Clarkstown Buys Rockland Country Day School For $4.4 Million

CLARKSTOWN, NY — On Friday, Rockland Country Day School and the Town of Clarkstown announced a $4.4 million deal for the town to buy the campus. The agreement, which must be voted on by the town council, would add an additional 20.5 acres of public land adjacent to the town-owned 33.5 acre Kings Park.

“"Today’s announcement with Rockland Country Day School is another step in protecting Clarkstown from overdevelopment while providing our residents the public amenities they demand and deserve," said Town Supervisor George Hoehmann.

The town will initially finance the cost of the acquisition through bonding, but will utilize outside funding sources to pay the bonds quickly and at a cost that is as revenue neutral to taxpayers as possible. A significant portion of the $3.9 million allocated to Clarkstown by the Champlain Hudson Power Express Haverstraw Bay Community Benefit Fund will be used for the purchase. In addition, Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, Jr. has secured $200,000 in state funding to defray the cost of purchase, Hoehmann.

Rockland Country Day School was established in 1959 as a Pre-K through Grade 12 school. RCDS has a current enrollment of 110 students. The 20.5-acre campus was originally a working farm, which has served as a unique setting for RCDS students. The campus contains three academic buildings, an art studio building, a cottage, STEAM Lab, several ball fields, a gymnasium, an organic garden and open space.

“While we have enjoyed this pastoral campus for many years, the cost of maintaining a campus of this size places a considerable strain on our budget," Kimberly Morcate, Head of School for Rockland Country Day School, said in a statement. "The opportunity to eliminate debt while charting a new course for the next 60 years is an opportunity we welcome. We look forward to continuing to serve the wonderful children of Rockland County and surrounding communities by providing them with an RCDS education, which has a long, proud tradition of inclusion, the celebration of individuality, and an innovative spirit.”

The town and RCDS are engaged in discussions to enter into an agreement for the school to lease a portion of the campus from the town while officials seek a new home.

Councilman (Congers), who represents the area applauded the deal, stating: “This agreement is a wonderful opportunity for the town and local residents to develop a vision for the campus that will be enjoyed by generations of Clarkstown residents. I applaud Rockland Country Day School for keeping the interests of the immediate community in mind as they contemplated this move.”

“The members of the Congers Civic Association have always considered RCDS a great neighbor. I look forward to working with Supervisor Hoehmann, Councilman Bradley and the other members of the town council in fostering community involvement in the design of future plans for the campus," said Gerry O’Rourke, President of the Congers Civic Association. "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.”

Today’s announcement is the third acquisition Clarkstown has made since 2016. Working in conjunction with the Sisters of Marydell and The Trust for Public Land, the Village of Upper Nyack and New York State Parks and Recreation, Clarkstown invested $300,000 in February 2017 to preserve and expand Hook Mountain Park by 30 acres, extending the Long Path, connecting it with the Hudson River Valley Greenway at Nyack Beach State Park. In addition, the town announced the purchase of 4.3 acres of land from St. Peter’s Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in November 2017 to preserve wetlands that will create a trailhead and parking area adjacent to the county-owned Mountainview Nature Park.

Councilmembers Pete Bradley, Don Franchino and Patrick Carroll expressed support for the project.

The acquisition of the property requires the town council to approve two resolutions at its meeting on Jan. 23. One resolution authorizes the town to pay for the already completed appraisal of the campus. A second resolution authorizes the town to purchase the campus for general municipal purposes, subject to an environmental review required by state law. The town is expected to close on the sale of the property later this Spring.