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

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…