RCSD moves first day of school to Thursday, PreK-12 in-person 5 days a week

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — School starts Thursday for students in the Rochester City School District before the district’s busing plan is finalized. At an emergency work session Sunday night, the board voted unanimously to approve resolution 122 which will alter the school calendar to move the first day of school to Thursday.

In a news release Sunday night, the city school district said, "Students in grades Pre-K through 12 will return to school in person, five days a week, as planned."

Schools that the district needs RTS help with busing include:

• Edison Career and Technology High School
• Northeast College Preparatory High School
• Northwest Junior High School
• Early College International High School
• Leadership Academy for Young Men

The city school district is compiling a list of other schools impacted by 14 bus runs that need drivers.

And there are 32 RCSD special education runs that also need drivers.

The superintendent explained the district is negotiating with RTS with the goal of filling the bus driver gaps for opening day.

Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority meets Tuesday at 12 p.m. to review the changes in the RTS transit system needed to support the city school district’s student busing needs.

RGRTA directs public transportation services for Monroe County with Regional Transit Service (RTS) as well as six other counties: , Wayne, Seneca, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming.

In the last hour of the nearly three-hour meeting, the board president told the superintendent the board needs a "definitive plan" from the administration tomorrow.

The board will meet for another emergency work session at 6 p.m. on Labor Day. The meeting will again be live-streamed via the district’s Facebook page, youtube page and on the district’s website.

There is no public comment at the work session.