Community advocate asks board to adopt fuller NYSSBA policy set as board approves non‑represented employee and multiple consent policies
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Summary
A community advocate urged the Newburgh board to adopt a more comprehensive set of New York State School Boards Association policies to protect students—especially those with disabilities—while the board voted on and adopted policy 9501 and a bundle of consent policies and later added a retainer to retain outside counsel for pending appeals.
At the meeting, community advocate Tracy Wallace addressed agenda item 6.2 and urged the board to consider additional policies from the New York State School Boards Association that she said would provide clearer protections for students with disabilities, including referral processes, committee‑on‑special‑education documentation and procedures for independent educational evaluations.
“I’m here as a community advocate,” Wallace said, asking the board to review the NYSSBA comprehensive list so the district’s policies better protect students and provide clearer guidance to parents, administrators and teachers.
Board members responded that the policies on the agenda were reviewed by NISPA and are not new policies but that the board’s policy committee will consider Wallace’s suggestions. Board member Miss Christine Bello said Wallace’s concerns were “very valid” and urged the policy committee to review additional items.
On motions and roll‑call votes, the board adopted policy 9501 (non‑represented employees), which adjusts vacation accruals for covered staff. The roll call showed a majority vote in favor; Board member Christine Bello recorded a No vote on that item. The board also adopted a bundled consent resolution (agenda item 6.2) that included a large set of existing policies reviewed by counsel and NISPA; that motion passed on a roll call.
Later in the meeting the board voted to add an item authorizing the law firm Shaw, Pearlson, May, Lambert LLP to represent the district and named board members in appeals filed with the Commissioner of Education by David Rhine and Christine Bello. The addition and the substantive motion were approved by roll call.
Several human resources consent items were considered with standard personnel actions. Items 9.16, 9.17 and 9.18 were separated for individual votes; each passed but a single board member (Christine Bello) recorded No votes on the separated items. The board approved other consent items, including tenure recognition, minutes approval and routine finance, technology and curriculum items.
The meeting record shows the board moved into executive session earlier to consider FERPA‑protected matters, employment matters and collective bargaining and then returned to public session for votes and public comment.