There were a couple of articles in the June 15 Record about the Newburgh School District...

NFA hoops situation worries activist

By Justin Rodriguez

An internationally known human-rights activist and expert on sports issues said he "hasn't seen a situation as abusive" as the alleged preferential treatment of Newburgh Free Academy boys' basketball players and their poor graduation rate in decades.

Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, learned of the transgressions surrounding NFA's basketball team through the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

"Assuming that everything that has been written is true, and it appears that it is, these players weren't really students," Lapchick said. "They played at a state championship level, but it was OK for them to cut class. You hear about this kind of thing across the country. But not like this. Nowhere do you see a handful of players not graduating. It is abusive to the players."
...

State: Newburgh district could save millions on busing

By Doyle Murphy

NEWBURGH -- State auditors say the Newburgh School District could save millions with a smarter busing plan.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released the findings on Monday after his examiners reviewed two years' worth of the district's transportation costs from July 2008 to June 2010. Auditors claim inefficient busing cost Newburgh an extra $2.2 million and the district's failure to monitor contracts and file paperwork correctly could have cost it almost $1 million more in state aid.

"The District did not include expenses on claim forms, did not properly file contracts and did not effectively follow up on claims," according to the report.

Transportation amounted to $15.3 million out of the district's $230 million budget in 2009-2010.
...

The audit report and district response letter is available here.

The Newburgh Enlarged City School District published a legal announcement in the April 3, 2009 issue of The Sentinel.

The announcement includes the date and time of the formal presentation of the budget:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, Orange County, New York, will hold the Annual Public Hearing on the Budget in the Auditorium of the Board of Education/Library Complex, 124 Grand Street, Newburgh, New York, on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 7:00 P.M., for the purpose of presenting the budget document for the 2009-2010 School Year.

The announcement spells out what will be voted upon at the annual meeting on May 19 -- including the transportation proposition:

NOTICE IS HEREBY FUTHER GIVEN that the Annual Meeting, including Election of Members of the Board of Education and Vote on the Budget/Proposition and Vote on the Library Budget will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 9:00 P.M., prevailing time, when the polls will be open for the purpose of voting by voting machine:

A. To elect three (3) members to the Board of Education as follows: Three members for three-year terms (July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2012).

B. To vote upon the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures for School District purposes for the 2009-2010 School Year.

C. To vote upon the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures for Library purposes for Newburgh Free Library for the 2009-2010 Year.

D. To vote upon the following proposition:

PROPOSITION

Shall the Newburgh Enlarged City School District be authorized to provide transportation for City of Newburgh students in grades K-6 who reside more than 0.4 mile to/from the school they legally attend (instead of more than 0.9 mile), up to the statutory limit (15 miles), effective the 2009-2010 school year, at an additional cost of $375,930 for the 2009-2010 school year?

The announcement also details some requirements for running for the office of member of the Board of Education:

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that petitions for nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education must be filed with the Clrk of the District by no later than 5:00 P.M. on the 20th day preceding the School District Election, Wednesday, April 29, 2009. such petitions must be signed by at least one hundred (100) qualified voters of the District, shall state the name and residence address of each signer and the name and residence address of the candidate. Petition forms may be obtained at the Office of the School District Clerk on weekdays when school is in session, during regular business hours, 8:30 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

Doyle Murphy at the Times Herald-Record reports on November 24 that "Newburgh parents' group plans Dec. 5 protest of city's school-busing policy". (Of course, it is more correctly the "Board of Education's school-busing policy".)

A parents' group has planned a march to schools in hopes of winning back busing for kids from the city.

The Newburgh School District enforced a policy this year to bus only elementary students who live farther than 0.9 miles, and secondary students who live more than a mile from school.

State law requires busing for all students who live outside the city limits, so the policy affects only city residents.

Some parents have complained that the policy is unfair and unsafe. A group of them formed Safety for Community Youth and have invited school board members, city officials, parents and students to walk to several schools with them on Dec. 5.

The group plans to meet at 7:15 a.m. at Delano-Hitch Recreation Center, 401 Washington St.

Apparently all students in the Town of Newburgh are eligible for transportation to school. All students in the Town of New Windsor are also eligible. In the City of Newburgh only students living further than .9 miles (or 1 mile for secondary) are eligible.

On May 15 of 2007 the following propostion was voted upon as part of the annual Newburgh School District Board of Education election, and budget vote:

Proposition III -- Student Transportation Limits:

Shall the Newburgh Enlarged City School District change the current transportation limits of 0.9 for students in grades K-6 and 1.0 mile for students in grades 7-12, and provide transportation to all students in grades K-12 to the school they legally attend, up to 18 miles, effective the 2007-2008 school year, at an additional cost of $1,015,632 for the 2007-2008 school year?

The voting results indicate 1,009 votes in favor and 1,299 votes against this proposition.

This proposition was poorly written and deceptive.

The proposition has two main points, that current transportation limits be changed and that transportation be provided to all. The proposition does not explain whether the transportation limits are to be increased or decreased or by how much; it merely states that they are to be changed. The proposition does not explain whether the "up to 18 miles" limit is a change or not.

The proposition is deceptive in this way--suppose that you are completely happy with the school transportation arrangements in effect during the prior school year and you don't want to see anything changed. Which way do you vote? You would expect that voting against the proposition to "change the current transportation limits" would be a vote to keep things as they are, but that is not the case.

The proposition failed to make clear that in prior years, the district was already providing transportation to students residing closer to school than the minimum distance. The "additional cost" was already being paid in prior years.

In summary, the proposition asked the public to vote about a change. However, neither the current situation nor the nature of the change were specified. The proposition included the current minimum transport distance, which was not being enforced, and it included a proposed maximum transport distance. No explanation of how or which of these limits was to be changed was given.

Why does this matter?

According the this June 2008 press release this school year the minimum distance will be enforced for students in the City of Newburgh. Letters are apparently in the mail to affected families in the City of Newburgh. September 4 is the first day of school.