Please be sure to vote today. Please be aware that when voting for BOE candidates, you have the option to choose 0, 1, 2, or 3 candidates.
There are signs around the district encouraging a yes vote on the budget--"paid for by the Newburgh Teachers' Association VOTE/COPE". The NTA is not endorsing any BOE candidates this year.
Here's an interesting letter from the Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, June 3, 2009, page 9. I give Mr. Weiss a lot of credit for making the effort to find out about public opinions and for encouraging greater public involvement with the Newburgh School District. Thank you Mr. Weiss.
Letters: Polling Survey
On School Board election day, my son Ian and I briefly interviewed 102 voters as they exited four polling places located in the towns of Newburgh and New Windsor and the City of Newburgh. Although it would be ludicrous to claim scientific accuracy, I do believe the results of our polling are meaningful. There was a surprisingly high level of participation in the survey with only 15 voters declining to answer our questions. The vast majority seemed genuinely grateful for the opportunity to share their thoughts, many offering opinions and providing details about their voting experience that extended far beyond the narrow scope of the survey.
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Do read the full letter at this link.
From the May 27, 2009 issue of the Mid Hudson Times. Lewis has served on the Newburgh School District Board of Education for many years.
Lewis 'shocked' by election defeat
By Jessica McAleeseMore than one week after learning that he had not been re-elected by voters, Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education President Runston T. Lewis says he is still in a state of shock.
"I was very surprised," said Lewis, who finished fourth in last Tuesday's election to newcomers John Guidice and Nathan Veseley and incumbent Pamela Resch. The lifelong City of Newburgh resident who has spent the past 19 years on the school board blamed his loss on backlash from the layoffs and other measures that the district had to take in order to deal with the slumping economy. He also noted that both the Newburgh Teachers Association (NTA) and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) declined to endorse any of the candidates running in this year's election.
"I met with both groups and I understand they were upset over the layoffs and I guess that was their way of showing it," he said. "But at the same time I don't think they expected me to lose."
Given his long track record, Lewis said it's disappointing and unfair to have to depend on the support of a certain group in order to get elected. He insisted that voters should instead make their decisions based on a candidate's background, qualifications and history of success.
"I've been successful for 19 years," he said. "I've always worked very well with the unions and the administrators to come up with decisions that benefit everybody. I even got a letter from the NTA president that would attest to that. He said he was very sorry about the way things turned out."
Looking ahead, Lewis said he is exploring his options but has yet to decide if he will run for re-election in the future.
"It's hard but I will move ahead," he said. "The district will continue to survive."
NTA President Phil Cordella could not be reached for comment.
School District Budget: Yes.
Transport resolution: Yes.
Library budget: Yes.
Board of Education Members: Giudice, Resch, Vesely.
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.
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.
From the minutes of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education meeting of June 24, 2008:
WHEREAS, the voters of the District voted down the school budget presented by the Board of Education for approval at the Annual Distric Meeting on May 20, 2008; and
WHEREAS, the Board has decided to adopt a contingency budget to pay for the costs of ordinary contingent expenses for the 2008-2009 school year, within the limitations of s2023 of the Education Law;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that pursuant to s2023 of the Education Law, the Board of Education hereby adopts a contingency budget in the amount of $226,375,874, to pay for the ordinary contingent expenses of the School District for the 2008-2009 school year and authorizes the levy of a tax therefor;
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So the budget in effect for 2008-2009 is $226,375,874.
The budget voted down in May 2008 was $227,777,046.
The difference is $1,401,172; about 0.62%.
Monetarily, the budget vote did not matter so much. It matters in other ways.
On the Newburgh Schools website the vote results have been posted.
Things to notice:
* The Town of Newburgh and New Windsor outvoted the City of Newburgh by 3.5 to 1.
* 210 voters voted neither Yes nor No on the budget.
* The library budget passed with a comfortable margin.
* Machine 3 at NFA registered 27 Yes and 43 No on the budget, but had a machine tally of only 69.
* Very good turnout for McLymore.
* Votes for DeMarco exceeded those for other candidates by 25%.
* The number of voters declined 4% from last year, from 2453 to 2352. Maybe they couldn't afford the gas to get to the polling places.
So according to the Times Herald Record more people voted no than voted yes for accepting the proposed budget for the Newburgh School District on May 20.
Today, May 22, 2008 the Record reports:
NEWBURGH -- After an all-day canvass yesterday, the Newburgh School District budget still failed, this time by 62 votes instead of 13. The district put to voters an almost $228 million budget, requiring an additional $4.5 million in revenue from property taxes. The board made no comments when accepting the vote last night as to whether it will hold another vote or use a contingency budget for next year.
Meghan E. Murphy
Any questions?
