The New York State Education Department late Thursday released its latest list of schools around the state that are struggling academically.
Rochester has 14 schools on that list - 10 labeled "struggling, " and four others "persistently struggling.” Those (4) schools are: East, Charlotte and Monroe High Schools and School 9.
Superintendent Bolgen Vargas placing the schools in receivership gives him a little more leeway in what changes he can make.
"It could involve staffing, it could involve budget changes, it could involve refocus of the school, a change in a number of things at the school site, to put it on better footing to support a strong foundation to move forward."
The state will watch the underperforming schools closely, according to the State Education Commissioner Mary Ellen Elia, who visited Rochester schools on Thursday.
"Those schools that are on the list - and there are several across the state - those schools will have a special focus in their own school districts, but certainly from the Department of Education as well."
Vargas praises Elia as a commissioner who supports local schools, and she has been a teacher and administrator who has turned around school districts.
One of the schools in need is Monroe High School, where the Superintendent says they would like to start classes in August.
"Because in that particular building, we have our attendance in January and the end of December...we have a population in there that wants to go back to their families and visit the Caribbean, and we are going to engage the families also, to discuss that reality."
Superintendent Vargas says the state classifications confirm his warnings - that someone will come in eventually and take them over.
"This approach, again, is another reminder to us that we don't have much time to turn our schools around."
He told reporters he believes teachers, administrators and the community are starting to embrace the urgency.
"And we are intending to work together with our bargaining units, but also, we are doing this with a sense of urgency."
Commissioner Elia toured Rochester summer school classes during her visit on Thursday. She talked about the efforts to help schools on this list.
"Any of those schools that are struggling or persistently struggling - in those two categories - will have the availability of the Superintendent taking some more purposeful action to support those schools."
The state passed a new law earlier this year that gives district superintendents of these schools more leeway in what changes they want to make.
"It could involve staffing, it could involve budget changes, it could involve refocus of the school, a change in a number of things at the school site, to put it on better footing to support a strong foundation to move forward."
Rochester’s East High School is already working under the supervision of the University of Rochester to improve that school, and Charlotte High School is scheduled to be closed.
"We will be working very closely with this district, but, I have every anticipation that the superintendent is ready to move on those things and support the principals and the staffs at the schools so that they can all focus on student success," said Elia.