District Update

March is Music in Our Schools Month, a time to celebrate the important role music plays in education. Students in the East Ramapo Central School District have a wide range of musical opportunities to encourage development of discipline, confidence, teamwork and creativity—skills that extend far beyond the stage.

Check out highlights from our visit to Eldorado Elementary, where sixth graders were learning to play the guitar, and Ramapo High School, where the pit orchestra was preparing for an upcoming performance of Mean Girls.

We are excited to launch a new social media series, Hidden Heroes of East Ramapo, celebrating staff members throughout the district who go above and beyond to support students, colleagues and the ERCSD school community. Our first honoree in the series is Damion Decosta, custodian at Spring Valley High School.

Spring Valley High School and Ramapo High School are proud to announce the valedictorians and salutatorians of the 2025-26 academic year. These outstanding students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership and dedication throughout their high school careers. We wish them continued success as they complete their senior year and move on to their postsecondary academic journeys.

The safety and security of our students remains our top priority. As part of this commitment, the East Ramapo Central School District is currently reviewing its transportation safety protocols.

The district has introduced a new affidavit system for collecting nonpublic transportation applications. Nonpublic schools were given the option to participate.

Schools that choose to use the affidavit system will collect transportation applications directly from parents and submit a student roster to the district. A list of schools that have opted to use the affidavit system is available at ERCSD.org/Transportation.

If a school is not listed, it means the school has opted out of the affidavit system. In such cases, parents must complete the standard transportation application or eForm, both of which can be found at ERCSD.org/Transportation. Please note that the deadline to submit an application for transportation to nonpublic schools for the 2026-27 school year is April 1, 2026.

ERCSD families who need assistance with other transportation-related issues should first contact their child’s principal. If the matter remains unresolved, they may then contact the Transportation Department at 845-577-6490.

The safety of our students and staff is always a top priority at ERCSD. Security personnel are stationed in every school, with school resource officers assigned to both high schools, and school officials are trained to respond quickly and appropriately in the event of an emergency.

With the support of Smart Schools Bond Act funding from the New York State Education Department, the district implemented a comprehensive security initiative this school year focused on technical enhancements including the installation of security cameras, card-swipe door access, lockdown buttons and police integration in every school building. To further strengthen our practices, the district also hired a consultant to conduct a districtwide audit of security policies and procedures, including all district- and building-level safety plans. Fieldwork for the audit is nearly complete, and once finalized, the consultant will prepare a detailed report with recommendations to enhance safety practices across the district.

We are also partnering with Putnam | Northern Westchester BOCES to provide updated training for building-level security personnel and principals on emergency and lockdown drills. Families and staff are encouraged to review New York state’s S.H.E.L.L. emergency response terms; more information is available on our Safety & Security page on the district website.

The East Ramapo Central School District has established protocols for deciding whether to close or delay school or cancel programs due to inclement weather or other emergencies. For information about notifications regarding emergency closings, visit the Emergency Closings page of the district website.

2025-26 DISTRICT CALENDAR

REMOTE LEARNING DAYS

Due to the number of school closures this winter, students and instructional staff will participate in remote learning on the following days. More information

March 30

March 31

SPRING RECESS

April 1-7

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS

The next meeting of the East Ramapo Central School District Board of Education will take place on March 24 at 7:30 p.m. View the schedule for all upcoming meetings on the ERCSD website.

The East Ramapo Central School District Website ERCSD.org is the place to go for all school related information, including how to access your student's report cards, check on the school bell schedule, learn about new policies and more. There you can also access the district’s online Staff Directory which provides staff contact information and can be easily be searched by individual name, department or school.