Hochul Signs $600M RCSD Modernization Bill, Paving Way for Major School Upgrades

Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation authorizing an additional $125 million for Phase III of the Rochester City School District’s long-delayed modernization program, state lawmakers announced Monday.

Assemblymember Harry Bronson and Sen. Jeremy Cooney

The measure (S7157B/A7385), sponsored by Sen. Jeremy Cooney and Assemblymember Harry Bronson, raises the total investment for the current phase to $600 million. The money will be used to modernize aging school buildings, expand career and technical education capacity, and bring facilities up to suburban standards, lawmakers said.

“As the first and only Rochester City School District graduate to serve in the State Senate in decades, RCSD students and faculty hold a special place in my heart,” Cooney said. “This is about creating equal opportunities for student success, regardless of your home ZIP code.”

Bronson called the investment both an educational and economic win.

“This is about ensuring our students have safe, healthy places to learn, while also creating good, middle-class jobs for local residents,” he said.

The Rochester Schools Modernization Program, spanning multiple phases, is considered one of the largest public works efforts in the city’s history. Cooney and Bronson revived Phase III in 2021 after legislative delays, and the newly signed bill gives the district greater financial flexibility to complete the work without disrupting school operations.

Nearly half of RCSD buildings are more than 75 years old, with deteriorating infrastructure. Earlier phases brought improvements including air conditioning in five major school buildings, a renovated Franklin Auditorium, and a synthetic turf field at East High School.

Phase III will focus on enhanced security features, updated entryways and exits, and expansions for technical and vocational learning. Six schools are slated for renovations: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School No. 9, Wilson Commencement Academy, East Campus, Frederick Douglass Campus, Edison Career & Tech High School, and the newly renamed Padilla High School, formerly the Franklin Campus.

Project leaders say Phase III will rely heavily on local labor. The RCSD Modernization Board plans to sign a Project Labor Agreement with the Rochester Building and Construction Trades Council to ensure work is completed on time, stays within budget and supports middle-class jobs.

Grant S. Malone, president of the Trades Council, said the partnership guarantees highly skilled workers while creating pathways for apprentices and boosting opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses.

“This announcement is what happens when state and local government and the community work together,” Malone said. “This is an investment in our future and in a school system that gives students the tools and confidence to succeed.”

The legislation was co-sponsored by members of the Greater Rochester Majority Delegation including Sen. Samra Brouk and Assemblymembers Sarah Clark, Jen Lunsford and Demond Meeks. Hochul also signed a companion bill (S8218/A8606) ensuring that any savings from the modernization project will be directed back to RCSD students and staff.

RCSD Superintendent Dr. Eric Jay Rosser said the investment brings the district closer to providing “safe, modern and uplifting learning spaces” for students.

Mayor Malik Evans said the upgrades send a critical message.

“Rochester’s children deserve the same high-quality classrooms and state-of-the-art technology as their peers in the suburbs,” Evans said.

Tom Richards, chair of the RCSD Modernization Board, said planning is well underway.

“We are anxious to get to work, and this legislation is a big step forward,” Richards said.