Rochester Public Schools (RPS) is evaluating significant changes in its district, including the potential consolidation of Sunset Terrace and Gage Elementary Schools. As part of its strategy to optimize facilities and reduce costs, district leaders are engaging with school communities this month for input on these proposals.
The earliest implementation of any proposed changes is projected for the academic year 2027-28. District documents indicate that these adjustments aim to “maximize the effective use of district facilities and reduce ongoing costs such as transportation and utilities.” This initiative coincides with RPS’s need to reduce its budget by more than $8 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Consolidation of Schools
One of the primary proposals involves relocating Sunset Terrace Elementary into the existing Gage Elementary building. Importantly, this plan would maintain both schools as distinct entities operating under the same roof. Sunset Terrace, located in northwest Rochester, currently serves 488 students as of December 1, while Gage Elementary, situated just north of 37th Street, has a student population of 348.
Per the outlined proposal, merging the schools would necessitate adjustments to attendance boundaries. The district is hosting feedback sessions for both schools: on January 27, 2024, for Sunset Terrace and January 28, 2024, for Gage Elementary, providing parents and community members an opportunity to voice their opinions.
RPS has a history of consolidating schools while preserving their individual identities, as demonstrated when Pinewood Elementary was moved into the Longfellow Elementary building at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Future Use of Facilities
If the Sunset Terrace community transitions to the Gage facility, the current Sunset Terrace building may become home to two existing programs, RAIL and the Middle School Alternative Learning Center (ALC). RAIL, or Rochester Academy for Independent Living, focuses on equipping students with disabilities with practical life skills. Both RAIL and the Middle School ALC currently operate in the former Friedell Middle School building, which was closed at the end of the 2021-22 academic year.
The Friedell building has also served as the venue for the district’s gymnastics program. The district’s proposal suggests exploring all options, including discussions with local gymnastics facilities, as it prepares to sell the Friedell property.
Additionally, RPS is reviewing the relocation of its PTECH and CTECH programs from their current location at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) into the district’s high schools. CTECH, the Career and Technical Education Center at Heintz, is a collaboration between RPS, RCTC, and the professional community. PTECH, which allows students to pursue information technology or nursing pathways at RCTC, is a partnership involving RPS, IBM, and the Mayo Clinic.
The district’s current leasing costs at RCTC approximate $221,000 annually, with transportation expenses exceeding $300,000 for student commutes to the RCTC campus. According to district documentation, since RPS staff primarily teach CTECH and PTECH courses—excluding Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) coursework taken by PTECH students in their last two years—these programs could effectively operate within the comprehensive high schools of RPS.
As discussions unfold, the RPS community anticipates the potential impact of these changes on students, families, and the overall educational landscape in Rochester.
