ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It’s been a few months since the Rochester City School District started its search for a new superintendent after Carmine Peluso left the district in July to lead Churchville-Chili Schools.

Board of Education President Cynthia Elliott tells News10NBC they are managing well without Dr. Peluso. Their interim superintendent, Damario Strickland, was the deputy superintendent of teaching and learning. But the board is still looking for a permanent person to fill the position by March 2025.

Elliott says they have created a community survey that can be accessed online to get input on the kind of skill set and characteristics the community would like to see in the next superintendent. Also, the district’s search firm, HYA, is conducting focus groups to provide the board with insight.

“Just to have the community participate in the survey, complete the focus group — I know without a shadow of a doubt our community cares about the education of our children and so I don’t want our community to lose hope,” Elliott said.

The community has through the end of October to complete the survey, and it will be presented to the board in November.

“Not that we are not taking into consideration one perspective but we have to look at all the perspectives,” Elliott said.

Dr. Josh Mack is with the Rochester Parents Association, a non-profit agency that advocates for parents and students of teachers in the city school district. He says he’s all for the survey but questions if the results will actually be used by the board.

“I hope that they take the information seriously. We’ve had that in the past where it was serious concerns that folks were sharing great information with the school board regarding what their needs and wants and desires were, and I don’t think the district in my opinion went in that direction; they primarily found folks that didn’t last very long,” Dr. Mack said.

Mack says there’s been a revolving door with past superintendents in the school district. He believes historically many are not connected to the community the schools are in.

“Folks are looking for someone who is homegrown, someone who is local — someone invested in the community – who has spent time in the system who understands the system and knows the community,” Mack said.

The deadline for candidates to apply is Dec. 15. The board is looking to identify a candidate by January. There will be a meet and greet in February, and the projected time to bring the next superintendent on is in March.

Some district board members have said Peluso left the district because of some of the people on the board. News10NBC asked if the district is doing anything to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Elliott says board members are undergoing school governance training and will “learn how to get along.”

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Here is the full interview with Board of Education President Cynthia Elliott: