Voters approve Livingston Manor/Roscoe merger

Two became one

Posted 12/31/69

LIVINGSTON MANOR AND ROSCOE, NY – Voters in the Livingston Manor and Roscoe Central School district approved a proposal to merge the districts in a vote held on Thursday, December 19. The two …

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Voters approve Livingston Manor/Roscoe merger

Two became one

Posted

LIVINGSTON MANOR AND ROSCOE, NY – Voters in the Livingston Manor and Roscoe Central School district approved a proposal to merge the districts in a vote held on Thursday, December 19. The two districts will centralize rather than one school district absorbing the other.

Voters approved the merger by a vote of 351-227 in Livingston Manor and 283-106 in Roscoe.

“I appreciate our residents’ support of the measure, which will benefit our students and the communities,” said John Evans, who is the shared superintendent of both districts. “I want to thank all of the people who contributed to making this happen.”

The new district will begin operation July 1, 2025. Although building reconfiguration will not happen immediately, the extra funding through incentive aid will begin at that time.

In Sullivan County overall, public school enrollment decreased by 21 percent from 2002-03 to 2023-24, according to a recent report by Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress. At least 28,000 fewer children under 14 are living in the Hudson Valley now than in 2010, and public schools currently serve some 45,000 fewer students than during peak enrollment in 2002-03.

The two districts have a combined population of 600 students and the two schools have seen enrollment over the past 20 years drop between 30 and 40 percent.

Voters also weighed in on the composition and terms of the new district’s board of education. Voters determined the board would be seven members with terms of three years. Terms will be staggered.

Those interested in serving on the new board must gather enough signatures on a nominating petition to be placed on the ballot for the new board of education, with the election of board members expected to take place in February.

More details on the petition process will be available at a later date, as will the finalized date for the board election. Once in place, the new board will craft the district’s 2025-26 operating budget, which will go before district voters on May 20.

A restructuring committee of board members, administrators, faculty, staff, parents and students will be formed to recommend the best grade configurations and building makeup for the new district, with implementation taking place gradually over the 2025-26 school year and beyond.

— Ruby Rayner-Haselkorn

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