Rochester Public Schools (RPS) has introduced a new district-wide brand, including a new logo, mission, and vision statement. The rebranding project, which cost $100,000, is the first major update to the district's identity in more than a decade and aims to create a unified direction for its 17,000 students.
Superintendent Kent Pekel announced the changes on Wednesday, explaining the investment from the district's general fund was necessary to accurately reflect the modern educational environment and values of the Rochester community. The new branding was developed in partnership with a marketing agency based in Kentucky.
Key Takeaways
- Rochester Public Schools has launched a new brand, including a new logo, mission, and set of core values.
- The rebranding initiative cost $100,000 and was paid for from the district's general fund.
- This is the first comprehensive update to the district's brand identity in over ten years.
- The new logo features a prominent 'R' to emphasize the district's connection to the Rochester community.
- Implementation of the new visual identity will be a slow, low-cost process over the next year.
A New Mission and Vision
The core of the rebranding effort is a redesigned mission and vision intended to guide the district's strategy. According to officials, these statements will inform everything from hiring practices to curriculum development and budget decisions.
The district's new mission is to "equip every student with the knowledge, independence, and resilience to pursue a fulfilling path." This statement shifts the focus toward preparing students for life beyond the classroom with practical skills and personal strength.
Complementing this, the new vision is that "every student thrives in school and in life." This broader goal emphasizes the district's commitment to student well-being both during their academic careers and after graduation.
Defining Core Values
Alongside the mission and vision, RPS established six core values to define its culture and operational priorities:
- Providing exceptional opportunities to succeed
- Building belonging and connection
- Ensuring excellence through evidence
- Supporting the whole student
- Digging deeper for real-world application
- Investing in our community’s future
The Rationale Behind the Rebrand
Superintendent Kent Pekel explained that the previous mission statement and visual identity were outdated. He emphasized the need for a clear, modern brand to ensure consistency across the large district, which serves approximately 17,000 students.
"When we are trying to educate and are educating 17,000 kids, one of the most important things that we need to do is make sure that we’re delivering the same high-quality education across that entire system," Pekel stated.
He continued, "Having a clear mission, having a clear set of values that we can talk about when we’re hiring teachers, when we’re buying curriculum, and when we’re making tough budget decisions, is really, really important."
Pekel also framed the rebranding as a competitive necessity, comparing the need for a strong identity to that of other high-performing organizations.
"Those are the kind of things that really high-performing organizations like Mayo Clinic, like the US military, great companies like Apple, they take it really seriously," he said. "We are in a free market for educational services as well. We needed to update that."
Details of the New Visual Identity
The new logo is central to the visual rebranding. It features a simple, bold letter 'R' designed to create an immediate connection to the city of Rochester.
"One of our core values that came out of this project was really recommitting to Rochester," Pekel explained. "We are the public school district of Rochester, and so the well-being of this whole community is central to everything that we do, and so we wanted to really brand ourselves as being about Rochester, and that brought us to the idea of an ‘R’ as central."
The design is intended to be modern, recognizable, and easily applicable across various platforms, from official documents to school apparel.
Project Cost and Funding
The total cost for the rebranding project was $100,000. Superintendent Pekel confirmed in the spring that these funds were allocated from the district's general fund, which covers operational and educational expenses.
Implementation and Rollout Plan
District officials have stressed that the transition to the new branding will be gradual and cost-effective. There will not be an immediate, large-scale replacement of existing materials that bear the old logo.
"We’re going to be doing that in a very prudent way," Pekel assured the community. He noted that the full implementation of the new visuals is expected to take at least a year as existing supplies are depleted and new items are ordered.
This slow rollout strategy is designed to minimize waste and avoid additional costs beyond the initial investment in the brand development. Schools will begin using the new logo and branding on new materials, digital platforms, and communications going forward.
Pekel also mentioned that the district is currently experiencing increasing enrollment, and the new brand is intended to create an accurate and appealing representation of Rochester Public Schools for both current and prospective families.