We are grateful to our State delegation who puts children first. This budget recognizes and addresses the fiscal needs of our District and invests in the formulas necessary to give students a fair, sound, and equitable education. These meaningful investments will go a long way to serving the best interests of Rochester’s scholars. The Rochester delegation worked as a strong team fighting together for our community. We are fortunate to have them representing us.
Today’s enacted budget will bring an additional $367-million-dollars to the Rochester City School District over the next three years.
The investments included in this year’s State budget consist of funding that will help districts across the State and the country as a result of an increase in State Foundation Aid, COVID relief funding, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The additional State funding to the RCSD is as follows:
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$83.8M in additional State money. In the previous fiscal year, the RCSD was given $620-million-dollars. This year the state allocation is $704-million. Included in that $704-million is $487-million-dollars in Foundation Aid, an increase of $39.8-million. Foundation Aid, which is the primary category of school funding, has typically remained flat for a number of years.
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$87M in COVID-19 supplemental relief.
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$197M in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021. Included in the ARP are specific stipulations as to how the District can spend this money. As an example, local educational agencies can use the funding to help meet a wide range of needs arising from the COVID pandemic, including opening schools safely and addressing students’ social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs.
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