The trajectory of the Poughkeepsie City School District was solidified Monday with an extension to Superintendent Dr. Eric Jay Rosser’s contract.

The Board of Education unanimously approved a new contract for the superintendent that restructures the final two years of his previous deal and extends it by two years. The revised agreement keeps Rosser in charge of the district through June 30, 2028.

Rosser came to Poughkeepsie in 2019 at a time when the district was in disarray. In the years since, the district has vastly improved its financial condition, created greater opportunities for all students, returned the state Education Department designation for each elementary school to “Good Standing,” updated school buildings through the Strong Schools Equal Strong Communities Capital Improvement Project and other investments, and strengthened bonds between families and the community by instituting the Community Schools Initiative and the Parent Empowerment Center. 

Rosser noted the importance of sustainable leadership, highlighting how crucial it is to the work occurring in Poughkeepsie. 

"I am grateful to the Board of Education for recognizing the importance of the work we are engaged in and entrusting me to continue leading our school, home and community approach, in elevating student success for all Poughkeepsie City School District students," Rosser said.

The superintendent, who came to Poughkeepsie after serving as an associate superintendent in the Buffalo Public Schools, also spent time as deputy assistant superintendent for elementary and secondary education at the Office of State Superintendent of Education in Washington D.C., and as an assistant superintendent for Atlanta Public Schools. Rosser’s new four-year deal began retroactively July 1, 2024.