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2026 Rochester Prep Charter Schools Renewal Recommendation Report

Districts: Rochester City School District

Key Information

Executive Summary

Rochester Prep Schools is an academic success and continues to function as an academically strong, organizationally capable, and well-governed education corporation. The organization has both sustained important elements of a high quality college preparatory model and identified clear next steps to deepen instructional rigor and ensure all students have access to effective grade level instruction in the next charter term. The three schools within the education corporation consistently demonstrate strong results in English language arts (“ELA”) and mathematics each year. During the charter term, the schools posted strong comparative academic results relative to the Rochester City School District. Classroom observations, staff interviews, and document review confirm the academic program is implemented across campuses with fidelity and the schools’ curriculum, instruction, and assessment systems are tightly aligned.

The education corporation, in partnership with Uncommon Schools, has strengthened systems for curriculum, professional development, and leader support over the term, contributing to stable school operations and positive student outcomes. The Institute finds that the education corporation has the capacity to sustain program quality and organizational effectiveness into the next charter term.

Over the current term, school leaders have strategically worked to sustain the education corporation’s high enrollment through increased efforts at year-round recruitment and further developing community partnerships. Leaders closely monitor chronic absenteeism and suspension rates across the schools. In response to data trends in absenteeism and suspension, Rochester Prep Schools has begun to establish more codified behavior guidance, multi-tiered system of supports (“MTSS”) structures, and in-class supports such as reset spaces. Leaders recognize the need to continue shifting toward more preventative responses to student behavior concerns.

Education Corporation Background

Rochester Prep Charter Schools (“Rochester Prep Schools” or the “education corporation”), a not-for-profit charter school education corporation, currently operates Rochester Prep Charter School 1 (“Rochester Prep 1”), Rochester Prep Charter School 2 (“Rochester Prep 2”), and Rochester Prep Charter School 3 (“Rochester Prep 3”) across six sites in Rochester with a Kindergarten – 12th grade college preparatory design and tightly managed instructional systems. Rochester Prep Schools contracts with Uncommon Schools, Inc. (“Uncommon Schools” or the “network”), a not-for-profit charter management organization (“CMO”). Uncommon Schools supports the education corporation with instructional, operational, and performance management support pursuant to a management agreement.

Findings and Information

Is the school an academic success?

Rochester Prep Schools is an academic success and the three schools met or came close to meeting their Accountability Plan goals over the term. During the charter term, the three schools consistently outperformed the Rochester City School District in ELA and mathematics. Rochester Prep 1 posted strong high school graduation rates, Advanced Placement (“AP”) performance, and college matriculation results. Leaders demonstrate the capacity to diagnose needs, adjust programming, and sustain improvement over time. The education corporation employs an effective instructional model, a robust assessment system, and strong instructional leadership systems that collectively support student learning across grades. The schools demonstrate success in the following ways:

  • In ELA, all three schools posted proficiency rates for tested students enrolled in at least their second year that exceeded the district rates by at least 16 percentage points from 2021-22 through 2024-25.
  • In mathematics, Rochester Prep Schools exceeded the targets for its comparative measures in every year of the charter term with data suitable for analysis. Each year, the three schools outperformed the district and posted comparative effect sizes above the target of 0.3.
  • Rochester Prep 1 posted four year graduation rates that exceeded the absolute target of 75% and the district
    graduation rates in each year of the charter term.
Is the school an effective, viable organization?

The education corporation functions as an effective, viable organization with clear structures, defined lines of accountability, and strong financial management. Leadership teams across schools implement consistent operational systems, maintain high levels of staff development and coaching, and utilize data to monitor and adjust programming. The education corporation effectively retains quality leaders. The board provides rigorous oversight, regularly reviews academic and financial performance, and holds network and school leaders accountable for results.

Is the school fiscally sound?

Rochester Prep is fiscally sound based on the Institute’s review of the renewal documentation. The education corporation establishes strong methods of budget creation that consider all departments of the region, including all three schools, to develop accurate revenue and expense projections. The Rochester Prep Schools finance
team meets with the board regularly to present an enrollment report and discuss financial results. The education corporation maintained strong enrollment throughout the current charter term to cover its expenses. The 2024-25 annual financial audit did not present any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses. Rochester Prep Schools maintains a separate bank account with the established amounts for dissolution as required by the charter agreement.

Rochester Prep Schools demonstrated a positive financial performance during the current charter term, with net assets of $40.6 million and 1.4 months of cash on hand as of the 2025-26 school year. Rochester Prep Schools has maintained adequate teacher-to-student ratios. The education corporation made investments toward the purchase of land for the high school program’s new athletic field during the current charter term. This is a five-year capital project that does not have an expected completion date.

If the SUNY Trustees renew the school, are the education corporation’s plans for the school reasonable, feasible, and achievable?

The education corporation’s plans for the next charter term are reasonable, feasible, and achievable. Leaders have identified clear priorities grounded in current performance, early literacy, middle school mathematics, leader development, and strengthening the transitions across sites from 4th to 5th grade and 8th to 9th grade. The network has a proven track record of making strategic program adjustments including implementing science of reading practices, targeted mathematics interventions, and AP course expansion. The future budget in the renewal documentation provided contains reasonable revenue and expense projections for the proposed charter term given the history of the education corporation. Based on the assessment of the renewal documentation and historical evidence, the Institute finds that Rochester Prep Schools presents reasonable and feasible projected budgets for the next charter term.

Rochester Prep Schools currently occupies six facilities and has no plans to move during the next charter term. The board demonstrates thoughtful stewardship aligned to long-term sustainability.

Recommendation: Full-Term Renewal with Conditions

Renewal through 2030-31. The SUNY Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) recommends the SUNY Trustees’ Charter Schools Committee approve the three Applications for Charter Renewal:

  • Rochester Prep Charter School 1;
  • Rochester Prep Charter School 2; and,
  • Rochester Prep Charter School 3.

If each school is renewed, Rochester Prep Charter Schools will be granted the authority to continue to operate each charter through 2030-31 with the authority to provide instruction to students in such configuration as set forth in each charter’s Application for Renewal and subject to a set of conditions listed below. The Institute makes this recommendation based on each charter meeting the criteria for renewal set forth in the Policies for the Renewal of Not-for-Profit Charter School Education Corporations and Charter Schools Authorized by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY Renewal Policies”).

The Institute further recommends the SUNY Trustees renew for a full term of five years the provisional charter of Rochester Prep Charter Schools, the New York not-for-profit charter school education corporation.

Conditions

By July 1, 2026, the education corporation must provide a Corrective Action Plan, to be approved by the Institute, to come into compliance with teacher certification requirements under the Act inclusive of methods to assist uncertified teachers in obtaining certification, an identified system of monitoring certification status, and administrative or monetary supports offered to teachers. The education corporation must demonstrate significant improvement regarding compliance with teacher certification requirements in accordance with the Act by the conclusion of the schools’ next proposed charter terms.