RCSD abruptly closes LyncX Academy, where teachers outnumber students
The Rochester City School District is abruptly closing LyncX Academy, a small and shrinking program for long-term suspended students where adults outnumber children.
The last day will be Jan. 26, the final day of the first semester, Deputy Superintendent Demario Strickland said. The nine students and 13 employees will be reassigned to other buildings.
The program, located in rented space off St. Paul Street, is intended for students serving long-term suspensions from their home schools. As the district has moved away from that form of discipline, enrollment at LyncX has plummeted.
At the moment there are nine students enrolled in the program, of whom about four are present on any given day, Strickland said. There are 13 faculty and staff at LyncX, meaning that adults outnumber students by a 3-1 ration on most days.
By comparison, as recently as 2017-18 there were about 350 students in the program.
"These (teachers) who were at LyncX would help fill some of those vacancies in some of our middle school and high school programs, where there are full classrooms not being served by a highly qualified teacher," Strickland said. "(And) we’ve had a lot of pushback from families not wanting to send their children there at times, so hopefully this will improve chronic absenteeism."
LyncX closing details: What it means for parents, home schools
The students' home schools will be responsible for arranging their education, including possible alternative routes including night school, Saturday school or remote classes, Strickland said.
"This is ensuring (the home schools) are taking ownership of the student they have long-term suspended and doing everything they can to make sure the student is successful," he said. "When a student is long-term suspended, even though they’re not in front of you, they’re still on your roster. You’re still responsible for their academic needs."
The budget for LyncX is about $1 million for 2023-24, but its closure likely won't save RCSD much money, since the staff are being reallocated elsewhere.
Superintendent Carmine Peluso informed the school board of his decision Tuesday night. No board action is required, district spokeswoman Marisol Ramos-Lopez said, because LyncX is a program rather than a full-fledged school.
"We have to look at programs that are working and ones that are not," Board President Cynthia Elliott said. "When you’re talking about that few students and all the resources associated with it, it may not be the best use of our dollars."
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— Justin Murphy is a veteran reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle and author of "Your Children Are Very Greatly in Danger: School Segregation in Rochester, New York." Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CitizenMurphy or contact him at jmurphy7@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: RCSD abruptly closes LyncX Academy in Rochester NY
