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Parents and former board member press East Rockaway school board for details on proposed realignment plan
Summary
At a March 24 board meeting, Superintendent D. Tomaso announced a public forum April 16 on a proposed district realignment (the "Princeton plan"). Community members at the meeting voiced strong concerns about transportation, multiple school transitions for young children, safety and transparency and asked for detailed data before any decision.
Superintendent D. Tomaso told the East Rockaway Union Free School District board on March 24 that the district is advancing work on a proposed realignment often described as the "Princeton plan," and will present details at a public forum on April 16 with a question-and-answer session.
The announcement prompted multiple public comments. Neil Sloth, identifying himself as a former board member, urged the board to implement the plan, saying it had improved student performance in other districts and could be done "at no extra cost to taxpayers." Sloth said the board should "move forward with the implementation of this plan," while acknowledging that the plan had faced community opposition in the past over transportation concerns.
Several parents disagreed. Erica Mesa said multiple school transitions would be harmful to young children, create complicated drop-off and pickup schedules for working families, raise traffic and safety concerns, and risk splitting siblings across different schools. "We want the hard facts. We want the numbers," Mesa said, asking for class-size and staffing data, transportation logistics, and an analysis of whether busing costs might outweigh the savings.
Lauren Pritchard, who said she administers a local Facebook group on the topic, summarized dozens of responses from families and listed repeated themes: transportation logistics and safety for children, the emotional and developmental impact of repeated transitions, concerns about splitting siblings, and a request for clear data and staffing plans. Patricia Pignitaro raised a related safety point, pressing the district for clarity about crossing-guard locations and police coordination on Atlantic Avenue if routes change.
Longtime resident Michelle Troda said the community does not want the plan and called it disruptive to children and local traditions. "No one is interested. No one wants it," she said, while the superintendent reiterated that no final decisions have been made and that the April 16 presentation will share details developed with teacher subcommittees.
The superintendent said subcommittee work had been delayed by shoulder surgery and weather, that the district would circulate surveys and hold additional forums as needed, and that the April 16 presentation will include transport cost comparisons and detail on duplicate services being considered. Board members committed to broader outreach for the April 16 forum, including ParentSquare and local notices, and told residents they expect to address many of the questions during the public meeting.
Next steps: the district will hold the April 16 presentation and Q&A; residents at the March 24 meeting asked for expedited release of class-size, staffing, transportation and cost data ahead of any formal decision.
