Recent RCSD graduate elected in primary for one of four spots for school board

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – An 18-year-old freshman at St. John Fisher University is one of the winners of the Primary Election on Tuesday for Rochester City School Board.

Isaiah Santiago, who News10NBC spoke with in January, was one of four candidates to win the primary. Board Vice President Beatriz LeBron, Board Commissioner Amy Maloy, and first-time candidate Jacqueline Griffin also came out on top of the seven-candidate race.

Santiago, the youngest person to ever run for Rochester City School Board, received 5,263 votes. LeBron was the only candidate that had more votes than him, at 5,596.

Maloy had 4,992 votes. Griffin, with 4,105 votes, beat out current board commissioner Ricardo Adams by only 40 votes. First-time candidates Maria Cruz and Vince Felder were also defeated, with 3,824 and 2,849 respectively.

Santiago, who graduated from the school district last year, is studying political science. Santiago told News10NBC he knows firsthand how the board’s decisions can affect students.

Board member Willa Powell, who was first elected to the Rochester City School Board in 1997, is not seeking reelection this fall. The general election is Nov. 7. You can see more results from the Election Primary here.