East Ramapo board appoints Dr. Leslie Torres Rodriguez as superintendent, effective July 8, 2026

The East Ramapo Central School District board unanimously approved a resolution appointing Dr. Leslie Torres Rodriguez as superintendent of schools, with her contract set to begin on July 8, 2026. President Shimon Rose moved the resolution and Vice President Sherry McGill seconded it; the board voted in favor and the motion carried.

President Rose read the board’s finding that it had engaged a search consultant and ‘‘determined the best qualified candidate for that position was doctor Leslie Torres Rodriguez,’’ and said the board authorized the president to execute the employment agreement on the board’s behalf.

Dr. Torres Rodriguez addressed the board and community in both Spanish and English and thanked the board for the opportunity to serve. ‘‘I come to you with deep respect for students, families, educators, staff, administrators, and the community that make up this school district,’’ Dr. Torres Rodriguez said, adding that she would ‘‘seek to understand what it is that we must continue, also what must be strengthened and where our priority must focus.’’

The president told the room the board looked forward to ‘‘working alongside her as we write the next chapter for our district.’’ The appointment follows a formal search that the resolution said involved a consultant and multiple candidate interviews and concluded with good-faith negotiations on the employment terms.

No statutory citations or outside approvals were specified in the board’s motion; the resolution authorized the president to execute the negotiated employment agreement and directed any necessary actions to implement the appointment. The board announced the appointment publicly at the organizational meeting held in the PLCC Room at the district administration building in Spring Valley.