A letter announcing that Wednesday June 23 and Thursday June 24 will be half days and that Friday June 25 will be a "one hour day" was received by some elementary school parents in the Newburgh School District on Monday June 14. The letter says that "After consultation with the Newburgh Teachers Association and the New York State Education Department, the decision was made to provide professional development to the staff." The half day announcement was posted to the official Newburgh Schools website on Tuesday, June 16.

Noted in the Newburgh Teachers' Association Pendulum Vol. 40, No. 2, January 2010, p.1: "We heard the elementary teachers loud and clear, expressing their concern over the last week of school in June. We will try to rectify this inequity."

The hardship this last minute calendar change causes parents and guardians, and the rediculousness of students being bused to school for a couple of hours, and ultimately for one single hour, appears not to be a concern.

The Board of Education approved a different calendar than the one which will be implemented.

When is the Newburgh School District Board of Education required to present a budget to the public?

Buried in the Minutes of the January 27, 2009 Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education meeting, is the following:

That the Board of Education adopts a School & Library Budget Vote/Election Calendar as follows:

According to the New York State Department of Education 2009 Budget Deadlines the district is required to make the Board's Budget, the Administrator Salary Disclosure, and the Property Tax Report Card available "no later than 7 days before the budget hearing". 7 days before the budget hearing on May 5 would be Tuesday April 28, 2009.

It is unfortunate that the Board of Education sees no P.R. value in releasing these documents earlier than required. Perhaps some of the documents will even be released late, like they were last year.

No idea how official this is, but next year's school calendar may look something like this. Check it out, two spring recesses.