James Monroe High School
Location
164 Alexander St Rochester , New York 14607 United States
Coordinates	43°08′50″N 77°35′55″W / 43.14722°N 77.59861°W / 43.14722; -77.59861
Information
Type	Public
Motto	"We are the Jewel of the City"
Established	1923; 103 years ago (1923)
School district	Rochester City School District
NCES School ID	362475003371[1]
Principal	Jason Muhammad
Teaching staff	67.31 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	649 (2023-2024)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	9.64[1]
Campus	Urban
Colors	Red, White and Blue
Slogan	"We are the Jewel of the City"
Athletics conference	Section V
Mascot	Redjackets
Newspaper	TBD
Yearbook	Monrolog
Website	www.rcsdk12.org/monroe

James Monroe High School is a public high school in Rochester, operated by the Rochester City School District.

James Monroe High School, located on Alexander Street at the corner of Pearl Street, was completed and occupied as a Junior high school in September, 1923. In June; 1924, the first Junior high school graduation exercises were held, and because of crowded conditions at East High School, it was decided to retain tenth-year pupils in the school for at least a year. In 1926 it was permanently agreed that the school would be a Junior-senior high school; and the cafeteria was erected on the site of the old No. 15 School adjacent to the playground. The total cost of the school was $1,410,059.88, and of the cafeteria addition, $111,642.40. The building was known as Monroe Junior High School, 1923–1926; as Monroe High School, 1926–1931; as Monroe Junior Senior High School, 1931–1935; as Monroe High School, 1935–1988; Monroe Middle School, 1988–2005; and returned to a Junior-Senior high school in 2006.^[2] The building will transition to a high school, grades 9-12, September 2024.

Sing, oh fellow students, praise of dear Monroe,

Praise that shall not falter, but shall ever grow
As those coming pupils in her lobed halls throng
With undying ardor, join us in song.

Let the stirring chorus bring to us the day
When we yet were treading youthful Learning's way.
Let her colors streaming proudly to the sky
Symbolize those standards kept by us as high.

Come, oh fellow classmates, join with us and sing
To our Alma Mater, let her praises ring.
We'll obey her teaching, strive to serve her well.
Hail, our Monroe High School. Hail, and now Farewell!

• David Diamond, composer^{[citation needed]}
• Malcolm Glazer, investor and football team owner^{[citation needed]}
• Daniel Katzen - 1970^{[citation needed]}
• Mollie Katzen - 1968^{[citation needed]}
• Alan Levin (aka Brother Wease) - 1965^{[citation needed]}
• Arthur Rock, venture capitalist^{[citation needed]}

The stone and brick structure features Greek columns and a pediment on the main facade.

• Writing Club
• Student Government
• Yearbook
• Esports Club
• Shine Bright After School Acceleration Program
• Chess Club

On December 6, 2025 the Monroe Red Jackets became the first school in Rochester City School District history to win a state football title.^[3]

On March 7th, 2026 the Monroe Red Jackets broke an 80 year drought and won the Class A Basketball Sectional Title ,Defeating Wayne 49-47. This also made Head Coach Terell Cunningham the first coach in Rochester NY to win a Football State Championship and a Sectional title in Basketball in the same year. Also making history was Monroes lead assistant Kason “ KiD “ Morrison , being the first coach to win a sectional title with both the Boys and Girls ( The Aquinas Institute ) in 2024,respectively .^[4]

• James Monroe High School