A new Unified Sports initiative brings together athletes and partners from all three RCS high schools, where students with and without disabilities work together to build social relationships and authentic experiences.

Showcasing talented students and excellent music education in RCS, the RHS wind ensemble and the SCHS symphony strings program were invited to perform at the 2026 Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

The Board of Educationis seeking to fill a vacant trustee position, effective March 1, 2026. All eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. To access the application, go to: https://www.jotform.com/212024481285147.

• Teachers' first day: Aug. 18, 2026
• First Day of school: Aug. 24, 2026
• Holiday Break: Dec. 21, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027
• Winter Break: Feb. 15 – 16, 2027
• Spring Break: March 26 – April 4, 2027
• Last Day of school: June 9, 2027 

With a rich curriculum and outstanding instruction, RCS has again been recognized as one of the 2025 Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for the 11th time. The commitment to music education is an integral part of a well-rounded education.

Congratulations to the 14 Rochester Community Schools seniors who are semifinalists for the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. We also congratulate the 46 RCS students who were named as commended scholars. We are proud to recognize the Class of 2026.

RCS continues to grow its special education programs to support all learners. For the 2025-26 school year, the district will open a new high school classroom for students with severe and multiple impairments and expand the elementary autism programming.

The Chartwells K-12 food service team at RCS has been honored as the Chartwells National Account of the Year! During the 2024-25 school year, the Chartwells staff served 1,549,381 meals for RCS students, including 1,217,850 lunches and 331,531 breakfasts.

The RCS Foundation enhances academics, arts and athletics for students in Rochester Community Schools. On Sept. 20, the Hometown Hustle 5K celebrated its 20th anniversary and a longstanding commitment to education with more than 1,400 participants.

When utilized properly, AI tools have the power to personalize learning. As schools, businesses and people around the world adapt to AI, a team of 26 RCS educators spent the last year developing generative AI guidelines and approved tools for the district. 

RCS was proud to host three communitywide fall tailgate events at our high schools. Families were able to enjoy some fun activities and celebrate through the Rochester High School Falcon Frenzy, Stoney Creek Celebration at the Creek and Adams Gold Rush.

Community members may sign up for RCS community groups through the ParentSquare app to receive districtwide information. Users who choose to sign up for a group will be prompted to create a free ParentSquare account. CLICK HERE to join a ParentSquare community group.

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.

The Excellence in Education Award was created to recognize exemplary performance throughout the district. Congratulations to 2025 Excellence in Education Award recipients: Lucinda Salmon, Jeff Zurkan, and Officer Amy Drehmer.

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.

RCS remains committed to enhancing processes that empower staff members to act effectively during an emergency. 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.

The district is currently engaging all elementary staff in comprehensive professional development to support the use of Structured Literacy approaches in our classrooms. The goal is always to provide instruction that supports confident, skilled and joyful readers.