The Rochester City School District has a new superintendent, and it’s a familiar name.
The Board of Education met Thursday evening and voted to name the current interim superintendent, Carmine Peluso, to become the district’s next superintendent.
Peluso was named to take that job on an interim basis after Lesli Myers-Small left in September.
During Thursday’s board meeting, Board President Cynthia Elliott acknowledged that members of the community expected to be involved in the search for a new superintendent.
But she said board members decided that Peluso has the kind of organizational and institutional knowledge that can help the district move ahead.
“During the past superintendent searches, we asked what the community wanted in a superintendent, and one of the things you said was stability for the district," noted Elliott. "This board believes that Carmine is the stability that will help us move forward.”
Peluso said that he entered the interim role “with a desire to bring stability and calm” during a tumultuous time in the school district. Now, Peluso says he wants to “effect positive change and increase educational opportunities for all students.”
It was also revealed on Thursday night that the district has reached a tentative agreement with the Rochester Teachers Association on a new contract.
According to the RTA’s website, the contract, which is retroactive to July 1, is a three-year pact that expires June 30, 2025. It calls for salary increases of 3.8% in each of the three years of the contract, as well as some other provisions including incentives to retain teachers.
The school board will vote to ratify the contract next month.
