(ABC 6 News) – The Rochester Public School District is in the process of giving itself a makeover, as it partners with Kentucky based marketing firm Fieldtrip, LLC to rebrand at a cost of more than $100,000.

The district has had a difficult financial road the last few years, cutting more than $20 million from its budget and 156 positions since 2021.

Even more of those cuts were on the line going into this school year, until Mayo Clinic’s $10 million gift in 2023.

Just last fall, Rochester voters gave RPS another $200 million over the next 10 years in a referendum, saving the district from any more major cuts in the near future.

Yet despite the financial roller coaster, Superintendent Kent Pekel says a marketing campaign was always the plan.

“When I got here 3 and a half years ago, I decided and the school board agreed we had bigger fish to fry,” he said.

Fish like the budget cuts and passing a referendum. Now, however, Pekel says it’s time as the district gets ready to prepare its next 3-year strategic plan.

“At some point in organizations that are really really effective, defining your mission, defining your vision, defining your values does matter.”

Pekel argues rebranding will bring in more families – boosting enrollment and thereby bringing in more local, state, and federal dollars which follow students.

With a competitive education market, and Minnesota’s open enrollment policy, Pekel says a project like this is necessary.

“I mean think about it just a few years ago you had the private schools and you had your public school district,” Pekel said. “Now we have charter schools, we have home school, we have online school.”

Still, concerns about unnecessary spending remain to of mind for some parents.

One parent, speaking anonymously, says spending $100,000 on consultants, new logos, and a new vision is egregious.

He adds the same could be done with less, especially since the district is still recovering with poor test scores.

However, Pekel believes the project will pay off in the end.

“I don’t take spending any dollars lightly and this is a project that is I am confident gonna contribute to the long term financial health of Rochester Public Schools,” he said.

The superintendent also says the project is not using any money from last year’s referendum, instead being funded by the district’s general fund which is budgeted separately.

More information will be available this summer as the rebranding effort continues. The final results are expected to be approved this fall.