There was one additional item from the June 29 Newburgh Schools BOE meeting that may be of interest:

VI. Agenda Items - Superintendent

C. Resolution to Direct the Superintendent of Schools or Designee to Advertise for Sale the Old Balmville School

[Passed unanimously without question or comment.]

At the June 24, 2008 Board of Education meeting a petition, "signed by the parents, teachers and friends of the Balmville Elementary School regarding the lack of parking and safety issues at the school", was presented to the Board; a recent accident involving a student was mentioned; and at least five members of the public spoke to the issue.

In a Times Herald-Record article published in January of 2000:

...
The district also would like to close off a small road adjacent to the Balmville Elementary School. Some residents want the road closed to avoid future accidents. The state Department of Transportation, as well as the Town of Newburgh, would have to approve closing the road.

In a letter to Wilson from Balmville Principal Grace Cardone, she stated that several accidents have occurred near the school. Twenty years ago, a car came through the front of the building, injuring several people. A decade ago, a car crashed through the fence in front of the school. And just last year, a car crashed into the gym on a Saturday.

"This is a disaster waiting to happen," Cardone wrote. "Closing the road adjacent to Balmville School will enable us to eliminate some hazards."
...

A proposal to raze the Old Balmville school is also mentioned in the article from 2000.

Old Balmville School is the subject of two resolutions on the proposed agenda of the November 27 Newburgh Board of Education meeting.

VI. AGENDA ITEMS - SUPERINTENDENT
...
B. Resolution to Rescind the Resolution Adopted at the September 25, 2007 Board Meeting Regarding the Old Balmville School Building
C. Resolution to Reject All Bids for the Old Balmville School -- Demolition and Sitework Project

The meeting is at the Newburgh Free Library in the auditorium, up the stairs from the main entrance, and begins at 7:30pm.

In the minutes of the September 2007 Board Of Education Meeting of the Newburgh School District...

Among the conference requests approved:

Marc Bilyou, Webmaster, to attend Microsoft 2003 MCSA Boot Camp at Morristown, NJ from December 3-10, 2007 at a cost of $7115.

This training for one person will cost the Newburgh School District more than sending four Board of Education members (Dawn Fucheck, Grace Bowles, Thomas Woodhull, and Edward Poppiti) to the New York State School Boards Association conference from October 25 to 28 in New York City. And Microsoft Certified System Administrator training for a Webmaster, huh?

Also in the September BOE Meeting Minutes is the ill-fated resolution about old Balmville School:

The following resolution was presented to the Board:

WHEREAS, the old Balmville School has deteriorated to the point where it is unstable, creating a health and safety hazard for those who congregate and/or walk and/or park in the area surrounding the structure; and

WHEREAS, the old Balmville School also contains asbestos which cannot be remediated due to the building’s instability; and

WHEREAS, in order to ensure the safety, health and welfare of the students, employees and others who congregate, walk or park in the vicinity of this structure, it is necessary to immediately demolish the old Balmville School as an asbestos abatement project and restore the site to a safe condition, including associated work; and...

So nicely put.

Here are some notes from the Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, October 30, 2007. I missed some names--corrections or comments are welcome. The Record has a follow-up article.

An agenda has been posted for the regular meeting of the Newburgh Board of Education today, Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at the Auditorium of the Board of Education (Newburgh Free Library) at 7:30 p.m.

Agenda item IV. is Public Discussion and Comment On Agenda Items.

Agenda item VI. C. is Resolution to Award Contract for the District’s Capital Construction Project, Old Balmville School--Demolition and Sitework.

A post in the Record Forums says that "The developers will be appearing before the board with their proposal..."

The Times Herald-Record reports that:

"developers Rick Milton and Keith Libolt of City of Newburgh-based Mesh Realty" have offerred "to buy the building, restore it and then lease it back to the school district."

The public should just sit down and keep quiet because they are not competent to have an opinion on this issue. Neither the "District spokesman" nor the School Board, nor anyone in the administration is about to reveal to you the content of architect's report that Milton claims, "scared the board into thinking the building is going to fall down."

Furthermore, the public will not be able to see the inside of the building, which Milton apparently was able to do, somehow.

Noone is going to provide any detail on the health and safety concerns, nor will any estimate be provided about the cost of repair. And please don't even think about anything like a professional estimate of the value of the building as it currently stands, or an estimate of the value of the property sans building.

The public's opinion is not necessary, the decisions and revisions can be made without you. Stay in your seats everyone, put your heads down, keep quiet!

The Times-Herald Record covers the intended demolition of the old Balmville School building. See also the Record discussion board.This is one of the few dignified buildings along that stretch of 9W. The Newburgh School District very likely owns even older and more architecturally significant buildings that are in need of repair. Perhaps some attention can be focused on them before it is too late.

There is a legal notice to bidders in today's Times Herald-Record soliciting sealed bids for "Old Balmville School - Demolition and Sitework".