After many months of discussion, debate and public forums, residents in the Livingston Manor and Roscoe School Districts are set to decide whether their two districts should merge into one. A nonbinding referendum will take place on Wednesday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in each district’s gymnasium. 

After careful consideration of the facts, we believe that a merger is in the best and long-term interest of students and taxpayers in this part of Sullivan County. Both are smaller districts in terms of enrollment and all indications seem to point to them remaining stable or becoming smaller in the years ahead. Roscoe and Livingston Manor both already share a superintendent and numerous sports teams. 

Merging them into one will mean greater academic, athletic, and other extracurricular opportunities for students. There’s also significant financial incentive to merge as the state will provide nearly $2,400,000 for merger transition costs and educational program enhancements. The merged district could save approximately one million dollars by eliminating duplicate positions through attrition.

It wouldn’t be the first time that multiple school districts have combined into one to better serve their communities.  The Sullivan West School District was formed in 1999 by the merger of the Narrowsburg, Delaware Valley and Jeffersonville-Youngsville Central School Districts. 

They say hindsight is always 20/20, but looking back we think most people would agree the merger that created Sullivan West was a good thing. If any of those districts still existed today they would have serious trouble filling their classrooms. These districts are stronger together as a whole than they were separately. 

We certainly don’t want to diminish any concerns of parents or community members who have attended the merger study meetings and have made their voices heard. Those concerns and that feedback is essential if Livingston Manor and Roscoe are to successfully navigate this new chapter in their history. 

We understand that decisions of this magnitude can be difficult and even emotional. 

We hope residents will cast their vote based on all the facts and circumstances taken as a whole and also try to picture what the district might look like in 10, even 20 years down the road. 

Merging Livingston Manor and Roscoe into a single school district will build a new school community better equipped to support future generations of students.