Rochester Public Schools Narrows Scope of Possible Facility Changes to Address Budget Shortfall

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Rochester Public School District (RPS) has narrowed the scope of potential facility changes. 

See Also: Rochester Police Deploy K9 & Drone to Capture Wanted Suspect 

A statement issued on Thursday morning says the changes are aimed at “addressing maintenance needs, making necessary budget adjustments, and responding to current enrollment trends.” 

RPS officials say they have been collecting feedback from school communities impacted by the changes since January. 

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RPS Narrows List of Potential Facility Changes to Address Projected Budget Shortfall

School officials are studying the changes amid the backdrop of a forecasted budget shortfall. RPS is facing an $8.3 million deficit next year without taking action. 

Read More: Rochester Schools Face $68 Million Deficit by 2031 Without Action 

A long-range budget outlook, presented to the RPS board last year, projects a more $68 million cumulative shortfall by the 2030-2031 school year if district leaders do not address the deficit.

Thursday’s statement indicates RPS has narrowed the scope of potential facility changes it will study. 

RPS Plans to Keep Sunset Terrace Elementary & P-TECH As Is

RPS says they will no longer consider a plan to relocate students at Sunset Terrace Elementary.

Those students will stay in the building and changes to attendance boundaries are no longer planned. 

The district’s P-TECH Program will remain at the Rochester Community and Technical College. “Its college setting supports student success, and the program’s size makes lease and transportation costs manageable,” the statement says. 

RPS Considers Moving Middle School ALC to Gage Elementary

One facility change under consideration is moving the Middle School Alternative Learning Center and the Rochester Academy for Independent Living (RAIL), both of which are housed at Friedell Middle School building, located at 1200 South Broadway Ave., to different locations. 

The Middle school would move into Gage Elementary School. The statement says the middle school students would have separate entries and spaces in the elementary. 

Officials say RAIL could move to the Education Services Center. RPS leaders also plan to study construction of a “purpose designed facility” for the Phoenix Program on district-owned land near Rochester Community and Technical College. 

Finally, officials are considering administering delivering most CTECH courses within the “comprehensive high schools,” and finalizing a plan to move the girls gymnastics program to a space outside of the Fridell Building operated by One Athletics. 

The statement says RPS plans to spend the next two months gathering feedback and further analyze the potential changes. 

The RPS board could be asked to act on recommendations based upon input and analysis. The earliest the potential changes could take place would be the 2027-28 school year, the statement says.