HOST INTRO: This week, WXXI is looking back at the events and people that made news in

2019 -- a year that was turbulent for the Rochester City School District. Early in the year, the
district attempted to respond to a state-mandated report that deemed it in dire need of
improvement. It was also at the center of a debate regarding a possible state takeover, and a
controversy surrounding teacher layoffs to cover the district’s nearly $65 million budget gap.

WXXI reporter James Brown covered these stories throughout the year. He joins Connections
producer Megan Mack to discuss those developments, and what we could see in 2020.

MEGAN: James, the issues involving the Rochester City School District have been years in the
making, but it seems the problems we witnessed in 2019 trace back to late last year. That’s
when the state-appointed distinguished educator released his report on the district, right?

JAMES: Yes. That report was published in November 2018, and in it, Jaime Aquino made a
number of recommendations, some of which were related to the district's finances. Aquino
quoted former Chief Financial Officer Everton Sewell, who told the board that the district's
finances would hit rock-bottom within five years if things don't change.

District staff didn’t realize the situation was even worse than what Aquino knew at that time.

MEGAN: Let’s fast forward to May of this year, when the district announced it had hired a new
superintendent -- Terry Dade -- to replace Barbara Deane-Williams, who retired in January. Did
he have a good understanding of the budget gap when he decided to come to Rochester? Did
he know what he was getting himself into?

JAMES: No. He knew of a structural budget gap, but not about this, and said it didn’t come up in
the interview process at all. Although Commissioner Beatriz LeBron voiced concerns to City
Council and the School Board last year. She sent a letter that warned that the district could go
bankrupt.

LEBRON: I don’t know who knew what when. I knew what I knew and what I was trying to
convey to the public. And it is heartbreaking. I literally feel sick to my stomach that I’m in this
position because this is literally what I warned people about last year.

MEGAN: Why didn’t people in the district heed those warnings?

JAMES: There’s lots of speculation. LeBron and Dade have both mentioned that members of
the staff knew and didn’t alert the board. It’s unclear how much Sewell knew; the state
comptroller’s office and the securities and exchange commissions, who are both investigating
the district, have not released their findings on that yet. We can expect that in the coming
months.

Regardless of who knew what, the district is facing a $65 million budget gap before last week's
layoffs. Even with those, they're still more than $30 million in the hole.
MEGAN: On Connections, Superintendent Terry Dade told us that he never expected to be in
this position as superintendent -- to have to cut teaching positions mid-year.

DADE: Our teachers and students did not cause this problem. It’s something I never thought I
would face as a superintendent, especially at this time of the year. We’re literally making cuts
while the school year is going on. It’s an absolute nightmare for me.

JAMES: Like we said, Dade’s proposed solution was to lay off 150 district employees, including
109 teachers.

MEGAN: And the day after those proposed cuts were announced, students started protesting.
What did that look like?

JAMES: They walked out of their classes and they emphasized that they wanted cuts as far
away from the classroom as possible.

STUDENT ISABELLA AUSTIN: I feel like we’re paying for the mistakes that district made. And
our principal and our principal and us did not cause the problems in the district.

MEGAN: The school board approved the cuts on December 19th, but people protesting the
decision say the fight isn’t over. What can we expect to see in January? Will the state get
involved?

JAMES: I think state involvement is a given. The question is on what level. A full bailout, a fiscal
monitor, Willa Powell said prior to her vote for the cuts the state is watching, and if the board
handles this poorly, they worry that they could be removed. The question is more: When will the
state step in? The State Education department is in flux itself, they’re on their second interim
commissioner this year. And New York state is believed to have a $6 billion budget deficit of
their own.

MEGAN: James Brown, excellent reporting all year. Thank you for your work.

JAMES: Thanks, Megan.