Rockland’s start a bit rocky

But for students, ‘it’s getting easier’

By Leah Staudt and Emily Trotti | Manor Ink

Town of Rockland, NY – The first year of the new Rockland Central School has started, combining students from both Roscoe and Livingston Manor, and almost everyone has something to say. For students, teachers, parents and Board of Education members alike, the merged district is sparking excitement along with challenges.

Lily Green, a 10th grader and former Roscoe student, admitted she was anxious at first, but the start of her school year has been better than she had expected. “I was nervous about meeting new teachers and finding my way around the new building, but once I got comfortable, it became easy.”

Still, the transition brought adjustments. At Roscoe, students could carry their backpacks throughout the day. The new policy requires them to use their lockers. “Not having everything with me was a big change,” Green said.

Brooke Coman, an 11th grader, also from Roscoe, echoed some of those same feelings. “It’s been kinda crazy,” she said, pointing to the new schedule, new building and some new rules. The phone ban in particular stood out. Under a new state law, students must stow their phones away during the school day, from the first bell to the last, locking them in secure pouches. At the end of the day, teachers unlock the pouches with magnets. “It was tough at first, but it’s getting easier,” Coman admitted.

New mascot, colors, rooms, entrance

Evan Nichols, also in the 11th grade and a former Manor student, said the start of his school year has been unique.

“There are more people in my classes and the classrooms are in different locations than they were before,” Nichols said. A big change for him was the new school colors and mascot. “I wish the new front entrance of the high school building had been done before school started.”

Teachers are also adapting. Jessica Mall, the high school art teacher said, “I no longer teach the same class I have for 20 years, which was studio art. On the plus side, I now teach all electives, which means I can put more effort into them.”

“The start of the school year has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Carmel Lambe, an English teacher in the high school who previously taught in Roscoe. “Right now I’m just trying to get to know my students, and get myself acclimated to the school’s culture.”

Pamela Carpenter, a high school math teacher who also was in Roscoe, said that the biggest change for her was location. “I now have a different classroom after 19 years, and I have less than six courses to teach. It’s a little weird, because I teach the same course twice a day.”

‘Bumps’ for staff, parents and board

Administrators anticipated more than a few bumps. Assistant Principal Rebecca Ackerley noted, “It was especially hard to get all of the tech issues put together before the year started.” She credited IT Administrator Steven Livsey with steady progress. She was also pleased with how younger students are settling in.

“We have 30 pre-K kids, brand new in school, and we’ve seen very few tears,” Ackerley said. “I haven’t heard any complaints from the students. I think that’s great.” She thinks the summer camp at Frost Valley, combined with pen pal projects and meet-and-greets last year helped prepare the students.

Parents, too, have observed positive aspects of the merge as well as challenges. Sylvia Parks, a mother of students in both schools sees her children thriving socially. “They come home excited about friend groups and the bigger classes they have,” she said. But she also noted, “We did have a bit of a hiccup with the busing.” Parks otherwise feels that everything seems to be going well.

Other parents felt their frustrations more keenly. Tanya Gaebel was upset that scheduling conflicts kept her daughter from attending BOCES this fall. “It just doesn’t seem like there was enough effort put into the scheduling issues,” she said.

Rob Darbee, a father of four in both schools also commented on the initial busing snafus at the elementary school, but was more annoyed by the busing back and forth after school for soccer practice. Still, he remained optimistic. “The kids are adjusting well. They do like the fact of having other friends. Kids are resilient,” he said.

Board members are watching, too. Trustee and parent Tom Ward said, “I’m going to work my best to keep things moving forward. We have a lot of stuff to do, but we will figure it out.” He encouraged students to be vocal if they see things that need fixing.

“Speak up,” he urged.

The Principals respond

The district has been settling into the new school year, and both elementary and middle-high school principals shared updates on key issues ranging from parking to student engagement raised by students, parents, faculty and trustees.

• Parking and dismissal: At the elementary school, Principal Robin Francisco reported that daily parking is adequate for staff and visitors. Larger school events may require families to park on nearby streets, as has been done in past years, with support from the school security. Dismissal procedures at both buildings caused some confusion during the first week, but adjustments have smoothed the process. Francisco noted that dismissal at the elementary school now takes about 15 minutes, thanks to new car line procedures and support from staff. Middle-High School Principal Adam Larson said dismissal there now averages eight minutes, with changes focused on student safety during bus lineups.

• Technology and phone use: While elementary students have not yet begun using Yondr pouches (lockable cases for cell phones), the plan is to introduce them later this year for 6th graders to ease their transition into middle school expectations. Larson said the pouches are already making a positive difference at the middle-high school. Teachers report stronger student engagement.

• New learning opportunities: The elementary school has launched its Lab Enrichment program, beginning with a 3rd-grade project to write and illustrate a children’s book. The program emphasizes critical thinking, research, story development and illustration. At the middle-high school, several new electives are gaining traction. Cultural anthropology has recently seen increased interest, while weight training, ceramics and photography continue to draw high enrollment. Larson noted that true enrollment trends will become clearer after December’s electives fair, when students select courses for 2026–27.

• Safety and Facilities: Several safety concerns raised by families are being addressed. At the elementary school, a faulty main entrance door has been under daily review by maintenance crews, with assurances that doors are not left unsecured during the school day. New walkie-talkies are also on order for staff and administrators. At the middle-high school, Larson said administrators are equipped with radios at all times and that clarification about unsupervised office spaces is being sought.

• Looking Ahead: Both principals emphasized that families, students and staff are adjusting well to the new school year. While challenges remain – especially around safety improvements and communication tools – administrators say smoother routines and stronger student engagement are already emerging just weeks into the semester.