Rochester International Academy staff, principal warn of possible program dismantling as families face uncertainty
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Summary
Speakers at the Rochester Board of Education meeting pressed the board to intervene after principal Mary Diaz said 16 staff received displacement letters and that enrollment projections are unclear for Rochester International Academy (RIA).
Rochester International Academy (RIA) leaders and community speakers urged the Rochester Board of Education on May 22 to intervene after school staff received displacement notices and families face uncertainty about the program's future.
Mary Diaz, founding principal of the Rochester International Academy, told the board she has handed out “16 displacement letters to my teaching staff,” and that she has not been given clear enrollment or staffing decisions for next year. “I could not believe that all of you on the board would agree to any dismantling of RIA at this time,” Diaz said. “I am begging the board to get involved.”
Why this matters: RIA serves newly arrived refugee, SIV and immigrant families, a population Diaz said has grown since January. Diaz said the school currently has about 350 students and that she has submitted placement names for more than 150 students in grades K–12 who “should stay at RIA for the 2025–26 school year.” She described households still arriving through resettlement partners and asked the board to preserve continuity for those children.
At the public comment portion of the meeting, other speakers framed the request as humanitarian and educational. A speaker who identified themself as representing the RIA program emphasized the district’s moral obligation to refugee children and pleaded that the board not remove their “voice” or access to education, saying, “They too are your children.”
Board members did not take action on RIA during the public comment period. President Camille Simmons and other board members acknowledged the statements but did not announce a decision at the time speakers were heard.
What speakers asked for: Diaz asked for board intervention to prevent displacement of staff and disruption to students. She said that refugee families had been told they would remain at RIA for 2025–26 and asked the district to honor that expectation amid “uncertainty and fear.”
What the record shows: Diaz said she distributed displacement letters to staff and provided the board with placement lists; she said she had not been given definitive enrollment numbers. The transcript records her statements and pleas but does not record a formal board decision or a response resolving program status during the meeting.
Next steps indicated: Diaz and public commenters asked for follow-up from the board and staff. Board members said they would accept written comments and encouraged offline conversations but did not announce a formal timeline for staff or program decisions during the session.
Ending: The board moved on to committee reports and resolutions after the public comment period. Diaz and other RIA supporters asked that the board consider program continuity before staffing or placement changes are finalized.
