Four RCSD board candidates discuss priorities at voter forum as three members’ terms end in December

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The terms of three Rochester City School District (RCSD) board members are ending in December, and the upcoming elections are already stirring interest.

On Saturday afternoon, four local candidates vying for positions on the RCSD board spoke at an open forum for voters at the First Genesis Church.

Fred Johnson, the pastor at First Genesis Church, emphasized the importance of such events.

“Whenever there’s any political candidates running for a particular educational system, we want to make sure that the city residents are able to get to know who the candidates are, what their position is, and how they might be fruitful to the education process,” he said.

The event, organized by Charter Champions of Rochester, featured incumbent board member James Patterson.

He expressed his desire to make RCSD a viable option compared to charter schools.

“The district has to learn to compete,” Patterson said. “We’re not rising to the level that our community wants our children to rise to.”

Patterson was joined by candidates Trent Jackson, Vince Felder, and fellow incumbent Cynthia Elliott.

Elliott highlighted the importance of finding a suitable permanent superintendent.

“It’s important that we get the right superintendent that understands the needs of the community and develops the systems around those needs,” she said.

Both Elliott and Patterson, along with board president Camille Simmons, face elections this November.

For those who missed the forum, it is available on the First Genesis Church’s Facebook page.

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