Home
District Calendar
Pride In Excellence
The Rochester Community School District is part of a treasured community that is rich in tradition, where partnerships between families, schools, and businesses are integral for student success. Our mission is to provide a quality education in a caring atmosphere so all students can attain the necessary skills and knowledge to become lifelong learners and contribute to a diverse, interdependent and changing world.
97% of RCS students graduate, the highest public
school graduation rate in Oakland County.
7 out of 10 students in 11th and 12th grade have
at least one AP® course on their schedule.
Adams. Stoney Creek, and Rochester High
Schools ranked in the 95th percentile
or above for SAT performance in Michigan.
Among 25,000 high schools across the country,
U.S. News and World Report ranks
Adams, Stoney Creek, and Rochester High
Schools in the top 5% or better.
RCS celebrates 24 National Merit Scholarship
semifinalists and 39 commended scholars,
who represent the top 1% of our nation's high
school graduating seniors.
All elementary schools identified as having high
growth and high achievement for both math
and reading, using the i-Ready assessment tool.
RCS students outperformed the state average
by 25% and the county average by 16% in English
language arts and math on M-STEP.
92% of RCS third graders met Michigan's reading
requirement, outpacing county and state averages.
News
Rochester Community Schools celebrates 1,227 graduating seniors. As a class, they have forged strong bonds that have enabled them to excel at the highest levels. We congratulate this exceptional group of students and extend sincere gratitude to our teachers, families, administrators, staff, and community partners who have supported them on their educational journey through their K-12 experience.
The Excellence in Education Award was created to recognize exemplary performance throughout the district. Through a generous donation from Michelle Beitelshees of the Pino Insurance Agency, in a partnership with the RCS Foundation, the Excellence in Education Award has been sustained for more than 18 years.
The Rochester Community Schools Foundation is celebrating the 20th annual Hometown Hustle 5K and Color Run on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. This beloved, family-friendly tradition benefits all RCS students.
RCS is launching ParentSquare as its new communication platform! As of July 2025, the district will no longer use SchoolMessenger for communications. ParentSquare pulls contact information directly from ParentVUE. To prevent a lapse in information, families are encouraged to update their phone number, email address, and preferred language in ParentVUE.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a nonprofit organization that includes a membership of more than 1,500 public and private high schools from across the state. It exits to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition.
Rochester Community Schools will continue to develop, support, enhance and drive forward educational excellence through five vision areas: learning, teaching, leadership, professional development and community engagement.
Rochester Community Schools remains committed to enhancing processes that empower staff members to act effectively during an emergency. To that end, the district is adopting the Centegix safety platform, an incident response solution that supports emergencies, from everyday situations to the extreme.
On April 1, 2025, Rochester Community Schools hosted the debut performance of the districtwide RCS orchestra, featuring 540 musicians in grades 6-12. Among these students are the first 28 graduates of the orchestra program, which began in 2018 during their sixth grade year.
RCS continues to offer high-quality pre-K and in addition, the state’s Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) has expanded to increase early education options for families in RCS and across the state. GSRP is a free preschool program for children who turn 4 on or before Dec. 1, 2025, and whose families meet eligibility guidelines.
The district’s strategic plan indicates the need to implement Structured Literacy models in elementary classrooms.
ParentSquare is a user-friendly platform designed to streamline communication between schools and families. It will allow the district to send messages, alerts and reminders through email, voice and text messaging. It also provides a space for two-way communication, so participants can reach out with questions or feedback.
Master property planning helps an organization assess the use of its land and infrastructure by evaluating current conditions, considering future opportunities, and identifying detailed actions that can optimize facility and operation efficiencies.
As educational programs continually evolve, research shows that student-centered, inquiry-based instructional strategies help students develop skills related to learning, literacy and life.
Community members are invited to join Rochester Community Schools in celebrating this year’s Charity Week, March 3-8, 2025. The action-packed week provides exciting fundraising opportunities for Camp Kesem, which supports children through and beyond a parent’s cancer with free summer camp opportunities and year-round services. Each year, RCS student leaders work together to select a charity that is personal to them.
Dates for the district calendar are determined through a collective bargaining process between Rochester Community Schools and the Rochester Education Association. Major holiday breaks for the 2025-26 school year are in line with the Oakland County Common Calendar.
The RCS Board of Education has approved the tentative contractual agreement as presented by district administration and the Rochester Education Association (REA). Through the agreement, the district is investing an additional $33 million in RCS teachers over the next three years.
Each year, Rochester Community Schools student council leaders from Adams, Rochester and Stoney Creek high schools organize a combined Charity Week to raise money for a cause that is important to them. This year's beneficiary is Humble Design, Detroit.
Rochester Community Schools teacher, Kelley Cusmano, is the 2024-25 Michigan Teacher of the Year! State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice surprised Ms. Cusmano with the top honor during an assembly with 1,600 students and her colleagues at Rochester High School.
The RCS Board of Education voted on Monday, April 8, to approve the superintendent contract for Nicholas Russo. Mr. Russo will begin his term as superintendent on Monday, July 1, 2024.
Rochester Community Schools complete calendar for the 2024-25 school year is available on the district website. A printable copy can be accessed by clicking on the following link:
Rochester Community Schools transcends its history of excellence to enhance teaching and learning.
Through dual enrollment, students are able to maximize requirements, earn credits toward their high school diploma, while also earning college credits at the same time.
“It’s easier to learn math when I can see it, instead of just imagining it in my head,” said fifth-graders at Hugger Elementary.
AP Capstone courses develop students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, presenting and college-readiness.
Young learners residing in the boundaries of the Rochester Community School District are invited to join us as they begin their learning journey. Learn more about our TK and Kindergarten programs.
Michigan’s preschool expansion increases kindergarten readiness programs for four-year-old students in RCS and across the state.
Strategic planning helps to guide Rochester Community Schools into the future.
A $1.7 million investment in support staff to help meet the needs of students and raise their level of academic and personal success.
To ensure success, RCS uses the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP).
Rochester Community Schools maximizes opportunities to ensure students excel at the highest levels.
New to RCS? Don't delay, register now!
Online enrollment is open for all new students from transitional kindergarten through grade 12.
Rochester Community Schools proudly educates our professionals and tradespeople of the future!
RCS has again been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.
Rochester Community Schools offers learning opportunities for people of all ages, including adults who want to earn their GED or expand their English language skills.
Spotlight
Strategic Plan Overview
Orchestra Celebration
Episodes of Learning, April 2024
Online enrollment tutorial
Home Feeds
Feeds
Points of Pride
561 acres
Primarily within Rochester, Rochester Hills, and Oakland Twp.
1,867
Highly skilled, caring teachers and staff
Nearly 15,000
Students from pre-K thru adult
97%
Graduation rate
29
Advanced Placement courses
34
CTE courses in Business, Marketing, Engineering, and Computer Science
13%
High mean SAT score than national average
$228 million
Operating budget supporting quality student programs
21 reward schools
Ranked in the top 5% across the state
160
Course electives at the high school level
72
MHSAA varsity teams
120
Sub-varsity athletic teams
22
PTAs and PTSAs districtwide