George Hoehmann, the Town of Clarkstown Supervisor, and other officials speak at a press conference at Rockland Country Day School in Congers, Jan. 19, 2018. Mark Vergari/lohud
Members of the school community, as well as those outside of it, reacted Friday to news of the announcement that Clarkstown would be purchasing the Congers campus of Rockland Country Day School.
Jennifer Modica, the parent of an 11th grader, attended a meeting Thursday night at the school during which administrators told them of the pending sale.
The Haverstraw mother said she and her son "love the campus" but "even if they move to a new location, the heart of RCDS will still be there."
"RCDS is special not just because of the campus," she said. "My son is graduating next year — wherever the campus will be, whether Kings Highway or a new location. It will still be RCDS and a special place."
Gerry O'Rourke, president of the Congers Civic Association, said his group has always considered the school "a great neighbor" and looks forward to the town's future plans for the campus.
"This is a logical extension of the town's existing property and a firm commitment to maintaining control over this environmentally sensitive and historic land," he said.
Councilman Patrick Carroll said with "demand for athletic fields at near-capacity" the purchase "comes at a fortuitous time" by increasing park access for the public and adding more programs that keep kids "engaged in healthy habits."
On Facebook, Peter Bradley, a councilman, praised the purchase, saying that it allows Clarkstown to "be free of worries that unscrupulous developers may want to steamroll and urbanize this meticulous suburban landscape."
Bradley said discussions between the school and town first occurred four years ago, after residents reached out with concerns the property would be put up for sale. Although the school had no plans to close at that time, they said they would always consider Clarkstown as the first option if they were looking to downsize.
Shirley Thormann, whose daughter graduated from the school in 1972, said the current campus is a beautiful place and she “feels very badly it’s going.”
The Valley Cottage resident and member of the Clarkstown Planning Board said a school’s staff, academics and extracurriculars are important, but so is making sure the environment is conducive to the programs.
“I think what’s most impressive about the campus is the breadth of it,” she said.
Gina Martin, whose child and other relatives graduated from the small school, said her family had "40 years of experiences there."
"It makes me very sad," she said. "RCDS was a special and rare place where children were cherished and really seen. The campus was so lovely — like a peaceful oasis. A great community and place lost."
School staying 'at least' a year
Once Clarkstown takes ownership of the Rockland Country Day School’s 21-acre campus this spring, the private Pre-K-12 school plans to remain on site for “at least” another year, according to school and town officials.
The $4.4 million acquisition – which will be one of the largest by Clarkstown in nearly three decades – was touted by officials during a press conference Friday morning as an “opportunity” for both.
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Town Supervisor George Hoehmann said, “We expect the school to stay here for at least another year as it charts its future and the town develops its own plan.”
The Kings Highway parcel will be incorporated into the adjacent 33.5-acre town-owned Kings Park and help Clarkstown better handle requests by sports leagues for playing time on ball fields. It’ll also give Clarkstown the chance to expand upon its parks and recreation programs, he said.
For the school, it will help them better serve a population of students that is shrinking.
Kim Morcate, head of Rockland Country Day School, said the tight-knit school community has “enjoyed the pastoral campus” since moving there in 1961 but “it’s more space” than they need and the costs associated with running such a sizable campus are “considerable.”
The school and town are still discussing an agreement to lease a portion of the property while it seeks a new home.
The acquisition
Though officials will bond initially for the cost, they plan to offset the cost, Hoehmann said.
A significant portion — $3.9 million — is being covered by the Champlain Hudson Power Express Haverstraw Bay Community Benefit Fund.
The grant, which is being dispersed over a five-year-period, is from the developer of a proposed 333-mile New York City to Canada electric cable line slated to pass through several Rockland towns.
The difference will be made up through other sources, such as $200,000 secured through Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski.
Hoehmann called it “another step in protecting Clarkstown from overdevelopment” while providing residents “the public amenities they demand and deserve.” The prime location along Kings Highway adjacent to an existing town park presents the town “with an enormous amount of opportunity,” the supervisor has said.
Right now, the demand for use is so great that the parks and recreation department has to turn away permit applications for some groups, he said.The supervisor also said the town would like to move its universal pre-K program onto the campus.
A few of the other possibilities being mulled: expanding the parks and recreation program, repurposing the buildings on site, installing a turf field and constructing town-sponsored senior housing, Hoehmann said.
The town announced in November that it was spending $235,000 to buy land and stop a controversial plan to build a church on a rural stretch in Valley Cottage. The property on Mountainview Avenue will be turned into nature trails.
What’s next
- The Town Council must approve two resolutions at its Jan. 23 meeting. One authorizes the town to pay for the already completed appraisal of the campus. A second resolution authorizes the town to purchase the campus, subject to an environmental review required by state law.
- Officials anticipate closing on the property this spring and being able to rent the fields out for sports by summer or fall.
- A lease agreement must be finalized for RCDS to remain on the property
'Beautiful' but costly
Founded in 1959 as an alternative to public education in Rockland County, the private school was first based in South Nyack.
By fall 1961, it outgrew that site and moved to its present location in Congers, a property overlooking Lake DeForest that was once a working farm owned by Wolcott H. Pitkin.
The campus includes three buildings, an art studio, a cottage, science technology engineering arts and math (STEAM) laboratory, several ball fields, gymnasium, organic garden and open space.
While the property is “beautiful,” Morcate said the cost of running a campus that size “places considerable strain on our budget.”
She estimated that the school spends $500,000 annually on expenses such as snow removal, trash hauling, heating and utilities.
“We will miss it,” Morcate said of the school’s longtime home.
But, she went on, “The opportunity to eliminate debt while charting a new course for the next 60 years is an opportunity we welcome.”
Declining enrollment, combined with the costs of running a large campus, prompted the school to seek out town officials last fall to gauge interest in acquiring property.
“We hope to be able to stay on the campus a little longer as a tenant. We do look forward to our new home, however, and appreciate the financial strength gained from this sale, which translates into more opportunities for our students.”
The school’s curriculum has a focus on “learning by doing" and challenges students to find ways to demonstrate what they have learned in their courses in a hands on way.
In 2010, Michelle Obama praised the school's food program for its success in teaching kids about healthy nutrition. Part of that education includes maintaining an organic garden that offers contributions to the school's daily menu.
Notable alumnae include Sebastian Stan, an actor best known for his role as Bucky Barnes in the recent “Captain America” reboot; Lea Michele, an actress on the hit TV show “Glee" and Tyne Daly, an Emmy Award-winning actress.
“Whether we ultimately remain here or we move to a new campus, we look forward to continuing to serve the wonderful children of Rockland County and surrounding communities by providing them with an RCDS education,” Morcrate said.
“Whether it’s here on Kings Highway or another place in the county, we will always be RCDS,” she said.
Demographics at play
Across the country, private schools are having trouble filling seats, leading many to close or drastically reduce operations.
For instance, since 2011, the Archdiocese of New York – the nation’s largest private school system, with 70,000 kids in 215 schools — has downsized three times, closing 60 facilities across the state.
Over the last decade, the number of kids going to private schools has shrank by a half million. Currently, 5.2 million children attend private schools, while 50.7 million go to public schools, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Social, Economic and Housing Statistics Division.
Factors behind enrollment declines range from population shifts to charter school competition to staffing shortages to families being unable to afford tuition.
As a result, many schools are facing enrollment struggles and higher tuition fees that create a vicious cycle where more kids leave and costs are driven higher.
Currently, Rockland Country Day School’s population is 110, Morcate said.
Since 2011, the student population has ranged between 108 and 123. The highest number for student enrollment was around 150, she said.
Morcate believes demographics have “had a significant influence” on RCDS’s population.
“The town of Clarkstown completed a demographic study in 2014, which showed that school age children were in a decline from 203 until the number leveled off in 2023-24,” she said. “Economics and the downturn in 2008-09 certainly had some influence, along with the rise of charter and alternative schools.”
About three decades ago, Rockland Country Day School's population dropped to about 90 students, prompting the school to embark upon its first-ever fundraising drive “to establish a sound financial base,” according to a Journal News report from December 1976.
The same year, the school sold eight acres of its original 32-acre Pitkin estate campus for residential development and another six acres was dedicated to the town for parkland. Both moves led to speculation that the school was closing.
Since then, the school has conducted various fundraising efforts, such as fairs, dance-a-thons and concerts, to support operations. According to its website, donations to the school, a non-profit organization, help pay faculty, provide tuition assistance and maintain the campus.