[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6335675,"mediaKeyId","2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8","parentId",2288758,"title","Budget development update: reserves, staffing requests and major capital projects reviewed","audioSeconds",683,"startMs",6197000,"endMs",6880000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8&start=6197&end=6880","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8/thumbnail_6197000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6335675/New-York/Budget-development-update-reserves-staffing-requests-and-major-capital-projects-reviewed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335675-9a3f6b6f74a4415706daf5c1962785bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725257&Signature=VYwnwa7b6u5ZhdFu~LgGndF8WQJKFP1xoB1iBRTN6RHVAzoFyZYynd0nT~Q2W0H4o4ZdvDzmiwpuGdVcBYfvU~W4wbpHQTTLXdAav-hZDX3x9IVTYWv6jtcyzF1WbZUIw6SS9dzgP~rVXmjH-zasEIY4TKHdyJ0-njzSUWd57YbeqmSQtp5yNxljNFyzNrVAI7a05rWO-Bt6Sejadc~E04s~~AnfEUja5x2~XaGFlyac7U2eslaCSyDVCjJ9Mh60mgGSKEkV8Q5HQbmucUQqam~OuEvZB~k0QIQ9ySTeLssYBGx9NYP7BRD0mTK8edkEVV2E3Ij19HDNnwLGYhdoew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-12T16:36:48Z","article","The Newburgh City School District presented a multi-part budget and capital-projects update at its Feb. 11 board meeting, outlining projected revenue, reserve use, staffing requests and next steps for several construction projects.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance Ms. Roaring said the district used a “true rollover” approach for next year’s budget and is currently projecting an increase in costs of about $9.8 million driven by contractual salaries, retirement and transportation. The revenue projection shown to the board assumes no tax-levy increase and includes a planned use of fund balance of $3.7 million. Roaring said the district expects higher excess-cost aid in the coming year based on recent actuals and that the district’s mandated Contract for Excellence set‑aside will be roughly $22 million; she emphasized those funds must be used for allowable, non‑supplanting expenditures.

Nut Graf: The presentation combined immediate operational budget pressures with capital spending underway. Administrators asked the board to consider targeted staff additions in human resources, transportation and operations to support district functions as the budget is finalized.

Human Resources: Interim HR lead requested three managerial hires (a director of HR and an HR generalist) and a part‑time clerk to modernize HR operations, improve data integrity and reduce paper-processing risk. The HR cost estimate provided included salaries, payroll taxes, benefits and a $10,000 contingency for one-off reporting support.

Transportation and operations: The transportation office requested a second bilingual senior typist to handle high call and email volume; operations (facilities) requested positions including a turf manager, an elevator/alarm systems technician and funding to replace three elementary-school playgrounds following an insurance carrier recommendation.

Capital projects and facilities: Construction partners gave progress reports. The New CTE building (construction began Sept. 2024) remains on an accelerated schedule with a projected substantial completion July 31, 2026, allowing time for move-in before a February academic start. The locker-room renovation bid is scheduled to open Feb. 20 with anticipated award in April and work through winter/spring with separation from occupied areas. The district’s Proposition 5 HVAC/AC upgrade project (Gidney, Temple Hill, Meadow Hill) is under way; the board awarded the mechanical contract and the work is slated for phased construction with substantial completion targeted for August 2025.

Ending: District staff said they will continue to refine revenue assumptions, finalize grant‑position decisions and return to the board with a proposed budget in coming meetings. Board members asked for more detail on high-school data, transportation cost drivers and grant position rolloffs before finalizing the budget.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Regular Meeting - February 11, 2025 - 6:30PM","oneSentenceSummary","Finance and operations leaders presented a budget development update showing a projected $9.8 million expense increase and requested staffing additions in HR, transportation and operations.","taxTitle","Newburgh City School District, School Districts, New York","taxId",14388,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6335680,"Parents and coaches raise alarm over suspended coaches, missing equipment and girls' changing-room privacy",447,3118000,3565000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8&start=3118&end=3565","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8/thumbnail_3118000.jpg","/articles/6335680/New-York/Parents-and-coaches-raise-alarm-over-suspended-coaches-missing-equipment-and-girls-changing-room-privacy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335680-eea76734a376236ad2d4a2453edf67c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725257&Signature=XN~bQOtBMJUPgWu4P-g0neuK09ELGZInUKY5eWgdi7391q9K2j~-ssLNSQ0b9g8uC2u3v7JLOMsSoDA6egYm1IEhMZyNmNtqc1VIRJFYtaQ9sOZrDl8Mxl85Ffx1LpUq5AwSnkRDbIkJkuJeqRjMf7SvEptF3h-reTIeS9BayaAVKOaVrX7VG438DtqkN-9rpcgz2vissXGgxCWLWkzy9x361F~AUPROZTksNnFFbcEQWhmnbtfYitC3VADkwKuLM9-Nx-4qxsd5X2WR4c2H4Ks3qwuXCfUOEPBP-61TlzErA0aD9zezf3bPx-BQml7Ul6g4IMueaXkiItcA0r2vKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents and community members told the Newburgh City School District board on Feb. 11 that district athletic programs have been disrupted by administrative decisions and that the district must act to protect students and restore programs.

Several parents said football coaches and staff have been barred from contact with players since Nov. 5 and remain in limbo. Jeff Ehlers called the prolonged restrictions “unfair punishment” that has disrupted recruiting opportunities and the programs’ operations; he said college recruiters have moved on and some student athletes may have missed scholarship opportunities. Ehlers urged immediate reinstatement of coaches and return of equipment for reconditioning.

Nut Graf: The concerns raised at the podium include personnel restrictions that parents say have sidelined coaching staffs, possible loss of scholarship opportunities for athletes, and safety and privacy problems for girls’ winter sports teams who, speakers said, were locked out of renovated locker rooms.

Parents also described a serious privacy risk for girls basketball players. Erica Perez said the athletic director required girls to change in the gym or in a classroom with exterior windows that she said had no coverings — exposing minors to potential recording. “We just turned our girls into victims,” Perez said. She asked why security staff could not provide supervision at the locker-room doors or other reasonable accommodation. The district’s general counsel, Mr. Shaw, later said the security office would investigate the allegation that security staff viewed recordings of students and added there was “no evidence” at that time that staff had watched naked students; he said the district would inquire further.

Parents also raised equipment and banquet questions: Ehlers said thousands of dollars of equipment remain uncollected for reconditioning and that some coaches were blocked from spring positions after being long-time volunteers; he pressed the district for clarity about the timeline and condition of equipment.

Ending: The board did not take immediate public action on personnel matters during the meeting; several parents said they would return if problems were not resolved. District counsel indicated an inquiry into camera recordings and security practices; parents asked for faster communication and restoration of programs where appropriate.","Multiple speakers told the board that football coaches have been suspended and teams left in limbo since November, equipment and banquet plans are unresolved, and that girls' winter sports were denied locker-room access, leaving students to change where they could be visible to cameras.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6335684,"Public speakers press board on superintendent suspension, transparency and upcoming school board election",364,1076000,1440000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8&start=1076&end=1440","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8/thumbnail_1076000.jpg","/articles/6335684/New-York/Public-speakers-press-board-on-superintendent-suspension-transparency-and-upcoming-school-board-election","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335684-4efc97bf2633b217354be3f1efb4d9e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725257&Signature=IwGQ-84gfZeMbFyWGoX-59EYbVVoy029qO1zq2hu8or4aalAz2kD-h1AYwE9xJEzBpp0t~BcQEbXOGS1o-DEAghtA0ERxo-sDiQc-R8OcWnWNNiPJfIyULUE6If1uzFTUHUOpk6~DTBfmxmKOFnNCdBldo38HAW6LYyG7O2wUF4flc9Y1uWzIAH8h~vj2RFXFObcZBFg3CU-ojZ5xD5vh-9Th5VOvJg7X7Ry2ZW2aTXku~z-9ASC6TTg5ElYXU6xfaZOsa7zj3wwTr-U0WgSUaZQ-~3tWBypXn7cRRwMdQkbWPsKSHVm4UJx~RG54yQ1HcVg9uNiuDKeA51XcJRWPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several speakers used the Feb. 11 Newburgh City School District Board of Education meeting to press for transparency about the suspension of the superintendent, to question board composition and family relationships among members, and to mobilize voters ahead of the school board election.

Public commenters asked when the community will learn the reasons for the superintendent’s suspension and whether the acting superintendent has any pending litigation against the district. Reverend Torrance Robinson, a retired principal who identified himself as a parent and long-time educator, said he supports the suspended superintendent and asked the board to provide answers about the removal process.

Nut Graf: Multiple residents framed governance and transparency as urgent public‑policy issues that affect trust in the district’s leadership. Several speakers also urged community organizing and reminded listeners about the school board election and petition deadlines.

Tamika Stewart, a Newburgh resident who said she is organizing the Newburgh Alliance, told the board the group is recruiting viable candidates for the May school board election and that petitions will be available in late February. The clerk clarified that petitions will be available Feb. 20 and are due back 20 days before the May election — April 30 at 5 p.m.

Dennis Grant questioned whether the acting superintendent was aligned with the “old guard” and urged the board to show whether its members will enable substantive change. Grant and other speakers raised concerns about “block voting” and family members serving simultaneously on the board; the public commenter asked whether New York State Education Department standards permit multiple relatives to hold board seats at once.

Speakers also raised workplace culture and staff treatment concerns. Several callers described an environment of “adult bullying” in the district and asked for policies to address staff bullying that they said harms school climate and teacher retention.

Board members and the clerk responded to procedural questions during the meeting; the clerk and staff provided dates and clarified timelines for petition filing and the budget calendar. The public record shows the board set the petition availability and clarified the April 30 deadline to the public during the meeting.

Ending: The meeting prompted community groups to begin candidate recruitment and to urge residents to monitor petition deadlines. Several speakers said they will return to future meetings to press the board for additional transparency and answers about the superintendent suspension.","Residents and community leaders used the meeting’s public comment period to press the board for transparency about the suspended superintendent, raise questions about possible conflicts of interest among board members, and to organize ahead of upcoming school board elections.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6335689,"Acting superintendent cites I-Ready data, calls for 'science of reading' overhaul",4446,165000,4611000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8&start=165&end=4611","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8/thumbnail_165000.jpg","/articles/6335689/New-York/Acting-superintendent-cites-I-Ready-data-calls-for-science-of-reading-overhaul","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335689-7308ef046f59223cb91b78d9c18febf6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725257&Signature=TQrVUisz7Tc8~TVbrpNHxRlsD7pRI3AuQmH4i7K11ZEWSDi1oUbeJtbWZHZGt~HALa-Pwr9~QHaM3Lu6wLFN0FD1LQ6AVt2ZdauTfQXz8lIInDyB1liet-owmRFecdHO45KZppBv1U4mqK6pACF1WnpZyS12NF4gVJcRNoU41c3JsJUuwvybXmTmO3zclGo-T7PCEPmKVpjKn5GjReVo64vFYigHoA00pfIEK7CCZ-Ja09ig0CMKlGI6xRO6HgJ8Xs~EuCDvALHI~Elg-9Gpi5hn5zAdJcT6Mw~mQWWI3R-1ahLspM3J950IVn7pQXaZwF~LUxoJkk-gHw2HOE0Rxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Acting Superintendent Dr. Liese Bourne told the Newburgh City School District Board of Education on Feb. 11 that the district's standardized I-Ready data show only marginal improvement in reading and urged immediate investment in evidence-based reading instruction.

Bourne said the district’s end-of-year I-Ready results for 2021–2024 show 41 percent of students reading on or above grade level in 2021 and 42 percent in 2024, a net increase of one percentage point. She said math results rose from about 31 percent on or above grade level in 2020 to 37 percent in 2024. “Where do we go from here? It is imperative that we as a district move forward with the science of reading,” Bourne said.

The acting superintendent said the district will pursue partnerships to change classroom practice and teacher training. “Our leaders, teachers and teaching assistants must receive training on how to implement evidence based reading instruction,” she said. Bourne told the board she is in talks with the Reading League New York to support a shift in instruction and that American Reading Company, known as ARC, “is not working for our children” as a stand‑alone program.

Nut Graf: The update framed reading proficiency as the district’s top instructional priority and tied it to teacher training and curricular change. Speakers at the meeting — including teachers, parents and community advocates — urged that any plan prioritize teacher-led, research-based interventions rather than reliance on purchased programs used “with fidelity.”

Teachers and parents at the podium described classroom experience that, they say, supports Bourne’s assessment. Melissa Lamar, a district teacher and 30-year New Windsor taxpayer, said teachers have had to “change practice at a very fundamental level” and asked the district to make teacher training in the science of reading widely available. Lamar warned against “overreliance on programs” and said professional development has sometimes resembled vendor presentations rather than sustained teacher training.

Parent Ronaldo Santiago cited grade-by-grade data he reviewed and warned that strict program fidelity can hamper teachers’ ability to meet students where they are. “If you are teaching a sixth grader who reads at a third-grade level, the curriculum’s sixth-grade-only materials may handcuff our teachers,” Santiago said, adding that the district must preserve teacher judgment and interventions for students with wide-ranging needs.

Several board members asked for additional data and for plans that reach beyond elementary grades. Board member Mackenzie Boucher asked for high‑school data; Bourne said I-Ready coverage is K–8 and agreed to provide more information for higher grades. Board members and speakers repeatedly flagged early-childhood readiness (ages 0–4) and poverty as upstream factors the district cannot fully offset, but Bourne said solid K–2 instruction can still “bridge that gap.”

Bourne characterized the district’s immediate instructional aim as equipping teachers and school leaders with proven methods rather than switching a single vendor program. “No program will do what we need to do and we have to stop relying on programs,” she told the board, adding that districts that have shown improvement focused on training teachers in core, evidence‑based practice.

The presentation stressed that I-Ready is administered three times per year in kindergarten through eighth grade; Bourne said the district lacks a comparable five-year dataset because of the COVID‑19 disruption in 2019–20. She said grade-level slides in the report show a pattern of increasing numbers of students falling farther behind as they age.

The acting superintendent did not lay out a full, finalized plan at the meeting but pledged to return “very shortly” with concrete next steps and asked the community to participate. \"We have to invest in our leaders, teachers, and teaching assistants so that they are equipped with the evidence based strategies that have been shown through research to work with all children,\" Bourne said.

Ending: Board members and public speakers expressed broad urgency and asked for follow-up materials on K–12 data, proposed professional development, timelines and costs. Bourne said she will share an implementation plan and welcomed community partners and teacher input as the district develops training and rollout details.","Acting Superintendent Dr. Liese Bourne presented district I-Ready results showing little net gain in reading since 2021 and urged the board to shift instruction toward evidence-based 'science of reading' practices while rejecting ARC as sufficient for all students.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6335670,"Votes at a glance: minutes, budget calendar, personnel consents and executive session motions",921,9375000,10296000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8&start=9375&end=10296","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288758-fa4843c6fc890f8682bc8b741d94f6c8/thumbnail_9375000.jpg","/articles/6335670/New-York/Votes-at-a-glance-minutes-budget-calendar-personnel-consents-and-executive-session-motions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335670-5957b4027dfa2fe8629ed428df647df9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725257&Signature=JVncRl8hw8zdc8yAW6Ni4v5qCJcBAolucr3rFXR2r0549n0JaY9QM9UcvT4nRaHpyEhL48nwfkJtdQPmF9ZbeDcpdQVGhwq1wMBZzpkyAoaIsgWhAeZcmHvA3p4V8KA12RIhxOvkjhhL5i2S5t0Q0dWxI7MUG6N4tKyhOMqTAsKtG0SgcFxG8t9398BtKlJpMkcFEBZmZcFOGJe9c6YLiRP39AT8H1c7zFlT9OUwG1ETyf6sxENkCLNvXWApn2RmMipSS1hdJiI00wR8LjVX5n80eRXODMXKvxX2X-W3Fp0trwKYcHkM8E0quGeXYw-Y~nGrSc7qtUJF0cPfIqWXjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newburgh City School District Board of Education recorded several formal votes during its Feb. 11 meeting. This summary lists motions and recorded roll-call outcomes included in the public transcript.

- Approval of Jan. 28 minutes and budget/election calendar: The board moved and approved the minutes from the Jan. 28 meeting and approved the budget/election calendar. The clerk announced petitions will be available Feb. 20 and are due back in the clerk’s office by April 30 at 5 p.m. (roll-call recorded; individual yes votes recorded in the transcript.)

- Consent agendas and personnel items: The board approved multiple HR and finance consent items (human resources items 7.1–7.15 and finance items 8.1–8.8 as presented), with individual roll-call votes recorded in the transcript for each grouped motion.

- Resolution 6.1 (authorize school attorney to conduct an investigation): A motion to authorize a school attorney to conduct an investigation was moved. A separate motion to table Resolution 6.1 until after executive session was made and approved by roll call; the clerk and transcript record that the item was tabled.

- Motion to enter executive session (advice from counsel and confidential matters): The board voted to recess into executive session for advice from counsel and matters made confidential by FERPA; the transcript records a roll-call vote and that the motion passed. (Recorded individual roll calls for executive session are in the public record.)

- Adjournment: The board voted to adjourn after executive session; roll-call votes were recorded.

Nut Graf: The meeting’s formal business covered routine approvals — minutes, budget calendar and consent items — plus a higher-profile action: tabling and then discussing a resolution to authorize external counsel and moving into executive session to address confidential personnel and legal matters.

Ending: The transcript includes roll-call tallies for each motion but frequently groups multiple consent items into single votes; for specific roll-call verbatim lines see the public meeting transcript and clerk’s packet.","The board approved the Jan. 28 minutes, the budget/election calendar and multiple consent agenda items, placed a 6.1 investigation resolution on the table pending executive session and voted to enter executive session for counsel; roll-call tallies were recorded in the public record.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Budget development update: reserves, staffing requests and major capital projects reviewed

Parents and coaches raise alarm over suspended coaches, missing equipment and girls' changing-room privacy

Public speakers press board on superintendent suspension, transparency and upcoming school board election

Acting superintendent cites I-Ready data, calls for 'science of reading' overhaul

Votes at a glance: minutes, budget calendar, personnel consents and executive session motions