and community members are welcome to provide feedback on the proposal.

The full budget proposal can be found here.