Student-athletes at East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School are proving that success doesn’t end when they step off the field or court.
The high school has been named a 2025-26 School of Excellence by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, recognizing the stellar academic achievement of its varsity athletes. East Rockaway was one of 237 schools statewide to earn the School of Excellence designation for the 2025-26 school year.
To earn the designation, at least 75 percent of a school’s varsity teams must qualify for NYSPHSAA’s Scholar-Athlete Team award. Teams qualify when the average GPA of the top 75 percent of their rosters is at least 90. East Rockaway’s 21 varsity teams had an average team GPA of 95.81. Girls’ cross-country led the way with a 101.208 average, followed closely by girls’ volleyball, at 101.124.
“It’s a fantastic honor,” James DeTommaso, superintendent of the East Rockaway School District, said. “Under Mr. Gregory, the coaches have done a great job, not only preparing students to play, but preparing them in the classroom.”
For the district’s physical education chair, Gary Gregory, much of the academic success of the high school’s varsity teams comes down to a simple expectation: They are students before they are athletes.
“We call them student-athletes from the start,” Gregory said. “It’s expected, and we make it clear academics come first.”
But that expectation comes with a wealth of support from the district.
Coaches meet with their athletes every other week to check on their academic progress and find out whether they need help. Teachers offer extra help sessions twice a week, while separate homework assistance is also available. The district expects to add lunchtime academic support this fall for students who cannot get help before or after school.
“We work as a team, and that’s the key,” Gregory said.
When an athlete is struggling, coaches can also turn to Gregory or the school counseling office. Under the district’s eligibility policy, athletes who fall behind academically can be placed on probation and given a plan that could include extra help, tutoring or completing outstanding assignments.
Gregory said athletics can provide an additional incentive for students to stay on track.
“It can be a hook for kids struggling,” he said. “You can only play if you have good academics. It motivates them to try their best.”
The approach complements a period of broader academic success at East Rockaway, which recorded a 100 percent graduation rate during the 2025-26 school year, marking the fourth consecutive year that the district achieved a 100 percent rate.
The district has even added some friendly competition to its push for academic excellence. Last year, East Rockaway introduced its Varsity Team of the Year award, complete with a championship belt. Among the requirements for consideration is earning NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete status.
“Everyone is trying to win Team Scholar-Athlete to win Varsity Team of the Year,” Gregory said.
He has seen teams respond to the challenge. The boys’ lacrosse team, for example, did not earn Scholar-Athlete status two years ago, but has now qualified in each of the past two years.
The high school football team has made academic strides as well. Gregory recalled joking with DeTommaso when the team first earned Scholar-Athlete recognition during a season in which it missed the playoffs.
“I joked that they hit the books,” Gregory said.
For DeTommaso, who has spent more than 30 years in East Rockaway, athletics have also evolved as the small district has worked to give students more opportunities to compete.
Over the years, East Rockaway has partnered with neighboring districts to field sports that it could not sustain alone. That tradition continues this fall with its varsity football merger with West Hempstead.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” DeTommaso said.
Gregory said those merged programs make academic accomplishments particularly meaningful, because athletes attending two different school districts must learn to operate as one team.
No matter the sport or the record, he said, East Rockaway’s athletes also know their community is behind them.
“Whether 0-8 or 8-0, if you come to see a game, the stands are packed,” Gregory said.
DeTommaso said the School of Excellence honor ultimately reflects that same team effort, extending from students and coaches to teachers, parents and administrators.
“East Rockaway is a very special place,” he said. “It’s a community effort. I’m really proud of how far they’ve come, and I’m so proud of the student-athletes.”
