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When three became one: Historical society looks at RCS consolidation

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By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

Some of the items on display at the RCS consolidation exhibit at the Ravena Coeymans Historical Society Museum. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

RAVENA — What is now commonplace in the local area — the RCS acronym for the school district — was once a hotly contested decision by the state.

The consolidation of the school district, originally to Ravena-Coeymans and about a decade later the addition of Selkirk, happened over time, and the latter move was plagued with controversy and court cases.

The consolidation of the local school district was the theme of this year’s Holiday Open House at the Ravena Coeymans Historical Society.

The organization held its annual open house on Dec. 8, and in addition to the permanent exhibits and several temporary ones still on display, visitors can now learn about how the RCS school district came to be.

“This year’s exhibit is on the history of Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk centralization, starting with when Ravena and Coeymans were both separate schools, and then in 1946, Coeymans and Ravena merged into one school,” said Historical Society President Joseph Boehlke.

In 1949, the Ravena-Coeymans Central School was legally formed by a vote of 1,017 to 317.

“They remained that way until 1956-57, when the state came in and said we need to start consolidating schools and get rid of all of these small school districts,” Boehlke said. “Selkirk was on its own and that’s when Selkirk was merged into RCS.”

Memorabilia on display in the exhibit. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

Prior to centralization, the Selkirk schools were known as Union Free School District. State Education Department officials first opened discussions to centralize Ravena-Coeymans with Selkirk.

“There was a lot of controversy over that,” Boehlke said. “A lot of Selkirk residents and Feura Bush residents [opposed it] and there were a lot of court battles, but eventually it merged into RCS as a whole school district.”

Opponents instead wanted Selkirk and Feura Bush to merge with the Bethlehem school district. Several courts, including the state Court of Appeals, rejected those cases and the district became one.

Two years later, in 1958, another milestone was reached — that is when the first reference can be found to the “Indians” team name and mascot, which was retired at the end of the 2024 school year, also to significant opposition from the public.

The RCS centralization exhibit will likely be on display at the museum until summer. The exhibit includes everything from varsity jackets to caps, banners, trophies, yearbooks and more. Most of the items on display were donated by local RCS alumni.

Newspaper reports detailing the consolidation of the RCS school district Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

One item in the exhibit is an original desk that was once used by teacher and former museum curator Mary Farinelli when she taught at the Ravena school that is now the municipal building on Mountain Road. When she moved to the new Pieter B. elementary building, the desk went with her, and eventually she convinced the school to donate the wooden desk to the historical society.

There are other exhibits on display at the museum that celebrate local history, including one dedicated to World War II. That exhibit will likely remain up until this summer to mark the anniversary of the end of the war, which concluded in 1945, Boelke said.

The earliest mention of the “Indians” moniker is found in 1958. The team name/mascot was retired at the end of the 2024 school year. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media
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