Six Rochester Schools Are on Track to Leave State Receivership by June 2027

Six of the seven Rochester City School District schools currently under state receivership are on track to exit that designation by June 2027. After years of state oversight and targeted interventions, that exit would mark a measurable shift for students in those buildings.

What State Receivership Means — and Why Exiting It Matters

What State Receivership Means — and Why Exiting It Matters

State receivership is New York's designation for schools identified as low-performing for at least three consecutive years under the state Education Department's accountability system. It brings direct oversight of curriculum and staffing decisions, along with targeted state school improvement grants.

Rochester currently has more schools under receivership than any other large New York district — Buffalo has three, while New York City and Syracuse each have two. The district has been carrying a wider footprint of state oversight than its peers. The possibility that six schools could clear the exit threshold in a single June 2027 window is the kind of shift that takes years to build.

The Six Schools and How Long They've Been Here

The Six Schools and How Long They've Been Here

The schools eligible to exit receivership by June 2027 are School 16 (Dr. David and Ruth Anderson Academy), School 28 (Henry Hudson), School 33 (Dr. Iris J. Banister), East Lower School, Edison Career & Technology High School, and James Monroe High School. Four of them entered receivership in 2019; two have held the designation for nearly a decade, making June 2027 the first realistic exit window for all six. School 7, placed in receivership last year, would likely remain in the program.

The district's Office of School Innovation is coordinating with NYSED staff for on-site and virtual support through the 2026-27 school year, with state officials available to provide assistance throughout.

"Our goal really is sustained, continuous improvement that's going to enable each school to exit receivership successfully."

— Dan Hurley, Executive Director of the Office of School Innovation, Rochester City School District

Progress Already Visible at Rochester City Schools

Progress Already Visible at Rochester City Schools

School 16 added a preschool special education class and a dedicated fourth-grade class for students with autism while under receivership — targeted programming that produced measurable results and put the school on the exit path as early as October 2024. Schools 16 and 28 were both identified at that point as on track to exit ahead of schedule.

Rhonda Morien, the district's Chief of Elementary Schools, said at the time that the work at those schools is causing them to flourish beyond district averages. Multiple receivership schools have also prioritized improving access to grade-level content for students with disabilities and multilingual learners — gains tied directly to the accountability metrics that determine exit eligibility.

What Rochester Families Should Know Before June 2027

What Rochester Families Should Know Before June 2027

NYSED held public hearings at each of the six schools between August 29 and September 25, 2026 — community members had a direct path to give feedback on school performance and the receivership plan. That window has closed.

Exit from receivership is not automatic. Schools must meet state accountability criteria through the end of the 2026-27 school year. A school that slips back into Comprehensive Support and Improvement designation stays in the program. The school board has also raised the funding question: receivership comes with state school improvement grants, and what happens to that revenue once a school exits remains unresolved.

The 2026-27 school year is the one that counts. June 2027 is when the state makes its determination.