Rockland Writes: A Path Forward for East Ramapo

Dear Editor:

For more than two decades, the East Ramapo School District has been locked in a cycle of conflict, lawsuits, and repeated state intervention. Each new layer of oversight was meant to fix the problem, yet year after year, the district remains deeply divided, with frustration growing on all sides. 

As a parent in the East Ramapo School District and the founder of Kol Yisroel, an organization that advocates for Jewish community interests in local government, I believe it is time to acknowledge a difficult truth: the current structure no longer works for anyone. Continued state control has not brought stability or trust. Instead, it has prolonged conflict and drained resources that should be focused on students. 

East Ramapo is not a typical district. It is made up of nine wards serving two very different communities. Thousands of families send their children to private schools, while a smaller but significant public-school population depends entirely on the district for their children’s education. Both communities pay taxes, both care deeply about their children, and both deserve a system that reflects their realities. 

Kol Yisroel is proposing a practical, structural solution: the creation of two separate school districts, divided along existing ward lines. Wards 1, 2, and 3, which have the highest public-school enrollment, would form their own public-school-focused district with its own elected board and clear accountability. Wards 4 through 9 would form a second district, allowing that community to manage its priorities independently. This proposal is based on demographics and enrollment, not religion, and is consistent with established legal standards. This proposal was advised by several experienced education professionals, some of whom were involved in similar structural changes in other districts where these types of changes were implemented, creating precedent for this type of solution. 

Such a change would give public-school families something they have long asked for: real representation, local control, and stability without constant litigation. It would also allow both communities to coexist peacefully, without every budget vote or board decision becoming another flashpoint in a long-running struggle. 

Recently, representatives of Kol Yisroel spent a full day in Albany meeting with elected officials, including members of key education committees. The message we heard was encouraging. Lawmakers are open to discussing a bold, long-term solution, rather than continuing a system that has repeatedly failed. 

This is not about winning or losing. It is about ending decades of conflict and building a structure that allows every child in East Ramapo to be served properly. The moment for real change is now, and I urge our elected leaders who represent the district, to take the lead in advancing this conversation. 

Our community deserves more than temporary fixes. It deserves a fair, lasting solution.

Shmulie Hartstein 

Founder, Kol Yisroel 

East Ramapo resident and parent

The opinions expressed here are the writer's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rockland Daily.