LIVINGSTON MANOR – When voters in Roscoe and Livingston Manor approved the merger of their two school districts, it marked the beginning of a new chapter for education. Consolidation often comes with uncertainty, questions about identity, staffing, programming and culture.

Now, more than half of the school year into operating as one unified district, administrators say the conversation has shifted. The focus is no longer on whether the merger would work, but on what it is producing for students.

From expanded elective and Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings at the middle and high school level to a growing elementary band that filled an entire stage this winter, district leaders say the early returns show measurable growth.

Interim Superintendent Keith Lewis, who joined the district after the merger was already underway, said from his vantage point students have handled the transition well.

“The students have adjusted very well,” Lewis said.

He acknowledged that no transition is flawless.

“Is everything perfect? Nothing’s ever perfect in municipalities. You do the best you can,” Lewis added.

At the middle and high school, Principal Adam Larson said the merger was rooted in one goal.

“The merger was about creating opportunity for the students,” Larson said.

One of the clearest examples is the growth of the agricultural science program and its direct connection to FFA participation. FFA, formerly Future Farmers of America, is a national student organization tied to agricultural education that focuses on leadership development, career training and hands-on learning experiences.

“If we have no ag program, we have no FFA, and our FFA numbers have skyrocketed,” Larson said.

Within the last year, the district had roughly 40 ag science students, with that growth extending into related programming, including the greenhouse initiative. What once may have been limited by staffing and enrollment is now expanding under the combined district model.

But Larson said agriculture is just one piece of the larger picture.

“We’ve just started to touch the tip of the iceberg,” he said, referring to broader CTE and college-level programming plans.

Larson pointed to expanded opportunities for students to earn college credits while still in high school, saying the merger has strengthened the district’s ability to offer more college-level coursework in-house. 

By increasing staffing and aligning departments, he said the district is working to ensure students can graduate with credits already completed toward a two- or four-year degree.

Student voice is also playing a role.

“I’ve put out a survey to see what is it that [they’re] interested in, and what is it that we can provide,” Larson said.

The result is a rapidly expanding elective catalog. The secondary school currently offers more than 30 electives, a significant number for a district of its size.

“We now have enough staffing to allow for that,” Larson said.

While programming expansion is visible at the middle and high school level, the elementary school has focused heavily on culture and identity.

Principal Robin Francisco said the transition began with significant moves last summer.

“Over the summer we had a lot of physical changes… [we] switched buildings,” Francisco said.

But the more important work, she explained, was cultural, adding that from day one staff have been focused on “building that new school culture and spirit.”

That process included intentional social-emotional learning (SEL) efforts to help students integrate smoothly, even if there were no major behavioral issues driving the need. Lessons were implemented proactively to ensure students from both former districts felt connected and supported.

“We have had some challenges along the way, but we have accomplished a lot of awesome stuff for students,” Francisco said.

One of the most visible outcomes has been growth in music.

“We now have a more robust elementary band program,” she said.

At the winter concert, the results were striking.

“It was just a phenomenal sight to be able to see,” Francisco said, describing how “every inch of our stage” was covered with band students.

To sustain that growth, the school has launched an afterschool exposure club for fourth graders, introducing students to instruments earlier and building a pathway into fifth and sixth grade participation.

Art instruction has also expanded. With a teacher stepping into a dedicated art role this year, students are experimenting with a wider range of media and techniques, including kiln-fired projects and stamping. Their work is prominently displayed throughout the building, reinforcing both pride and visibility.

When asked how students have adapted overall, Francisco did not hesitate.

“They have done strikingly well,” she said.

Nearly one year in, the Roscoe–Livingston Manor merger remains a work in progress. But administrators say the early narrative is shifting from adjustment to opportunity.

[Read more about the Rockland Central School District in the special School Scene section in today’s newspaper.]