Rochester City School District
Media Advisory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2021
Editor Contact:
Marisol Ramos-Lopez
585.455.2844 (m)
RCSD Returning to Five Days of In-Person Learning in September
WHO:
Dr. Lesli Myers-Small, Superintendent of Schools

WHAT:
Media Availability

WHEN:
Thursday, April 15, 2021
11:30 a.m.

WHERE:
Virtual via Zoom
*Contact Brendan O'Riordan in the Office of Communications if you are interested in availability (353-6390)
DETAILS: Beginning September 8, 2021, the Rochester City School District will return to school five days a week for in-person learning following three feet of social distancing restrictions. These restrictions, issued last week by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), enable the District to move forward with plans that will allow more students to return in person next school year. If New York State removes all restrictions, students will attend school in person as they did before COVID closures.

All students in grades Pre-K – 12 will receive direct instruction from their teachers five days a week, and the District will offer a 100% remote learning option to accommodate families who do not feel comfortable sending their children back to school in person.
If families want their children to take part in 100% remote learning starting in September, they must respond by Friday, May 7. By making this decision, parents are committing to have their children learn remotely for the first semester of school, which ends on Friday, January 28, 2022.

If families choose the 100% remote learning option, they must:
  • Call their children’s school
  • Or they can also choose the remote learning option via the PowerSchool Parent Portal at www.rcsdk12.org/parentportal. Choose remote in the drop-down menu and select submit. 

If the District does not hear from parents by May 7, their children will automatically be enrolled as in-person students. 

While the first day of school seems far away, it is critical for the District to receive this information now, since it is essential to building student schedules, coordinating transportation, and planning for two groups of teaching staff – one dedicated to teaching in-person students and the other to teaching remote students.

The District also has plans in place should the State require schools to open under stricter guidelines (i.e. six feet of social distancing in classrooms and/or 100% remote).
Families will receive this information in a robo-call this evening. Additionally, to view a detailed letter to families from Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small, please click here.

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131 W. Broad Street, Rochester, NY 14614 | 585-262-8100