Residents press Johnsburg board over field quality and coach involvement

During the public-comment portion, the Johnsburg Central School District board heard sustained concerns about athletic-field conditions, transportation logistics and the limits of coaching involvement.

Chair introduced Brian May to speak. May told the board that fields used by the district are "subpar" in places, raised safety and access concerns (including lack of emergency access at one site) and said the decision to move games would increase travel burdens for families — he cited driving distances rising from about 7 miles to as much as 17 miles one way for some families. He urged the board to consider how field quality and transportation affect attendance and community support.

May, who identified himself in his remarks as the recreation director for the town of John Firth, also described his own longtime service to local youth sports and requested limited continued involvement with the varsity baseball team as a scorekeeper or pitch counter rather than as a coach. "This would not make me a coach, but I would serve as support staff for the head coach," he said, asking the board for what he framed as a second chance after stepping back following past mistakes.

Board members asked clarifying questions about cooperative arrangements with neighboring districts, practice rotation plans, and transportation (including the number of qualified bus drivers) and noted that any formal merger or cooperative agreement may require ADA review and approvals. The transcript does not record a final board decision on May’s request; board members asked for additional follow-up and context before taking action.