Over at The Newburgh Advocate you can find a concise recent history of the Broadway School. It is a curious tale. The kind that might excite Sherlock Holmes, "Look at this, Watson. An interesting article. Very interesting indeed..."
A careful reading of the minutes of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education meeting of June 24, 2008 reveals this noteworthy resolution:
RESOLUTION #062408 R
BE IT RESOLVED that upon the recommendation of Dr. Annette M. Saturnelli, Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, hereby appoints Raphael A. Pizzo, as the Deputy Superintendent of Schools and authorizes the President of the Board to execute an Agreement with the Deputy Supeintendent which sets forth the terms and conditions of his employment, effective July 1, 2008 at a salary of $146,730. Said Contract shall be incorporated by reference within the minutes of this meeting.
to which all members of the Newburgh Board of Education assented.
If this is the same Raphael A. Pizzo who is collectiong a New York State Teacher Retirement System pension in the amount of $82,490 according to the Newsday database, then isn't this the sort of thing that requires a waiver? And didn't Commisioner Mills, on May 22, 2008 suspend "for 60 days any consideration of new applications for waivers by which retired school leaders can be hired by districts"?
Ah, here's the loophole:
UNRESTRICTED POST-RETIREMENT EMPLOYMENT
In the following instances, there are no restrictions on the amount of money that you may earn as a retiree:
• If you are a service retiree who reached age 65 during or before the year of your postretirement earnings;
...
The Mid Hudson Times provides something in the way of coverage of the Newburgh School District Board of Education Election. Please see the article Six candidates seek three Newburgh school board seats by Jessica McAleese. Photographs and very brief comments by the candidates are included.
An article in the TH Record and a "sample ballot" available from the Newburgh School District site, agree that the following six people are the candidates for the three open seats on the Newburgh School District Board of Education. The election is this Tuesday, May 20.
It's always nice when a Board of Education candidate finds the time to address a few sentences to The Public. Anyone familiar with the Newburgh Board of Education will appreciate what a rare event this is. This is from the Friday, May 16, 2008 issue of The Sentinel, a small but worthy paper.
Vote For David Rein
To the Editor and Readers,
My name is David J. Rein. I have been a resident of Newburgh for over 35 years. I am a graduate of the best school system with the best Teachers and Staff in New York State, the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. I am proud to have served on the Newburgh School Board from 2004-2007. I am a homeowner and taxpayer in the Town of Newburgh. Most importantly, I am the father of two Newburgh students and the husband to a fantastic wife and teacher who works here in Newburgh.
Next Tuesday, May 20, 2008, you have the responsibility and opportunity to vote for School Board Members as well as next year's budgets. There are several good candidates seeking a seat on the board this time around; I would like to take a moment to inform you why you should vote for David J. Rein.
During my tenure as a board member, I worked very hard for the safety and welfare of our students and staff. I successfully lobbied Senator William Larkin personally for funding for cameras on our school buses. Any parent of a child who rides a school bus knows the difference these cameras have made. I routinely advocated for the maintenance and clean up of our athletic fields, South Junior High in particular, where broken glass and drug paraphernalia is often found after fair weather weekends. Furthermore, I was and still am a strong advocate for our security team because I truly believe our teachers and students deserve to work and learn in a safe environment.
In addition to Health & Safety issues, I also took an active role along with other board members in conceptualizing and planning for the implementation of the district reconfiguration currently taking place. I remember growing up here in the 1970's when our current Deputy Superintendent Ralph Pizzo taught at Temple Hill when the Temple and Meadow Hill Schools were K-8. Well two great things have returned, Mr. Pizzo is working for the district again and the K-8 programs have returned to the Hill Schools.
Finally, I am an independent voice, someone not intimidated to ask hard questions -- someone who will advocate for the taxpayers at large; this is something our school board sorely needs. I believe the most important special interest a school board member should serve is the students and their parents. The district's employee unions have endorsed all of the current board members, including the two incumbents seeking re-election. Who is looking out for the other 28,000 taxpayers? I will! I encourage you to elect at least one board member who will collaborate fairly and openly with the NTA, CSEA, NSAA unions but whose decisions will not be influenced by their endorsement.
If you read this letter then you are likely to participate in the Newburgh School Board and Budget vote next Tuesday. I would kindly ask that you consider carefully all that I have shared and vote for me, David J. Rein. It’s truly in your best interest.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
David Rein
The Sentinel published an interesting letter in it's May 13, 2008 issue. If you have an interest in the Newburgh School District you would do well to subscribe to this small paper.
Kudos To Board Of Education
To the Editor and Readers:
Attending a recent Board of Education meeting was enlightening. Members of the Board are to be commended for having handouts ready and being willing to answer questions. The budget presented is another matter. I have three comments:
1. The amount budgeted for transportation is based on an old contract with the bus company. It calculates gas at less than $2.50 a gallon. We were told that if the bus company pays more than that amount, the contract allows the company to ask the School District for reimbursement. Now gas is over $3.75 a gallon. Many say it will be over $4 soon. The proposed school budget offers 'pie in the sky' transportation costs.
2. The proposed budget includes a number of new positions. Half the first grade classes are budgeted to get classroom aides and four positions are budgeted for library staff -- mostly for outreach. Now these are good things. Outreach is important and I am sure that every K-6 teacher would like a classroom aide. BUT... these are tough times. Does the Board of Education realize what is going on in the economy? The private sector is shedding jobs. Families have found second incomes disappearing. Overtime hours are down. Gas and food are up. People are struggling. Of course we want the best for our children but even families are cutting back on 'extras' for the children. Do we really need to add full time positions this year? Remember that new positions will be included in next year's salary raises so it is not just a one-year commitment. Can't we wait a year or two for the economy to improve before we commit to creating any new positions?
3. It came out at the meeting that the administration has acted in opposition to last year's election results. If you remember voters were asked to approve busing ALL students -- even those who live within a mile of the school. The votes said, "No." The proposition was defeated. But the administration decided the voters were mistaken and ordered such busing to be done anyway. The Board was asked how many schools were involved. The question was not answered -- though two schools were mentioned by name during the discussion.
I note that no administrator or board members called a public meeting to explain this action. There was not even a letter or press release telling the voters there would be action in opposition to their vote. They just did it. One person asked if such action by the administration was legal. No one knew. My own concern is that it could be precedent setting. Why do we vote? Does voting count?
Conclusions: I think that we need to tell the Board to go back to the drawing table. We deserve a budget on real numbers. And we need to reconsider creating new positions during tough economic times... or we need to see some very strong rationale as to why so many new positions are a necessity in tough economic times.
We also need to let the Board of Education and the administration know that no one should ever decide in secret to nullify election results -- in whole or in part. Those who vote deserve better.
Thank you for reading. I hope that you will consider taking action in regards to these things.
Kate Lindemann
Ms. Lindemann raises excellent points. A rationale for the creation of new positions, how does that sound to you?
Some on-target criticism of the public budget meetings required of New York State school districts from Ben Rubin on the Hallmonitor blog:
With school board budget hearings starting up this week in Rockland, I wanted to comment on how ridiculous I find the timing of these meetings. I worked at a newspaper in Connecticut for the past two years, and in that state, budget hearings happened before the boards of education adopted their budgets. The school boards could then alter their plans according to how enraged the public was. People in East Hartford, the town I covered, would come out and assail their town officials, call the town a mess and complain about taxes. And afterwards things would change in the budget-small things, but things nonetheless. That doesn't happen in New York. The hearings happen after the budgets get adopted, so residents can yell and scream all they want about higher taxes, it won't change anything. They'll just have to vote it up or down at the end of the month and that's that.
...
Some districts, including several of those adjacent to the Newburgh School Distrcit, have had several meetings with the public leading up to the presentation of the budget.
Several clicks away from the home page of the Newburgh School District, you will find this important information:
Notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing on the Budgets for the Newburgh Enlarged City School District and the Newburgh Free Library has been scheduled by the Board of Education to be held in the Auditorium of the Board of Education/Library Complex, 124 Grand Street, Newburgh, NY on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
The proposed General Fund Budget is in the amount of $227,777,046. The meeting this evening may be a good place to find out more about that...
Rumor has it that there may be as many as four candidates for the three Newburgh Board of Education positions which will be filled based on the results of the election to be held on May 20, 2008. It is likely that two of the candidates are the incumbants, Dawn Fuchek and Edward Poppiti who were elected to three years terms in May of 2005. The third candidate elected at that time was Ralph A. Pizzo, who has of course stepped up from volunteer work to lead the Newburgh School District as its Deputy Interim Superintendent.
Since there are only two incumbents this is a good opportunity for fresh new faces on the Board. There's plenty of time to throw your hat in the race. It looks like the petition forms are due to the Clerk on April 30. If you would like to learn about what the position involves, the Orange County School Boards Association is sponsoring a "Workshop for Prospective Board Members" on April 5, 2008 in Goshen. You can find out about this event via a neighboring school district's web site but not at the Newburgh School District's web site.
According to page 19 of the minutes of the Dember 18, 2007 Board of Education meeting Mr. Ralph A. Pizzo will be enjoying substantially greater remuneration as Interim Deputy Superintendent of Newburgh Schools than as a Board member. He will receive a salary of $67,000 plus whatever other benefits the Board President deems appropriate. Wait, that couldn't be $67k for the whole year? No, of course not...
Resolution to Appoint an Interim Deputy Superintendent of Schools
RESOLUTION #121807 Y
BE IT RESOLVED, that, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education hereby appoints Ralph A. Pizzo as Interim Deputy Superintendent of Schools for the period from January 1, 2008 through June 30, 2008, at a salary of $67,000; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board President is hereby authorized to execute an Agreement with Mr. Pizzo setting forth the terms and conditions of his employment as Interim Deputy Superintendent of Schools, which Agreement will be incorporated by reference within the minutes of this meeting.
How can you too qualify for a position such as this? The "Job Description" as posted by the District included these phrases and sentence fragments (here preserved in their misspelled and mispunctuated glory):
1. NYS School District Administrator Certification
2. Master's Degree; Doctoral degree preferred
[Wait a minute, are these requirements, and does Mr. Pizzo meet them?]
3. At least ten years successful experience in teaching and school building level experience
4. Experience as a Superintendent, highly desirable; other Central Office experience will be considered.
5. Experience with or as a Superintendent Hearing Officer
6. Knowledge of facilities, operations, construction projects, budget development
7. Knowledge of Federal and NYS education laws and regulations
8. Such alternative to the above qualifications as the Superintendent may find appropriate and acceptable
[Ah, of course. Never mind.]
PERFORANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Serves in the absence of the Superintendent as Chief Administrative Officer of the District
2. Attends Board meetings and presides over meetings as the Superintendent's designee
3. Provides written daily reports to the Superintendent on activities and issues addressed
4. Performs such tasks and assumes other responsibilities as the Superintendent may assign
