Harrison Central School District board swears in trustees, elects Kelly Kozak president and approves routine appointments

Kelly Kozak was confirmed as board president and took the oath at the Harrison Central School District Board of Education reorganization meeting on July 13, 2026, where trustees were sworn in and routine appointments and consent items were approved.

Board President Kelly Kozak presided after trustees and trustees-elect were recognized during roll call. Valerie Mangione was appointed and sworn in as district clerk. Trustees-elect Kelly Mollvoy Mackin, Benjamin Blaustein and Robert C. Sullivan Jr. each took the oath of office to begin their terms.

The board nominated and approved Kozak as president and Mollvoy Mackin as vice president by voice vote. The superintendent, identified in the record as Dr. Louis Wolf, took the oath marking his continued service and noted it was his 25th time being sworn in.

By consent the board approved appointments to district offices: Joe Sessary as district treasurer and Timothy P. Whipple as deputy treasurer; the clerk noted the treasurer and deputy treasurer would be sworn in in the office the following day. The board also approved a series of consent agenda items including stipends for appointed positions; special-education committee appointments (CSE, CPSE and preschool committees) and designation of an impartial hearing officer; authorizations and designations; and bonding of personnel.

During the finance and facilities consent agenda the board approved an array of items including the 2026–27 tax warrant, internal control audit corrective actions, appropriation transfers, approval of an internal auditing service and risk assessment focus areas, a plumbing change order for Harrison Avenue Elementary, award/rescind action for an asset-recovery RFB, and a Concord Theatricals play agreement. The board also authorized piggybacking on other districts’ or municipal contracts for HVAC services, synthetic turf installation and related services.

The board recessed into executive session to discuss a student matter, teacher contractual matters and CSEA contractual matters; those items were discussed in closed session and not reported on the public record at the meeting’s reopening. After executive session the board reopened the regular meeting, accepted the minutes of the June 17, 2026 business meeting, and noted there were no members of the public registered to speak during public comment.

Superintendent Louis Wolf reported that summer school and the Bridges to Literacy program were underway at two sites, that staff professional development and teacher hiring continue through the summer, and that construction projects at Harrison Avenue and Preston School are advancing (demolition nearly finished, foundations underway and elevator work in progress). The district also reported a planned fitness center project with potential early-September ground breaking.

The board scheduled its next regular business meeting for July 22, 2026 at 7 p.m. at Lewis M. Klein Middle School and then voted to close the business meeting. All recorded motions in the public portion of the meeting were carried by voice vote as noted in the meeting record.

Notes: The transcript records some name spellings and minor transcription inconsistencies; institution names have been normalized to the correct form “Harrison Central School District.”