Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NY state could take financial control of a cash-strapped Rockland County school district
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 31, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Shutterstock
By
Giulia Heyward
Published May 31, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A member of the New York State Assembly has introduced legislation aimed at stopping a cash-strapped Rockland County school district from closing its doors to students this fall.
But the move is already generating backlash among those who think giving the state financial authority over the East Ramapo Central School District is too extreme.
“We cannot sit idly by and let these children be denied their constitutional rights to an education,” Assemblymember Kenneth Zebrowski said in a statement after introducing the bill earlier this month. “While the state-appointed monitors have done what they can, they do not have the authority to pass the budget. Thus, this drastic situation needs a drastic solution.”
Accusations of mismanagement have plagued the school district, located an hour outside of New York City, for years. Despite the area’s public schools serving a majority-minority population, most of its elected officials are Orthodox Jewish men who send their children to nearby private schools, according to a state monitor.
And while the county’s private schools continue to receive considerable funding, its public schools have faced numerous budget cuts as well as mounting concerns over lead exposure and clean water access for students. Dozens of advocacy groups began calling for the state to intervene last year. The district’s status in the fall remains unclear after the local school board’s proposed budget – which included a 1.99% tax levy increase – was shot down on Thursday.
The newly introduced state bill would create a fiscal control board that will “control all financial aspects of the district,” including setting tax rates and capital bonds to keep the doors open in the fall, Zebrowski said in his statement.
But the assemblymember – who announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election – also acknowledged the bill would attract criticism from local politicians who would rather see the state “pick up the tab” by raising the taxes paid by those in other school districts, which he called “unrealistic.”
“I’m not naive to the political backlash there will be to this policy,” Zebrowski continued. “But in my last several months in the Legislature, I will not shy away from the hard conversations or hard proposals necessary to do what’s right.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office remained tight-lipped on whether the bill had her support.
“Gov. Hochul will review all legislation that passes both houses of the Legislature,” spokesperson Kara Fesolovich told Gothamist on Thursday.
But Rockland County officials were quick to denounce the measure in the days following its introduction, as the Rockland Daily reported. Assemblymember Karl Brabenec told Gothamist that he’s encouraging his colleagues to vote against the bill.
“This bill overrides the will of all voters of the district and sets a terrible slippery slope for Albany bureaucrats to take away local control and the democratic process,” he said in a statement to Gothamist. “Albany officials cannot properly manage state finances and now they want to take over finances for this school district. It’s a bad idea.”
But advocacy groups applauded the legislation and said the dire situation requires state intervention. Johanna Miller, who directs the New York Civil Liberties Union’s education policy center, told Gothamist that the school board and local voters still retain a lot of authority under the bill.
“They can still do a lot of what they do already — but what they can’t do is systematically and deliberately defund the public schools without the state stepping in,” Miller said. “And I think that’s the correct functioning of democracy.”
The East Ramapo School District did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Gothamist.
Tagged
education
new york state
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Parents grumble as NYC schools chancellor dodges calls for NYC schools integration plan
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones said she felt disappointed by the lack of details.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 10:01 p.m. ET
Driver found with apparent gunshot wound on George Washington Bridge, officials say
The westbound upper level was closed Tuesday night as Port Authority police investigated the incident.
By
Charles Lane
News
Driver found with apparent gunshot wound on George Washington Bridge, officials say
The westbound upper level was closed Tuesday night as Port Authority police investigated the incident.
By
Charles Lane
16 arrested in New York auto insurance fraud crackdown involving nearly $500K
By
Giulia Heyward
Coney Island's small, 1890s lighthouse may be landmarked by the city
By
Catalina Gonella
New renderings are out for Queens' Metropolitan Park casino
By
Willow Higgins
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .