By April 29, RCSD intends to name an interim superintendent

Rochester, New York – The board of education for the Rochester City School District has only given itself a few weeks to appoint an acting superintendent.

Board members talked about recruiting a replacement for outgoing superintendent Dr. Carmine Peluso, who departs on June 30 to take over as head of the Churchville-Chili Central School District, during a meeting on Tuesday.

Initially, it was intended to appoint an acting superintendent for approximately one year, with no consideration for the role of permanent superintendent. However, the board resolved at the end of this special superintendent search meeting that the interim superintendent would be permitted to apply for the permanent post.

President of the Board of Education Cynthia Elliott says the board needs to move quickly to choose an appropriate temporary superintendent.

“We want someone as quickly as possible to work with Dr. Peluso so that the transition can be smooth,” Elliott said.

On March 26, Peluso made his departure from Churchville-Chili known. He made a difficult decision that shocked the board when he made it.

The board convened on Tuesday to finalize the requirements they are seeking while he is away, as he is scheduled to depart on June 30.

“The board should take the lead and steer this, and uphold the board objectives that we have set in conjunction with the district’s strategic plan,” Elliott stated.

According to Elliott, the intention is to appoint a temporary superintendent for a year to look for a permanent replacement for Dr. Peluso’s duties.

“In spite of the turbulence and challenges that we had, we’ve continued to move forward. I remember when I first got here we had a 39% graduation rate back in 2006. We now have a 67% graduation rate,” Elliott said.

What characteristics of the ideal interim superintendent does the board want to see? Superintendent’s background. A little city experience. an outside applicant. strong abilities in project management. experience raising test results.
Superintendent Peluso added a comment as well.

“Experience as a superintendent or with a superintendency. They are going to bring some level of this to the table. I do think what is important is some of that transition time,” Peluso said.

The board met in executive session to decide when to schedule a public meeting to get feedback from the community and to organize an email campaign.

By April 29th, the board hopes to appoint an interim superintendent, and by May 10th, they plan to announce their choice to the public.