Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed off on the additional $125 million needed for the third phase of Rochester’s school modernization plan.
The legislation passed both houses back in June, but only went to Hochul’s desk a week ago. Local officials had begun to worry about timing — she had to sign the legislation by the end of December — and whether they would have to adjust plans if the governor didn’t sign off, as WXXI News reported late last week.
Sen. Jeremy Cooney, D-Rochester, sponsored the bill and is a 2000 graduate of city schools. His high school, School of the Arts, transitioned to its current building on Prince Street in his time there.
“It changed my entire learning experience by being in a facility that we felt proud of, that we felt protective of, and that we were able to have the best access to resources and materials in," Cooney said. "That changed my educational experience for the better, and so my role now, many years later, is to make sure the next generation of Rochester students have that same experience.”
The state authorized an initial $475 million for this third phase back in 2021 after years of delay. Construction cost inflation and other changes since pushed the bill higher. With the added funding, officials said, necessary changes can now be made to the work plan and the project can move forward.
In total, the city’s school modernization project will cost more than $1 billion, and represents one of the largest — if not the largest — public works projects in Rochester’s history. The focus of this phase is School 9 elementary school, Frederick Douglass middle school, and the Wilson Commencement, East, Edison Career & Tech and Padilla (formerly Franklin) high schools, records show.
Hochul also signed into law a bill that will "ensure that any savings as a part of the project are directed back for the benefit of students and faculty,” according to an announcement from Cooney’s office. The senator and his colleagues had listed this as one of their top priorities to Hochul this year, a spokesperson said.
