The US Attorney’s Office has filed charges against three businesses for allegedly defrauding the Rochester schools modernization program. Journee Construction Inc., Bell Mechanical Contractors, and Kaplan Schmidt Electric were under investigation relating to the improper use of “pass through” minority contractors, according to a statement today from US Attorney James Kennedy, Western District of New […]
Rochester schools modernization project
Posted inNews & Opinion
Joint Schools Construction Board pushes back on rumors
Until now, the Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board has remained relatively quiet the face of accusations of wrongdoing in the first phase of the $1.2 billion schools modernization project. (There is an FBI investigation, but details are scant.) Much of that concern has come from City Hall. Mayor Lovely Warren demanded specific changes to […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
The pain and politics of school closings
Politics may be local, but school closings are personal. School 44, which is due to be closed, had a group of teachers, parents, and homeowners from the 19th Ward confused and angry at a meeting of the Education Committee of the Southwest Common Council earlier this week. Many of the school’s teachers said they had […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Jobs training program falls short
Residents, parents, and educators consistently urge the city and the Rochester school district to do more to prepare young people who aren’t college-bound for careers in the trades. Many Rochester residents who are chronically unemployed — often women, African Americans, and Latinos — could benefit from the training, too. Reaching Occupational Achievement for Residents in […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
The bumpy path to a smaller RCSD
When Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas initially presented his proposal for the $675 million next phase of the schools modernization program, he said the district must eliminate unneeded space. But at a special board meeting last week, he took the conversation one step further. “I’m telling teachers, parents, and administrators to look at the district […]
