New Paltz Superintendent of Schools Angela Urbina-Medina confirmed last week that the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Business Sharifa Carbon is on administrative leave. Details about the move are unknown and Carbon could not be reached for comment.
Carbon led a budget presentation at a School Board meeting on Wednesday, March 23, but a planned follow-up for March 30 was abruptly canceled. The Board of Education held a special meeting that evening, during which Board President Bianca Tanis addressed the postponement. “Due to unforeseen circumstances our budget forum for tonight will take place next Wednesday,” Tanis said.
The School Board held another special meeting the following evening, this one remotely and primarily held in executive session to discuss personnel matters. By the following week, Carbon’s name had been removed from the Business Office page of the district’s website. On Friday, April 8, Debra Kosinski was listed twice, as treasurer — a role she held and continues to hold, according to Urbina-Medina — and as the district’s business administrator.
Kosinski was joined during a budget forum held on Wednesday, April 6 by Warren Donohue, who Urbina-Medina said the School Board hired as a consultant to aid in budget preparation.
Donohue retired from Ulster County BOCES in 2018 after five years in the business office. He was previously a business manager with the Pawling and Cornwall districts and with Orange-Ulster BOCES, and since retiring has served as a consultant to local school districts. In October 2018, Donohue was hired by the Saugerties Central School District as its interim business manager when Lissa Jilek left the district one month earlier for the same position in the Highland Central School District. Donohue was with Saugerties until their current business manager Jane St. Amour took the reins in July 2019.
Urbina-Medina said they expect Donohue to be with the district through the middle of next month. Voters in the district will hit the polls on Tuesday, May 17 to determine the fate of the 2022-23 budget.
The School Board will host a special meeting on Monday, April 18 in the New Paltz High School auditorium for a final budget presentation. They are expected to adopt the budget at that meeting ahead of an April 19 state deadline.
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