Candidates for Delaware Academy board emphasize budget transparency, safety and student supports at forum

Two candidates on the ballot for seats on the Delaware Academy Central School District at Delhi board outlined priorities ranging from budget transparency to student mental-health supports at a meet-the-candidates event that preceded a scheduled budget hearing.

Nathan McCarthy, a lieutenant with the New York State Police and a candidate on the ballot, said the board’s foremost responsibility is fiscal stewardship and that the district’s budget "should always reflect our priorities and our top priority should be achieving academic excellence." He told attendees the board must balance program needs with costs while preserving academics, athletics and arts programs and improving safety measures.

Hope Delacross Nap, a long-time local volunteer and parent, emphasized open communication and community engagement. She said the district’s enrollment and academic performance are strengths — citing district materials that show a 94% graduation rate — and supported continuing to fund extracurriculars and maintaining transparency about how reserves and revenues are used. She described the district’s proposed budget as about $25 million and called the plan "balanced."

Both candidates placed student mental health and school safety high on their lists of priorities. McCarthy said the number of students needing support appears to be growing and that the board should rely on experts to identify services and funding paths; Nap recounted a personal example of her child receiving timely help through school guidance counselors and social workers and urged sustaining those supports.

The candidates also discussed community engagement. McCarthy urged regular presence in the community and defended existing public-comment opportunities at board meetings; Nap pointed to a newly established PTO and local volunteer groups as channels through which parents and residents can raise concerns.

Kimberly Shepard, the third candidate on the ballot, did not attend the event; organizers read her biographical statement describing her work as an educator and current service on the board and noting she seeks another three-year term.

The forum ended with closing statements from Nap and McCarthy and a brief reception; the evening continued immediately with the district’s scheduled budget hearing.