Two of Rochester’s Franklin High Schools may be phased-out beginning in September. In a letter sent home to parents, RCSD superintendent Jean Claude Brizard says the schools are being targeted for phase-out due to poor performance. Early in his term as superintendent, Brizard discussed certain schools being closed if they did not meet certain performance standards within a specific window of time.

The schools up for possible closing are Franklin’s Bio-Science & Health Careers High School and International Career Finance High School. According to the district, both schools are low-performing and in low demand by both parents and students.

“The Bio-Science & Health Careers High School at Franklin has been a low-performing school for several years, including two years on the New York State Education Department’s list of ‘Schools Under Registration Review’,” Brizard said in his letter to parents.

According to the letter, the International Finance Career High School at Franklin has been on the NYS Education Department’s list of ‘Schools Under Registration Review’ for three years.

“To support student achievement in the Rochester City School District, one of our goals is to increase the number of high-quality school options for students and families,” says Brizard, “we are committed to providing every child the opportunity to attend a school that fosters high academic performance and preparation for post-secondary success."

If the schools were to be phased-out, teachers would be re-assigned to other schools and other grade levels. While teachers union president Adam Urbanski says he initially agreed with the concept of phase-outs, he wishes teachers would have been more directly involved in the process before the letter was sent to parents.

"I do wish that the superintendent had done this with teachers rather than to teachers.I mean there is a collective wisdom that teachers have that could inform him of what could be done to make schools better," says Urbanski who is president of the Rochester Teachers Association.

The measure will be voted upon by the RCSD Board of Education. If board members vote down the measure, the high schools will not close. If the measure is passed by the Board of Education, beginning in September the schools will no longer enroll 7^thgraders. According to Brizard’s plan, each year an additional grade will be phased out. Currently enrolled students will have the choice of continuing at the schools through the 12^th grade.

There will be informational meetings about the phase-out process and what it means for parents:

International Finance Career High School

Thursday, March 26^th

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In the cafeteria

Bio-Science and Health Careers High School

Tuesday, March 31^st

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In the library