#WomeninRPS: Meet Suhair Abushara, a Bilingual Educational Support Professional (ESP) who has been with the District for 18 years, is highly educated, and shares a passion for helping families with the opportunity to better connect with the education system.
Learn more about Suhair: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1495643
Rochester Century and JM Hockey Team is headed to State for the first time in 15 years after winning the Section championship game. After ticketing on Ticketmaster failed - tickets for state will now be released in the following sequence:
Google SENIOR Grade Level Classroom 1:30 pm
Google JUNIOR Grade Level Classroom 1:40 pm
Google SOPHOMORE Grade Level Classroom 1:50 pm
Google FRESHMAN Grade Level Classroom 2:00 pm
General Public and District Employees 2:10 pm
General Public and District Employees must check this website for your passcode at 2:10 pm.
Please go to www.centurypanthers.org or www.johnmarshallrockets.org for your password at 2:10 pm
Update on the 2024-2025 Budget Deficit
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Dear Members of the Rochester Public Schools Community,
Survey results of metropolitan school districts in Minnesota released today show that Rochester Public Schools (RPS) is not alone in facing a major budget deficit for the 2024-2025 school year. RPS has cut more than $20 million from the budget over the past two years to put the District on a path to financial stability. Our deficit, shown in this survey, would also be much greater if the Mayo Clinic had not generously gifted the District $10 million dollars. RPS will continue to make the hard decisions necessary to reach financial stability in the years ahead. However, these survey results also show that due to inflation and other factors, more support is needed from both the State of Minnesota and the community of Rochester to provide all Rochester students with the caliber of education they deserve and that Rochester's future workforce requires. Toward that end, RPS will continue to advocate for increased funding at the legislature, and I will recommend that the Rochester School Board place a referendum on the ballot this fall to increase local support for our schools.
To read a summary of the survey results and to compare the projected deficit for Rochester Public Schools with projected deficits in other school districts, visit the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD) website or use the link listed below:
Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD) Budget Survey: https://www.amsd.org/2024/03/04/2024budgetsurvey/
Kent Pekel, Ed.D.
Superintendent
As you're replenishing school supplies for the last few months of school, remember to save your receipts. The Minnesota Department of Revenue offers two valuable tax benefits for parents who purchase school supplies for their K-12 students: the K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction. These benefits can reduce parents’ taxes to increase their refund, but is only available for those who keep their receipts. Purchases for most school supplies, field trips, and musical instruments for school band are eligible.
Most Minnesota parents qualify for the K-12 subtraction, which reduces their taxable income. Parents under certain income limits may also qualify for the K-12 credit, which can refund up to 75% of their costs – even for parents who do not owe any taxes. More details here: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/press-release/2022-08-03/save-those-back-school-shopping-receipts-valuable-tax-benefits
This week is School Social Worker Week. At RPS, our social workers work across all grade levels to serve students from Pre-K through age 21 and their families. School social workers help light the way, emphasizing the whole child and linking students and families with needed services. Thank you to our school social workers for all that you do!
Happy Read Across America Day! What better way to enjoy a beautiful day than with a good book? 📚
March is jam-packed with a lot of great highlights! In the coming weeks, we will celebrate Women’s History Month, Youth Art Month, Music in Our Schools Month, National Nutrition Month, and Social Work Month!
This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. To close out the week, we’re spotlighting Brooke, the office manager at Dakota Middle School. Learn a bit more about Brooke and her job: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1470553
Rochester Public Schools is seeking a Chief Academic Officer! Learn more about this important position or submit an application: https://www.applitrack.com/rochester/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Cabinet.
Applications for the position of Chief Academic Officer will close on March 8, 2024.
Do you know someone that would be a good fit? Please share this posting with educational leaders who are able and eager to help RPS become a diverse school system in which every student thrives.
RPS families - It's the end of the trimester, which means there is no school tomorrow, Friday, March 1. Our school staff will be participating in a professional development or end-of-trimester work day. We'll see the rest of our students on Monday!
This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. Today, we're spotlighting our Parent Teacher Associations, or PTAs. Lucy is the president of the Sunset Terrace PTA. Read more about her: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1470499
The Special Education Teacher Pipeline Program is a grant program established as a Minnesota Statute last year, allowing school districts in our state to provide scholarships for staff to become trained, fully licensed special education teachers in order to provide effective instruction to students with disabilities. Through this program, Rochester Public Schools is honored to award over 20 of our teachers and staff scholarships for their SpED teaching license! Yesterday, some of our awardees gathered to celebrate and network with one another.
Rochester Public Schools is surveying families and community members to engage in conversation and seek feedback about a 2024 Referendum. We invite you to participate because your opinion is important to us!
The survey will remain open for responses until 11:59 p.m. on March 8, 2024.
Take the survey at this link: https://rochesterpsd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4HI6PWOEKbcIFpA
Last Friday, RPS hosted its third annual Special Olympics Unified Bowling event. This event was created to strengthen the relationships between RPS students with and without special needs. Our students had a great time bowling and playing arcade games!
This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. Today, we’re spotlighting Louisa, a night custodian at Kellogg Middle School: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1472037
We would like to take the time to acknowledge some pioneer educators and education activists who helped pave the way for equality and integration. Starting with educators who opened some of the first schools to allow Black children in, to those who worked to end segregation, and to those who have worked to take education to the next level.
Don Barlow is on the RPS School Board as a director and is also the pastor of Community Baptist Church here in Rochester. We also talked with Erica Schumacher, the director of Early Learning here at RPS about their thoughts on Black History Month.
https://youtu.be/qYpquKXg3x0
This week, we’re celebrating National Public Schools Week and highlighting various roles that help our schools run smoothly and efficiently. Today, we’re spotlighting Yahye, an equity specialist at Mayo High School: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1474698
Today, we're kicking off Public Schools Week, a celebration of the heart of our communities -- our public schools! At RPS, we prepare our students to be the future workforce by ensuring that our educational experiences and opportunities align with the changing needs of our students, families, and community.
We look forward to sharing some of the stories of those who contribute to the growth and success of our students this week. Stay tuned!
Do you know the origins of Rochester Public Schools? The first school taught in Rochester was in the summer of 1856 in the log schoolhouse built at 431 Second Avenue Southeast. When the house became too small to accommodate the increasing population, other rooms were obtained. Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1474456
