Rockland School Board to Interview Former Candidates for Vacant Seat

The Rockland Central School District Board of Education is moving quickly to fill a recently vacated seat following the resignation of board member James Buck on July 3.

Rather than hold a special election—which would delay filling the seat until late August or early September—the board has opted to appoint someone to serve the remainder of the term. That term will run through June 30, 2026.

To do so, the board plans to interview the top four unelected candidates from the February 2025 school board election: Tom Ward, Jill Smith, Justin Murphy, and Dan Johnston. According to the district, if none of those individuals are willing or able to serve, the board will continue down the list of former candidates in order of votes received.

The board aims to appoint the new member in time for its next regular meeting on August 5.

Whoever is selected will hold the position until the end of the current term. If the appointee wishes to stay on the board beyond that, they will need to run in the district’s next school board election, scheduled for May 2026.