The board of education consists of seven members, elected biennially, who serve staggered four-year terms.

The current board members are:[9] In 2019, the Rochester City School District was ranked the 3rd worst school district in upstate New York,[16] and in 2017 it was ranked the 8th worst in New York State.

In 2003, a plan to redesign the grade-level configuration was approved by the board of education.

Given the district's continued struggles there has been much local media coverage analyzing the district from varying perspectives, and most recently this has been done through the Democrat and Chronicle's Time to Educate Series.

"[18] In 2018 the editorial board of that paper wrote "It is time to declare an emergency".