Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School breaks ground on new high school campus in Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School, or EMHCS, broke ground on its new high school campus Tuesday morning. The school, which would open in fall of 2026, will have room for 100 9th graders and up to 300 10th, 11th, and 12th graders.

The new building is going right by the existing school on Joseph Avenue. We spoke to school leaders about why they chose that location.

“This community is ours, it’s our section of the city. It’s where a lot of our people live,” said Julio Vazquez, chairman of the board at EMHCS.

“It’s a community school. It’s where many of our students families and staff work. So it’s very important to build in a place where they can find their own,” said Sandra Chevalier Blackman, CEO of EMHCS.

EMCHS is the longest running charter school in Monroe County. It’s been around for more than 20 years.

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