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Three area state lawmakers whose districts cover the East Ramapo School District all agree, more needs to be done to help the kids there get a better education. But they’re not entirely in agreement yet on how that can happen. State senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick says school district monitors should have the power to help students if the school board isn’t acting in their interest…

Rockland assemblyman Ken Zebrowski says the bills would help East Ramapo students get a better education…

And while Assemblyman Mike Lawler says he supports the Reichlin-Melnick / Zebrowski bill, he says it doesn’t go far enough, and the tension between the public and private school communities is only getting worse…

The state’s legislative session ends on June 10th, so it’s unclear whether the anything could get done this year. News 12 says parents rallied outside district offices yesterday to protest the district’s alleged failure to track hundreds of students who failed to attend classes.

Ramapo’s chief of police is retiring, becoming the third from Rockland to announce his retirement this year. Chief Brad Weidel has been serving the town of Ramapo as chief for the last five years and Town of Ramapo Chief of Staff Mona Montal told “The Morning Show” Friday he’s been with the department for more than 40 years…

Weidel is being replaced by Captain Marty Reilly, who will take over as chief starting June 12th. Stony Point Police Chief Brian Moore announced his retirement earlier this month after 41 years with the department. Clarkstown Police Chief Ray McCullagh announced his retirement in April.

The New York State Public Service Commission has officially approved the sale of the Indian Point nuclear power plant to Holtec International. Cleanup at the Buchanan facility is expected to take at least 12 years. The plant’s last reactor shut down on April 30th.

Rocklanders went to the polls in 6 of 8 area school districts yesterday. Budgets passed easily in Clarkstown, Nanuet, North Rockland, Nyack, Pearl River and South Orangetown.

· Clarkstown – Board of Education members Christine Alia, Tammy Bierker and Irene Tagaris were re-elected
· Nanuet – Christine Camillieri and Stephanie Lee were elected to 3-year terms.
· North Rockland – Voters approved a proposition letting the district set up a capital reserve fund for facility upgrades. Richard Fernandez and Mary Romano were elected to the board.
· Nyack – A proposition to allow the district use reserve funds for a new parking lot easily passed. Karen Hughes and John Duval were elected to the Board of Education
· Pearl River – A proposition over the district’s energy performance contract easily passed. Thomas DePrisco and Jackie Dubil Craig were elected to the school board.
· South Orangetown – Dana Stilley was elected to the school board.

Many Rockland school districts head to the polls today for budget and board of education elections. Residents in the Clarkstown, Nanuet, North Rockland, Nyack, Pearl River and South Orangetown school districts vote today. Suffern Central and East Ramapo voted on their budgets last week, while East Ramapo held a special court-ordered, ward-based board of ed election in February.