Our Plan to Ignite Student Learning
Investing in our district’s future
Guided by feedback from residents, Rochester Public Schools has put forward an investment plan, called “Ignite Student Learning.'' This November, Rochester voters will consider a 10-year operating levy increase that will generate $19.4 million annually to stabilize the district’s budget, strengthen academic and career programs, protect student support services and ensure students are ready for life after graduation.
We can’t keep cutting our way to success – this plan is an investment in the future of our students and our community.
If the referendum fails
If the referendum fails, RPS will need to make major cuts in all four of these areas and will need to close schools and raise class sizes across the district in order to close the projected $19.4 million deficit.
While it is possible to identify the broad types of budget reductions that RPS would need to make if the referendum fails, it is not possible to provide the public with a detailed budget reduction plan at this time. That is because the development of the school district’s budget is an eight-month process through which new information is received and analyzed and stakeholder input is conducted, and that process for the 2025-2026 school year has not yet started, much less concluded.
At the School Board meeting on Tuesday, October 8, the School Board voted unanimously to direct Superintendent Pekel to develop a 2025-2026 general fund budget recommendation that includes reductions if the Ignite Student Learning referendum plan is not passed by voters on November 5, 2024. The budget recommendation would include:
Closing three elementary schools to save $2,304,392. The schools the administration recommends closing if the referendum fails must be identified before January 1, 2025.
Increasing class sizes at all grade levels by three students to save $5,643,396. Financial savings from increases in class size result from eliminating approximately 50 FTE teaching positions.
Reducing central office positions and non-instructional positions at the school level to save $2,381,608. This would mean eliminating approximately 20 FTE positions, including positions in the superintendent’s cabinet, central office administrators, principals, clerical staff, maintenance staff, and operations staff.
Reducing programs and positions in the four investment areas in the Ignite Student Learning Proposal to save $6,378,956. Those reductions would be made in the four categories of the Ignite Student Learning plan. Based upon analysis that would be conducted following the failure of the referendum, some of the positions and programs in the ignite student learning plan might be eliminated, some might be reduced, and some might be continued with no changes. :
Positions that assist students who need more support to thrive
Reading specialists and curriculum
Media specialists at elementary schools
Community Schools coordinator positions and programming
The CAPE parent education and empowerment program
The Launching Emerging Adults Program (LEAP)
Project Search at Mayo Clinic
Driver’s education for low-income students
Programs that challenge advanced students and enrich learning for all students
Advanced learning teachers and services
Curriculum enhancements to deepen learning
Project Lead the Way in middle schools
Music positions in middle schools
Staff and programs at Quarry Hill Nature Center
Planetarium at Mayo High School
Services that strengthen student well-being and mental health
School counselor positions
Mental health screening
Classes that prepare students for success in vocational and technical careers
High school courses in auto mechanics, construction trades, accounting, and more
CTECH classes, including computer science, law enforcement, agriculture, pharmacy, and more
PTECH pathways in nursing and information technology
Postsecondary education and career planning software and supports.
The full resolution and board item are on our website. You can view the school board meeting at this link.