Board moves academic resolutions to consent agenda but pulls special education item for follow-up; members press for evidence that training reaches multilingual

The Rochester City School District Board voted on Jan. 13 to move a packet of academic resolutions (3-65 through 3-82) to the consent agenda, with one exception: resolution 3-77 was pulled for further clarification and will be returned at the business meeting after follow-up.

Commissioner Griffin questioned how schools were selected for grant-funded teacher professional learning (resolution 3-66) and whether multilingual students — beyond Spanish speakers — would be served. Chief Cody explained the opportunities were opt‑in for teachers and said the district tracks attendance. "An invite went out to all schools. Teachers were able to opt in," she said. Chief Cody also confirmed, "just because the money is allocated on the resolution, we only pay teachers if they physically attend the trainings." Commissioners asked administration to provide counts of multilingual students in participating schools and to supply attendance and auditing documentation before the business meeting.

Some commissioners urged caution about adding administrative reporting burdens, while others pressed for targeted use of funds to support students most at risk. Commissioner Griffin framed the question as an equity concern: she said the district has roughly "4,000 students in our district that speak other languages" and urged that funds be prioritized for children who are currently underserved. Commissioner Lebron stressed that contractor selection is governed by RFP and credential rules and said board members should not be "in the weeds" of operational decisions.

President Simmons called for direction to administration to gather the requested information and asked that questions be logged in the board question log so members can review responses before the business meeting.