Rochester City School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Rochester, New York - 46 schools

An equity score of 79/100 ranks Rochester City School District #37 of 941 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $28,608 per pupil, Rochester City School District ranks #274 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

22,820
Total Enrollment
46
Schools
$28,608
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Rochester City School District operates 46 public schools serving 22,820 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 31 combined, 8 high, 4 middle, 3 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Monroe County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $28,608 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending. See how New York compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 11.4% local, 64.3% state, and 24.4% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 79/100, ranked #37 of 941 in New York against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 46 schools offering Advanced Placement (38 AP courses district-wide), a 612.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 71.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 47.5% African American, 34.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is School 15-Children's School of Rochester (the), with a diversity index of 78.3/100.

Its largest campus is Edison Career and Technology High School, enrolling 1,362 students (6% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Monroe Correctional Facility, at 35 students, a 39x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Rochester City School District school enrollment varies 39× across entities

Rochester City School District school enrollment ranges from 35 students (lowest) to 1,362 students (highest), a spread of 1,327 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Rochester City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 88.4% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Rochester City School District student-counselor ratio is 612:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Rochester City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 71.7% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

24.4%
Federal
64.3%
State
11.4%
Local

Funding Equity

79
Equity Score
37 / 941
State Rank
45
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 46 schools in Rochester City School District.

White 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 34.2%
African American 47.5%
Asian 3.3%
Multiracial 5.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 59.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Rochester City School District's schools, above the New York average of 45.5.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 School 15-Children's School of Rochester (the) 78.3
  2. 2 School 50-Helen Barrett Montgomery 73.3
  3. 3 School 5-John Williams 71.8
  4. 4 School 42-Abelard Reynolds 71.4
  5. 5 School 46-Charles Carroll 71.0

Programs & Resources

8 / 46
Schools with AP
38 AP courses total
612.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
71.7%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Rochester City School District

School Enrollment
Edison Career and Technology High School
1,362
School of the Arts
1,065
School 33-John James Audubon
980
Franklin Upper School
969
School 58-World of Inquiry School
896
Joseph C Wilson Magnet High School
868
East Upper High School
814
James Monroe Upper School
809
Northeast College Preparatory High School
778
Anna Murray-Douglass Academy
741
School 9-Dr Martin Luther King Jr
614
School 50-Helen Barrett Montgomery
590
School 28-Henry Hudson
567
School 17-Enrico Fermi
525
School 22-Lincoln School
522
Northwest College Preparatory High School
487
School 7-Virgil Grissom
486
School 5-John Williams
485
School 25-Nathaniel Hawthorne
471
School 34-Dr Louis a Cerulli
465
School 42-Abelard Reynolds
465
Rochester Early College International High School
458
School 8-Roberto Clemente
436
School 35-Pinnacle
435
School 45-Mary Mcleod Bethune
430
School 16-John Walton Spencer
430
Joseph C Wilson Foundation Academy
404
School 15-Children's School of Rochester (the)
384
School 39-Andrew J Townson
369
East Lower School
364
School 19-Dr Charles T Lunsford
353
Dr. Alice Holloway Young School of Excellence
350
School 46-Charles Carroll
343
Rise Community School
338
Dr Walter Cooper Academy
336
School 52-Frank Fowler Dow
332
School 2-Clara Barton
328
School 54-Flower City Community School
325
School 23-Francis Parker
313
School 53 Montessori Academy
306
Monroe Lower School
272
Franklin Lower School
267
School 4-George Mather Forbes
265
School 29-Adlai E Stevenson
260
School Without Walls
258
Monroe Correctional Facility
35

How Rochester City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New York districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
New York City Geographic District #29 Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
New York City Geographic District # 8 Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Yonkers City School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
New York City Geographic District #19 Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
New York City Geographic District #13 Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data

Comparisons are relative to Rochester City School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in New York

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Rochester City School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs New York City Geographic District #31 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Rochester City School District?

Rochester City School District has 46 schools, including 8 high, 31 combined, 3 elementary, 4 middle. Total enrollment is 22,820 students.

How much does Rochester City School District spend per student?

Rochester City School District spends $28,608 per student. The district has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #37 in New York.

What is the demographic composition of Rochester City School District?

Rochester City School District students are 47.5% African American, 34.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% White, 3.3% Asian, averaged across 46 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Rochester City School District?

Rochester City School District has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #37 out of 941 districts in New York.