The Rochester Institute of Technology is partnering with the charter schools group Uncommon Schools to open a high school in Rochester in the fall of 2014. The school will open with a 60-student freshman class and grow to about 500 students serving grades 9 to 12, according to a letter to the RIT community from President Bill Destler.
The partnership gives RIT a pipeline of college-bound students, as well as opportunities for research, and new teacher and education program development.
“Universities can’t afford not to be involved in the preparation of K-12 students for college students,” Destler says.
RIT won’t provide any tuition or operational funds to the charter school. The partnership will instead by funded through a grant from RIT trustee Ronald Zarella.
No site for the new school has been determined.
Uncommon Schools manages 38 charter schools in Boston, New York City, Newark, NJ, Troy, and Rochester.
This article appears in Sep 11-17, 2013.
