LIVINGSTON MANOR — Residents from the Livingston Manor and Roscoe districts gathered in the Livingston Manor auditorium on Tuesday evening to meet the joint advisory committee and discuss the next steps of the merger study.

Throughout the night, Alan Pole, one of the consultants for the study, reiterated constantly that the study was not a definitive merger, but was a process to see whether it would be a good idea for the schools to consider merging districts.

There were four key takeaways from Thursday’s meeting.

According to the presentation, “In the case of this and every other merger, there will be positives and negatives for both districts.”

This is a study of the centralization of the Livingston Manor and Roscoe school districts.

Should a merger occur, the effective date would be July 1, 2023.

The merger study is an open process, meaning that meetings and information will be accessible to the public throughout the process to stay informed and educated.

When Pole was done with his section of the meeting, Jay O’Connor, NYS Education Department Coordinator of Educational Aid Services, delivered some comments. O’Connor explained the timeline from the conclusion of the study, through the voting process, until the merger would officially begin if passed.

Multiple rounds of voting from each district would have to pass in order to move forward with a merger, giving the community multiple opportunities to make informed decisions at the polls.

A concern brought up during the meeting was “the rivalry” of years past between the two schools.

On social media after the meeting the focus shifted to the potential of extended bus rides for students, but nothing regarding either topic has been discussed by the consultants at this time.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 26 and the topic is Enrollment Projections & Programs. It will be held in Roscoe at 6 p.m. following a 5:15 p.m. tour of the Roscoe Central School District.