Looking Back on the 2024-2025 School Year

Dear RPS Community,

As the 2024–2025 school year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on some of the highlights from the past ten months. This list doesn't capture everything great that happened in our schools, but I hope it gives you a sense of the extraordinary work we've done together. Everyone connected to Rochester Public Schools (RPS) should feel proud of what we've accomplished—and even more excited about what lies ahead.

Let's begin with the outcomes our students achieved this year.

Reading, Math, and Science Scores Increase

During the first week of school, we received encouraging academic news. RPS students made meaningful gains in reading, math, and science on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, reversing a multi-year decline in proficiency across all three subjects.

graph showcasing RPS reverses downward trend in proficiencey rates in math, science, and reading

Attendance Rates Improve

We also reported that chronic absenteeism in RPS dropped from 47.7% in 2022 to 37.7% in 2023. Attendance data for the 2024–2025 school year will be released at a School Board meeting this summer.

Graduation Rates Go Up

In May, we announced that our 4-year graduation rate increased by 2% overall, with even greater gains for several student subgroups:

+6.8 points for Asian students
+10.4 points for Black students
+9.1 points for English Learners
+6.5 points for Latino students
+7.4 points for low-income students

While many factors contribute to student learning and success, it’s worth noting that these gains occurred in the same year that we launched or expanded a range of important initiatives across our schools. Here are some of the efforts that may have helped lay the groundwork for this progress—and that position us well for continued improvement.

New School Start Times Implemented

In August, RPS adopted new start and end times to better match student developmental needs. Elementary schools now begin at 7:55 a.m.—a shift from the previous 9:35 a.m.—which allows our youngest learners to start their day when they’re most alert. Crucially, middle and high school start times were not moved earlier, consistent with research on adolescent sleep patterns.

Cellphone Ban Introduced

We launched a new cellphone policy that fully bannes student phone use in grades K–8 and significantly limited it in high school. A year-end survey found that:

69% of staff said the policy made their jobs easier
64% of parents and caregivers found the policy clear and beneficial
45% of students reported learning more in class under the new rules

Reading Curriculum Adopted

Throughout the fall and winter, teachers, administrators, and support staff worked hard to implement a new comprehensive reading curriculum in all elementary schools—grounding our literacy strategy in the science of reading. It was a heavy lift, and supporting effective instruction with this curriculum will remain a major focus in the years ahead.

Flawless Financial Audit (Again)

In November, our external auditor reported zero negative findings in its review of RPS finances— for the fifth year in a row.

Some Snow Days

This winter brought four snow days. Based on the hundreds of messages I received from students, many felt we should have had even more!

Balanced Budget Model Developed

We developed a new Balanced Budget Model to give schools more flexibility in allocating staffing and resources—while continuing to support districtwide programs and class size targets. Next year, we’ll expand this work to include central office departments and services.

SACC Program Expanded

To help meet urgent childcare needs in our community, we expanded our School Age Child Care (SACC) program by nearly 500 new spaces, eliminating a longstanding waitlist.

Redefining the Future of RPS

In early 2025, we launched a process to define a new mission, vision, values, and brand identity for RPS. The results will be shared in fall 2025 and will shape the next district strategic plan.

Enrollment Challenges Addressed

At its May 13 meeting, the School Board reviewed new enrollment projections showing that declining birthrates and increased competition from charter schools, virtual schools, and other public options mean we must redouble our efforts to be Rochester’s top choice for education. A new strategy to meet that challenge will launch in 2025–2026.

New School Improvement Approach Approved

Also in May, the Board approved a redesigned School Continuous Improvement Plan (SCIP) process. Starting in 2026–2027, schools will have more autonomy to set their improvement priorities, with strong support from central office departments. We’ll spend 2025–2026 preparing for this transition.

Central Office Reorganization Announced

Following the RPS School Board’s approval of the SCIP 2.0 process, I announced changes to the structure of central office departments to better support students, families, and schools. I appreciate the professional and positive spirit with which staff have responded to those changes. The Board will vote on the Human Resources components of the reorganization soon.

Deeper Learning Project Concludes

At the end of May, we concluded our Deeper Learning Project—a multi-year effort supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative that emphasized mastery, identity, and creativity in student learning. What began with school-based pilot teams is now evolving into a systemwide strategy.

a person presenting to a group of people

Mindsets, Behaviors, and Steps for Success Adopted

On May 20, the School Board adopted a research-based set of Mindsets, Behaviors, and Steps for Student Success. This new framework will shape strategic planning and influence other aspects of our work in the years ahead.

GOAT Awards Celebrated

To recognize the exceptional people who make RPS what it is, we introduced the RPS Greatest of All Time (GOAT) Award—a blue plastic goat 3D-printed by an RPS parent. I’ve had the pleasure of presenting the award to:

Nate Schriever, Community Ed youth program manager
Lori Sam, former executive assistant to the superintendent and assistant school board clerk, current office manager at Churchill Elementary
Dr. Jess Garcia, former school board member
Amber Jorde, RISE teacher at John Adams Middle School
Amy Baker, outreach parent educator
Bonnie Kassen, school social worker at Washington Elementary School
Christian Cassman, multilingual teacher at John Marshall High School
Eric Christensen, 4th grade teacher at Longfellow Elementary School
Kim Fanning, adult literacy coordinator
Lisa Raymond, school nurse at Longfellow Elementary School
Mahmoud Idriss, PTECH student
Officer Al Arzola, school resource officer
Rodney Sharp, equity specialist at John Marshall High School
Sarah Merges, health office nurse at Century High School

More awards will be given before the year ends—and many more in the future.

Mahmoud Idriss, PTECH student receiving the GOAT Award

Thank you for all that you’ve done this year to support our students, one another, and the broader RPS community. I’m incredibly proud to lead this district—and excited for all that lies ahead.

Have a great summer,

Kent Pekel
Superintendent of Schools

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Rochester Public Schools
615 7th St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507-328-3000