Newburgh board approves personnel package, 30 tenure recommendations and federal settlement

The Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education on Aug. 12 approved a personnel consent agenda that included appointments, abolishments of positions for the 2025–26 school year, 30 tenure recommendations and authorization to sign three executive employment agreements. The board also voted to approve a settlement in a federal court case involving a named party.

The approvals were part of the human resources consent agenda (items 6.1–6.17) presented by Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Miss Holder and were adopted by roll call. Board President John Dorey read the list of tenure recipients before the separate roll call on item 6.16.

Why it matters: The package implements staffing changes that affect instructional and administrative coverage for the coming school year, advances multiple administrators through hiring steps and resolves pending litigation that the board authorized to settle and record in the meeting minutes.

Key approvals and details - Personnel consent agenda (6.1–6.17, less 6.16 at first): The HR slate included appointments, leaves, resignations, creation of two data processing clerks and one principal clerk, rescission and rescind/approve corrections, termination of a probationary employee, and recommendations to abolish four pedagogical positions for the 2025–26 school year for reasons of economy and efficiency. The board approved the consent slate by roll call.

- Tenure recommendations (item 6.16): The board separately approved 30 tenure recommendations. Board President John Dorey read the full list of names at the meeting; he said, “So we have 30 names tonight …” before the roll call. The names read aloud at the meeting were Jack Anderson; Dara Brands; Natalie Candelaria; Michael Duvalde; Phelan Dutcher; Danielle Gomez; Kathleen Hand; Shana Jarvis; Megan Mahoney; Carly Sarah; Laura Meyer; Emma Sweeney; James Reagan; Tierra Roberts; Flavia Rodriguez; Crystal Santos; Stephanie Secretto; Amelia Mansueto; Michelle Stevenson; Mariana Plate; Dina Walker; Timothy Marcantonio; William Parks; Nyesha Perez; Janie Bravo; Edwin Quezada; Kimberly Burke; Nicole Gaffney; Wendy De Benedictus; and Kayla DeSiglio.

- Executive employment agreements added and approved: The board voted to authorize the board president to sign employment agreements for Rodney Arthur (executive director of curriculum and instruction, grades 9–12), Megan Sullivan (executive director of exceptional learners, grades 9–12) and Sharon Spencer (executive director of curriculum and instruction, grades 3–8). The text of the motion specified that copies of the agreements be incorporated by reference into the meeting minutes.

- Settlement agreement approved: The board approved a motion authorizing the board president to sign a settlement agreement and general release in the case captioned Data Almodovar v. Jackie Manning Campbell and the Enlarged City School District of Newburgh, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (case number as presented to the board). The board directed that the settlement agreement be incorporated by reference into the minutes.

Voting and procedure Motions to approve the consent items, the tenure slate and the added employment and settlement items were moved and seconded during the meeting. Each added item was put to a roll-call vote and adopted; board members consistently voted in the affirmative in the recorded roll calls. (Roll-call participation and recorded “yes” votes were captured on the record during each vote.)

What the board did not discuss in detail at the public meeting were the specific terms of the added executive employment agreements and the settlement (the motions specified incorporation by reference into the minutes).

Next steps and implementation The personnel actions take effect as described in the board documents and in the minutes; the settlement will be executed by the board president per the approved motion. Any changes that require district implementation (position abolishments, new clerical positions, and teachers placed on preferred eligibility lists) will be handled by Human Resources per district procedures.

Copies of the specific employment agreements and the settlement were recorded as being incorporated by reference into the board minutes, per the motions made on the record.