Rochester board appoints Dr. Eric Rosser as superintendent after divided vote

The Rochester City School District Board of Education voted to appoint Dr. Eric Rosser as the district's superintendent at a special meeting on March 6, 2025, after returning from executive session.

The appointment carried after a roll-call sequence on the floor. Commissioner Santiago recorded a Nay vote from the dais; Commissioner Lebron announced earlier he would vote No. Vice President Malloy, Commissioner Patterson and Commissioner Griffin recorded Yes votes during the roll call. The board then recessed briefly to introduce Dr. Rosser to the media.

The vote followed public deliberation on the superintendent contract and comments from board members who said they had differing views about timing and cost. Commissioner Lebron said on the record that he would vote no, citing concerns about national policy shifts and financial pressures: "I will be voting no tonight and I just wanna put this on the record on 03/06/2025 as we are continuously fighting the federal government and project 2025 and we have no idea what's to come. ... I could not support the most lucrative contract yet, that RCSD is to give a superintendent."

Commissioner Santiago also announced a No vote and framed the decision around student stability and fiscal timing, saying the proposed contract was "one of the most expensive contracts that we've passed as a board in the history of this district" and that she could not support it during ongoing transitions in the district.

Several board members spoke in support of Dr. Rosser. Vice President Malloy, identifying herself as an educator with more than two decades of classroom experience, welcomed Rosser and said she welcomed "the stability that you will bring to our district." Commissioner Griffin and Commissioner Patterson offered brief welcoming remarks; Patterson said the search process had been "selectful and thoughtful" and pledged support to the new superintendent.

President Elliott called for the roll call and declared the motion carried. The board scheduled a brief recess to introduce Dr. Rosser to the media and then returned to a second executive session later in the evening.

The record in the meeting transcript identifies the action as a board vote on the superintendent appointment (Resolution 5 51). The transcript does not specify the contract amount or other financial terms in detail during the public deliberations; board members described the contract as expensive but did not state a dollar figure on the public record at the meeting.

Dr. Eric Rosser was welcomed by the board and the board moved on to other agenda matters following the recess.