Feb. 24, 2025

WHEREAS, public education is the cornerstone of our democracy, providing fundamental skills and opportunity to children across the United States; and,
WHEREAS, In the decade following the Great Recession, students across the U.S. lost nearly $600 billion from the states’ disinvestment in their public schools; and
WHEREAS, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, both state and federal funding for public schools was already failing to meet the critical needs of students across the country; and,
WHEREAS, since the COVID-19 pandemic, students have needed additional academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs being met through targeted programming and additional personnel, enhanced professional development opportunities, new technology as well as critical updates to school facilities; and,
WHEREAS, research has consistently shown that increased education funding positively affects academic performance, increases graduation rates, and impacts future earnings; and,
WHEREAS, when Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed in 1975, the federal government committed to pay 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for special education to ensure that every child with a disability has access to a high-quality education; and,
WHEREAS, the financial pledge for IDEA has never been met and is currently funded at approximately 10.7 percent, leaving a gap of billions of dollars needed for students; and,
WHEREAS, Rochester Community Schools is proud to serve a student population that includes 12.8 percent of students with disabilities; and,
WHEREAS, when Rochester Community Schools’ costs to deliver the important services required under IDEA are not properly funded by the federal government, it requires us to reallocate money from other programs to make up for it; and, WHEREAS, the federal underfunding of IDEA has negatively impacted the academic opportunities of all students for generations, not just those with disabilities;
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Rochester Community Schools as follows:
The Rochester Community Schools school board calls on Congress to immediately pass the IDEA Full Funding Act (S.2217/H.R. 4519) which would create a 10-year mandatory path to fully fund IDEA; and,
The Rochester Community Schools school board calls on the state legislature to provide adequate, equitable, and sustainable funding increases to districts to mitigate the harm caused by decades of underfunded schools.

April 8, 2024

WHEREAS, the Rochester Community School District (RCS) Board of Education (BoE) recognizes:

• The critical role of literacy as the foundation for all academic disciplines, which impact lifelong success of students; and
• Research demonstrates learning to read is predictive of life outcomes and that reading failure is likely to lead to negative consequences, such as dropouts, limited employment opportunities and difficulties with basic life activities; and
• The district equity statement acknowledges that “systemic inequities exist that create educational equity gaps among various identity groups, specifically among those that have been marginalized”, and as a result, disparities in literacy outcomes exist between student demographic subgroups; and
• While district testing results are consistently higher than the local, county, and state averages, the BOE is committed to reading improvement for all students; and
• The MI Comp L§380.1278 Core academic curriculum vests the authority in the RCS BoE and, by delegation, the Superintendent, to establish a core academic curriculum, which must define academic objectives to be achieved by all students and be based upon the school district’s educational mission, long-range goals, and performance objectives; and
• As part of its mission to advance literacy, the district is investing in targeted interventions beyond the school day, with outside tutoring resources and Summer 2024 programming to help identified students receive additional supports; and
• The BoE is committed to raising achievement for all students and closing the achievement gap and to advancing evidence-based, culturally responsive literacy practices for all levels.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the RCS BoE supports improving reading proficiency for students from all backgrounds in the District, as reflected by multiple measures, including the state M-STEP, PSAT, and local i-ready assessments.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the RCS BoE supports the critical work that is also found in the vision statement of learning in our draft strategic plan that states the district will ensure all students have independence in foundational literacy, mathematics, science, and humanities skills. The RCS BoE supports the corresponding deliverable: Identify, evaluate, and provide evidence-based classroom resources, assessments, and interventions that support foundational literacy skills and are aligned with the Science of Reading, to be monitored and evaluated using the tools in the strategic plan.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the RCS BoE directs the superintendent (or acting superintendent) to implement evidence-based curriculum, classroom resources, assessments and interventions that are aligned with the Science of Reading and are appropriate to meet the individual needs of all student in at least K through 3rd grade by the commencement of the 2025-2026 school year, ensuring that curriculum and instruction plans are established, and instructional staff are provided the appropriate professional development for the successful implementation of updated reading instruction, and include regular updates to the BoE from the administration with clear, comprehensive feedback from our educators in the classrooms doing this important work to ensure programmatic alignment to expectations for early literacy instruction.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the RCS BoE supports and affirms this resolution and is also committed to this work. The superintendent (or acting superintendent) will inform affected administrators, teachers, and staff of this resolution and will ensure this resolution is available on the district website.

AYES: 6; Alspach, Anness, Bueltel, Blake, Gupta, Litkouhi

NAYS: 0

ABSTAIN: 1; Weaver

RESOLUTION DECLARED ADOPTED.

Signed Jessica Gupta, Secretary, Board of Education

I hereby certify that the foregoing constitutes a true and complete copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Education of Rochester Community Schools, Rochester, Michigan, at a regular meeting held on the __8__ day of ______April______, 2024, and that said meeting was conducted and public notice of said meeting was given pursuant to and in full compliance with the Open Meetings Act, being Act 267, Public Acts of Michigan, 1976, and that the minutes of said meeting were kept and will be or have been made available as required by said Act.

May 8, 2023

WHEREAS, it is the right of every child, regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, to access a free public K-12 education, and the Rochester Community Schools (RCS) district welcomes and supports all students;

WHEREAS, RCS has a responsibility to ensure that all students who reside within its boundaries, regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, can safely access a free public K-12 education;

WHEREAS, RCS recognizes that there are employees and educators of the highest caliber who are gay, lesbian, and transgender, and that all employees are valued members of the school community regardless of their gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

WHEREAS, RCS recognizes that the families in our community come in many different forms, and the District values all our families and students’ caregivers, regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation;

WHEREAS, in a landmark opinion, Bostock v. Clayton County decided on June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court held that discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity is a form of sex discrimination that may violate federal law;

WHEREAS, U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice have recognized that the Supreme Court’s reasoning in the Bostock decision applies to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), and that Title IX prohibits discrimination against and harassment of students and school employees based on sex, including gender identity and sexual orientation;

WHEREAS, on March 8, 2023, the Michigan Legislature amended the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (effective 90 days after enactment) to expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression;[1]

WHEREAS, failure to comply with the requirements of Title IX, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, and other state and federal civil rights laws may expose the District to legal liability and jeopardize the District’s federal funding;

WHEREAS, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Questioning (“LGBTQ+”) students experience high rates of bullying, victimization, harassment at school, as well as higher rates of anxiety and depression on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity;[2][3][4]

WHEREAS, creating a welcoming and safe school environment for our LGBTQ+ students, staff, Families and caregivers make our school community more welcoming and safe for all;[5]

WHEREAS, educational personnel are often sources of support, resources, and information to assist and support students and student learning, which includes their social and emotional health;[6]

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the District prohibits discrimination, bullying, and harassment against all persons, whether student, family/caregiver of a student, or District employee, on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity,
or gender expression, or the actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of their associates;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, we acknowledge that this Resolution of support for LGBTQ+ inclusivity within RCS is not complete with any one action but depends on a systematic shift in paradigms and by increasing the understanding of sexual and gender diversity, recognizing that this creation requires appropriate communication, professional development, collaboration
with our labor partners, and a commitment from the Board, District staff, and students;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rochester Community Schools Board of Education supports and affirms this resolution, and we are committed to this work; that the Superintendent, or acting Superintendent will distribute or inform Principals, teachers, and families of this resolution, and make translations of this Resolution available on the district website.

AYES: Julie Alspach, Barb Anness, Michelle Bueltel, Kristin Bull, Jessica Gupta

NAYS: Carol Beth Litkouhi, Andrew Weaver

RESOLUTION DECLARED ADOPTED.

Signed, Jessica Gupta, Secretary, Board of Education

I hereby certify that the foregoing constitutes a true and complete copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Education of Rochester Community Schools, Rochester, Michigan, at a regular meeting held on the 8 day of May, 2023, and that said meeting was conducted and public notice of said meeting was given pursuant to and in full compliance with the Open Meetings Act, being Act 267, Public Acts of Michigan, 1976, and that the minutes of said meeting were kept and will be or have been made available as required by said Act.

• [1]State of Michigan. Elliott Larsen Act
• [2]The Trevor Project. Facts About LGBTQ Youth
• [3]Pediatrics (2018) 142 (4): e20182162. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2162
• [4]Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
• [5]Russell ST, Bishop MD, Saba VC, James I, Ioverno S. Promoting School Safety for LGBTQ and All Students. Policy Insights Behav Brain Sci. 2021 Oct;8(2):160-166. doi: 10.1177/23727322211031938. Epub 2021 Sep 11. PMID: 34557581; PMCID: PMC8454913. Facts About LGBTQ Youth Suicide | The Trevor Project
• [6]Leung, E., Kassel-Gomez, G., Sullivan, S. et al. Social support in schools and related outcomes for LGBTQ youth: a scoping review. Discov Educ 1, 18 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-022-00016-9

February 13, 2023

WHEREAS, The safety and well-being of our students, teachers, and staff is a top priority in Rochester Community Schools;

WHEREAS, Firearm-related deaths is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents.[1]

WHEREAS, Rates of death from firearms among ages 14 to 17 are now 22.5% higher than motor vehicle-related death rates. In the U.S., middle and high school-age children are now more likely to die as a result of firearm injury than from any other single cause of death.[2]

WHEREAS, According to a report from the US Secret Service, in incidents of gun violence on school grounds, 76% of attackers acquired a firearm from the home of a parent or another close relative.[3]

WHEREAS, Nearly 22,000 Americans die by firearm suicide every year.[4]

WHEREAS, Research indicates that 46% of firearm owners who have children living in their homes do not safely store at least one of their weapons.[5]

WHEREAS, Evidence strongly suggests that secure firearm storage is an essential component of any effective strategy to keep our community safe.[6]

WHEREAS, Keeping students, teachers and staff safe from the threat of gun violence should be the responsibility of all adult stakeholders within our school district;

WHEREAS, In order to continue with preventative measures to increase student and school safety we must act now;

WHEREAS, the Board of Education and Superintendent acknowledge a safe living environment at home and in the community is paramount to overall student safety and wellbeing:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board, Superintendent and staff will continue to work with local law enforcement agencies, medical and mental health agencies and partner organizations to collaborate and communicate the importance of secure storage of firearms;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Superintendent and staff shall periodically communicate the importance of safe firearm storage and other firearm safety and violence prevention measures to the district and community during gun violence awareness month and
at other appropriate times;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this Resolution shall not be construed to conflict with any existing Michigan or federal law.

AYES: Bueltel, Anness, Gupta, Bull, Litkouhi

NAYS: Weaver

RESOLUTION DECLARED ADOPTED.

Signed, Jessica Gupta, Secretary, Board of Education

I hereby certify that the foregoing constitutes a true and complete copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Education of Rochester Community Schools, Rochester, Michigan, at a regular meeting held on the 13 day of February, 2023, and that said meeting was conducted and public notice of said meeting was given pursuant to and in full compliance with the Open Meetings Act, being Act 267, Public Acts of Michigan, 1976, and that the minutes of said meeting were kept and will be or have been made available as required by said Act.

• [1]https://news.umich.edu/firearms-now-top-cause-of-death-among-children-adolescents-u-m-analysis-shows/
• [2]https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/lab-report/facts-on-us-children-and-teens-killed-by-firearms
• [3]https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/Protecting_Americas_Schools.pdf
• [4] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021
• [5]https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/06/guns-report-for-website-pdf-6-21.pdf
• [6]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8030815_Gun_Storage_Practices_and_Risk_of_Youth_Suicide_and_Unintentional_Firearm_Injuries