[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6187292,"mediaKeyId","5071174-e4221e042405ad13a1afd16a22d3ce3f","parentId",5071174,"title","District outlines $25–26 Contract for Excellence allocations, emphasizes focus on early literacy and high-need schools","audioSeconds",206,"startMs",64000,"endMs",270000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071174-e4221e042405ad13a1afd16a22d3ce3f&start=64&end=270","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071174-e4221e042405ad13a1afd16a22d3ce3f/thumbnail_64000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6187292/New-York/District-outlines-2526-Contract-for-Excellence-allocations-emphasizes-focus-on-early-literacy-and-high-need-schools","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187292-6427201a9c8298bb828ceafe19490bb3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936038&Signature=WSX3yE~5GmC-q3nJwHD5OkClUFKm7WRalxkIhOpTgbYs8TyLRYCaZd7xBd2XbxHsZE6VdI35pRBlTIANm9qKQRk3m8RcYlSbwBvBZ2hn06kRim6tIVI8JNQYuKMpY5JEMO-6qOWU3Jh15aYSe5kloAKoQwSbVhreTwEgsvTY6g0vR5f6B1kGW0KcspglqdlzSah~OQh9kRBoIMfvYh2f8hy9amNQUzTtCHvnh9cRJoEHVZulXjCtapRd-4KK2-Yb9sb4QJzWni1Xw30YRfglUxrr7eM8PZr~y1H3c7yCkir7ZIB-owlPYqfVMGA8giG61F43SOWrdbkSgu2jZ07hYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-25T15:29:52Z","article","District staff presented the Newburgh City School District’s Contract for Excellence plan for the 2025–26 school year and explained how state‑required set‑aside amounts will be allocated across schools and program categories.

Rothman, the presentation lead, told trustees that the Contract for Excellence (a state requirement tied to school‑age aid) is not additional state aid but a required set‑aside from existing state aid. He said the set‑aside the district is required to hold for 2025–26 is “close to $22,000,000” and that the following school year (2026–27) is projected to increase further.

Key allocations and priorities

According to the presentation, the state requires district plans to allocate funds across specified categories (often described as “buckets”). The Newburgh plan aligns funds to categories that include time on task, high‑school restructuring, teacher and principal quality, pre‑K programs and services for English‑language learners (ELL). The district noted that state rules require 75% of the Contract for Excellence funds to be directed to the top 50 neediest schools; allocations by school were included in the presentation and posted to the district website.

Staffing and initiatives supported

The presentation listed positions and initiatives the Contract for Excellence funds are intended to support for 2025–26: assistant principals, guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists, pre‑K teachers, teaching assistants, parent coordinators and coordinators for restorative justice. The district also named programmatic supports and intervention strategies tied to improving reading proficiency, attendance and graduation rates.

Why it matters: The Contract for Excellence money must be budgeted in specific categories and is monitored by the state; directing most funding to the district’s highest‑need schools is a statutory requirement the district must follow. The plan sets priorities for staffing and instructional interventions that, according to staff, are intended to improve outcomes for ELL students and early learners so they arrive at kindergarten better prepared.

What the presentation did not specify

The presentation referenced school‑level allocations that were “on the district website” and said the information had been submitted to New York State. The meeting record does not show the board taking a separate vote on the presentation itself; it was presented as part of the budget development process and informational agenda items.

Next steps

Staff will proceed with implementation as shown in the plan and will submit required documentation to NYSED as part of the district’s state aid compliance. The plan will be reflected in the district’s operating budget documents and in school‑level staffing and program decisions for 2025–26.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Regular Meeting - June 24, 2025 - 6:30PM","oneSentenceSummary","Deputy superintendent and staff presented the district’s 2025–26 Contract for Excellence plan, which aligns roughly $22 million in required set‑aside funding to categories including time‑on‑task, pre‑K, English‑language learners and staffing supports targeted to the district’s neediest schools.","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},6187296,"Board approves routine consent items, tables owner's‑rep construction contract; student trip and Wilson training added",2646,2518000,5164000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071174-e4221e042405ad13a1afd16a22d3ce3f&start=2518&end=5164","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071174-e4221e042405ad13a1afd16a22d3ce3f/thumbnail_2518000.jpg","/articles/6187296/New-York/Board-approves-routine-consent-items-tables-ownersrep-construction-contract-student-trip-and-Wilson-training-added","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187296-6a4381e6419418be1bed2d36d3202710/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936038&Signature=FBtnyKTAnoWNFH8biVVuFAeNLsr9L~ckH7dWmUcINIEHGhxQz2g12eHGEx7fG9ffYt6BjNaQK~dQsrMNv~WYcvcliUpMtYvVF5~48trjqSaFzCAqcgCd~rfjAhRZKVyyBMQ1BjpPPwxSxncAGgVO~gIDZp1wtLlrfFidgEWUWF60Y64Mr~3pC6QSDcxoZJDVh~wnJRdr9iUHffm5GlgAwDz2EMVHJKfYo3hrSgSv22glmXwcTLadki3KjagwXPnfA~cgqcNk1EsXh9xGMG2Hetslk7SN~n7v5pK0c6s00KObTylp9Kba~bw08QEb3RqeF53X0m0YQ8NNwfV3zSUciA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Trustees at the June 24 Newburgh City School District meeting cleared a broad set of consent items across divisions — finance, human resources, technology, and curriculum — while tabling and separately voting on a small number of contested items.

Key outcomes at a glance:

- Resolution 6.2–6.4 (consent items) — approved by roll call after 6.1 was separated for individual consideration.

- Resolution 6.1 (addendum to acting superintendent contract) — separated for discussion and approved (see separate article).

- Human resources: 7.16 (walk‑on) — Board approved the district’s nomination of 24 NTA staff to participate in Wilson Reading System Level 1 certification for 2025–26 (added as a walk‑on and passed by roll call).

- Human resources: 7.12 — Trustees amended the resolution to remove the line creating the Director of Exceptional Learners position (motion to amend passed; then the amended motion passed).

- Finance: 8.3 (district owner’s‑rep / construction consultant) — trustees discussed scope and historic contract amounts and voted to table 8.3 for further review; tabling motion passed.

- Curriculum/Students: 11.3 (student travel) — board amended and approved a walk‑on to add three students and two faculty to a NYSED‑invited essay contest event (cost not to exceed $1,250; funding federal/general); amendment and motion carried.

- Exceptional learners: 12.4 — approved (authorization of interim AP and support to complete required meetings; board vote recorded).

- Executive session additions: After an executive session the board added three personnel resolutions to the public agenda. One resolution authorizing the board president to sign an employee retirement agreement was approved; a second resolution to suspend an employee during education‑law proceedings was recorded in the minutes with the transcript noting it “impasses” (the transcript text indicates the motion did not carry as announced); the third added suspension pending a contractual due‑process hearing passed on roll call.

Why it matters: The consent agenda contains routine approvals that implement budgeted operations, personnel moves and instructional programming; the Wilson training and the student travel are programmatic items that expand instructional capacity and student opportunity. The owner’s‑rep consulting agreement was tabled because trustees asked for more detail about scope, daily commitment and historical contract amounts.

What trustees asked for

Trustees asked administration for clearer metrics and fiscal detail on several items: the cost and scope of the owner’s‑rep construction contract, timing and cost implications of human‑resources actions, and the funding source for student travel. The board directed staff to provide additional information on the tabled item and to include fiscal detail for any future contract requests that expand scope beyond prior authorizations.

Meeting mechanics

Several roll‑call votes show a mix of support and opposition on contested items; routine consent items were approved as a block after trustees separated 6.1 for individual discussion. The meeting also included several requests to move or amend agenda items and multiple brief executive‑session requests for legal advice.","At the June 24 Newburgh City School District meeting the board approved multiple consent items across finance, human resources and instruction, added a Wilson Reading certification group and a student trip, and tabled a consultant contract for construction oversight pending further review.",{"_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},6187300,"Board approves addendum to acting superintendent’s contract after heated public comment",3629,308000,3937000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071174-e4221e042405ad13a1afd16a22d3ce3f&start=308&end=3937","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071174-e4221e042405ad13a1afd16a22d3ce3f/thumbnail_308000.jpg","/articles/6187300/New-York/Board-approves-addendum-to-acting-superintendents-contract-after-heated-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187300-55dab847ffeacfa22450ae67e605d45b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936038&Signature=A1lTkJdOAp2qTOxf6bzy6fEruhRYpuXTNYWXCkELKMwkaRzxB55ybXMjt5OqYGOGxn8HgbyFWhK4hTgC8687af6aacUomMde3~YudCCKS3psEFphv7OfAVLYIwDm-~977fN4hwC433uhzjHc1QCVY7OHIdHllWvF0d1g-7F5v7bGr4VDWWaC6~YBI3BgSgJMsua8O5oYspTwfFcmEGM8B5A2QC5b7r~65YzZj7FuIsr1HshpXAYnwQoMlIwBQvF0zR0PFrUSol-78PNSsblZHugCksDkVeH8zjOITsZrUSCggA2ASh3~niI5fbL0RDn1cyX5RjaBla90r73GabOROg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Newburgh City School District Board of Education voted June 24 to approve an addendum to the acting superintendent’s appointment that includes a 90‑day termination notice and language preserving the acting superintendent’s pay through the end of December.

The move prompted extended public comment and criticism from community members and some district leaders who called the terms unusual, potentially costly and legally questionable. A group of executive‑level administrators presented a written vote of no confidence in the acting superintendent’s leadership during the meeting.

The addendum was separated from consent and placed for an individual vote. After public comment and an exchange with legal counsel, the board adopted the addendum by roll call (Yes: Stewart, Christine Bello, Thomasina Bello, Mackenzie Boucher, Victoria Boucher; No: Howard, Politi, Bergarelli). A board member stated, “The first paragraph has been deleted. Otherwise, the agreement is as written.”

Why it matters: Residents and some administrators said the terms create financial and legal risk for the district and argued the board could have tapped an internal deputy at far lower cost. Public commenters repeatedly cited the change from a typical 30‑day notice to 90 days and questioned whether the district would pay acting‑superintendent salary even if that person returned to another assignment or left their acting role.

Public comment and concerns

Dawn Fuchek of the town of Newburgh told the board the 90‑day notice clause is “highly unusual,” and said the addendum appears to guarantee the acting superintendent’s pay through Dec. 31 even if she is removed from the role. Fuchek asked if the district’s attorney had reviewed the document and said the arrangement “defies logic” and shows “a blatant disregard for fiscal responsibility.”

Mark Levinstein told the board the district has faced large lawsuits in the past and said the acting superintendent has been involved in prior settlements. He warned the addendum’s terms — especially extended notice and pay protections — could encourage additional litigation. “Why did board majority hire this person known to sue her employer in the first place?” Levinstein asked.

Several speakers — including newly elected board member Shaday Burks and Melanie Collins, a community advocate — criticized the personnel moves that preceded the addendum and said they reduce public trust. Assistant‑level and cabinet leaders read a formal statement into the record expressing a vote of no confidence in the acting superintendent’s leadership, listing procurement, budgeting, hiring and communication decisions as reasons for their declaration.

District and legal responses

Acting superintendent Dr. Baughn spoke during the meeting in other agenda items and defended instructional and staffing changes elsewhere in the agenda, but did not make extended remarks during the addendum discussion. The board asked district counsel to address legal questions about the addendum; counsel said he had drafted a version of the contract but would not answer detailed legal questions in public and noted the board had reviewed related material in executive session.

Board action and details

The board removed the addendum’s first paragraph before voting; the public record shows a roll‑call vote that approved the amended agreement. The formal motion and the names of the motion mover and seconder were not announced on the public record before the roll call. The board’s vote verified the adoption of the addendum despite opposition from three trustees.

Discussion vs. decision

The meeting record separates the two stages: extensive public comment and the cabinet’s written criticism (discussion), followed by an amendment to the agreement and a roll‑call vote that enacted the addendum (decision). Several public speakers requested the board identify the legal review supporting the contract language and asked the board to disclose the total fiscal impact; the board did not provide a consolidated cost estimate during the meeting.

What the record does and does not show

Speakers cited specific figures: Fuchek contrasted a previously reported $50 per‑day temporary arrangement (about $18,000 annually) with what she described as the “additional cost” the district is now shouldering — a figure she characterized as about $117,000 per year for the acting post. Other commenters referenced longevity and doctorate supplements reported in public statements; those claims appear in public comment and are reported here as the speakers presented them rather than as independent verified facts.

Next steps

The board recessed to executive session later in the meeting and added several personnel resolutions to the public minutes after that session. The approved addendum is now a public record and will be included in the district’s contract files.","The Newburgh City School District Board of Education on June 24 approved an addendum to the acting superintendent’s contract that extends notice and keeps the acting superintendent’s pay in place through Dec. 31, drawing extensive public comment and a written vote of no confidence from several cabinet members.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District outlines $25–26 Contract for Excellence allocations, emphasizes focus on early literacy and high-need schools

Board approves routine consent items, tables owner's‑rep construction contract; student trip and Wilson training added

Board approves addendum to acting superintendent’s contract after heated public comment