On Tuesday, May 21, residents across New York State will weigh in not only on local school district budgets for the 2024-25 school year, but will also vote for candidates for boards of education.
New York State’s fiscal year 2025 budget has finally been settled, and the good news for local school districts is that Governor Kathy Hochul’s plans to cut foundation aid and eliminate the “Hold Harmless” provision that prevents districts with decreasing student population from seeing funding cuts has been kicked down the road another year.
Overall, the state budget increases school aid to $35.9 billion, including $24.9 billion in foundation aid. School aid has risen by $6.5 billion in the three years since Hochul has been governor. Both the governor and legislature agree that the foundation aid formula needs to be modified, and the state has engaged a Rockefeller Institute study to examine what that might look like. In the meantime, the budget lowers the inflation factor from 3.4 percent to 2.8 percent in an effort to “right-size” funding for the 2024-25 school year. State aid runs have not been released as of press time.
For the latest information on polling times and locations, visit the official school district website.
Each school board candidate was sent the same brief questionnaire, and their responses appear in the order.
Also included are the budget highlights that will put before voters for approval on Tuesday, May 21.
Saugerties Central School District
(Five running for three open seats)
Robert Thomann (incumbent)
Occupation: I’m a retired school administrator. My first eight years in public education I worked as a school psychologist. I became convinced that I could help more students by implementing systemwide changes, that led me to get certified in administration. I worked for 26 years as an administrator in alternative education.
Prior school board experience: I have been a member of the Saugerties Board of Education for 12 years. For the past nine years, I have been elected president of the board for each of those years by a unanimous vote.
What made you want to run for the school board? I was blessed to have an opportunity for a great education and a career as a professional educator. I want to pay it forward to the community so that the students of Saugerties can reach their fullest potential.
What are the most pressing issues facing the Saugerties School District? First is safety and security. We live in an ever-changing world where schools have been subject to violent incidents. These incidents create anxiety in students across the country which negatively impacts their ability to learn. I want the students of Saugerties to feel safe and secure so they can fully engage in their education and reach their fullest potential.
Second is NYS’s formula for school funding. Governor Hochul was three weeks late on presenting a budget this year while her family income tripled. Anyone else who was three (weeks late) would be fired. This delay created a great deal of anxiety for employees who weren’t sure if they would have a job. It resulted in countless extra hours for superintendents and business officials as they had to create multiple budget scenarios due to the lack of info from NYS. There are wealthy school districts in NYS that do not need state aid. They use state aid to add enhancements that other districts can only dream about. Poorer districts as in Ulster County are dependent on state aid. The way school districts (are funded) in NYS needs to be changed so that it is equitable for every student in NYS.
Third: Saugerties needs to pursue alternative pathways to graduation. Since my time on the board. Students are now able to pursue up to two years of college credit before they graduate. This saves our families thousands of dollars in tuition in these precarious economic times. Saugerties has local industry that is having difficulty finding qualified workers. The district needs to create partnerships with local industries to create additional employment opportunities for our graduates.
Sakinah Irizarry
Occupation: Owner, Sakinah Irizarry, LMT
Do you have prior school board experience? No.
What made you want to run for school board? It is an opportunity to effect positive change for all students.
What are the most pressing issues facing the school district? Security is undoubtedly top of mind, and I’d like to extend that definition to what makes school secure for all children beyond their vital physical safety. Another issue is attracting and retaining professionals who directly support our students; I’d like to see this reflect the diversity of our student body, a priority affirmed by many in a recent district strategic planning session. Providing students with the equitable resources and education necessary to become empathetic and empowered stewards of society is a goal; how we invest in that as a community is another issue.
Katie Emerson-Hoss
Occupation: Associate director for the EarlyEdU Alliance, leading a national project to improve early childhood teacher preparation.
What made you want to run for school board? Most immediately, I wanted to ensure that there would be a sufficient number of candidates for the League of Women voters to hold a debate; I believe we need as many opportunities as possible where we publicly discuss education. Additionally, I served two prior terms (2016-2022) where I deeply enjoyed the collaborative work we did together to 1) increase graduation rates and academic opportunities in the high school, 2) move the culture from one of compliance to engagement most readily seen in the credit recovery program and student involvement in developing the code of conduct, and 3) begin the sometimes painful process of making the district more ‘right sized’. Especially since my primary work is remote and has a national scope, it is essential for me to engage with and provide service to my local community and my experience and love of building systems for child and adult learning is something I can offer.
What are the most pressing issues facing the district? 1) Getting the district ‘right-sized’ while retaining the most enlivening and skilled staff; what I understand from current board members is we have staffing in the district for average grade sizes of about 220 and, aside from the 7th grade anomaly, we currently have grade sizes closer to 170. This imbalance doesn’t let us grow in a way that is flexibly responsive to student needs. 2) Providing equitable access to learning opportunities: for the students with high grades that are told “that isn’t for you” when expressing interest in hands-on ‘tech’ courses to the students who are told “if you need help, AP or Honors courses aren’t for you,” AND for the early childhood teaching staff since we know the quality of care received in the early years affects the trajectory of learning over the course of their school career. 3) Growing apprenticeship programs along with dual enrollment college courses and working to improve the special education and guidance programs.
Marlene Anderson-Butler
Occupation: School district administrator
Do you have prior school board experience? No, but I understand the responsibility of a school board member in supporting policy in all aspects of public education. My experiences as a school district employee for my entire career makes me very qualified as a school board member. Simply, I know what questions to ask to best serve our community and schools.
What made you want to run for school board? I am a life-long resident of Ulster County. I believe it is important to give back through volunteering. I want to have an impact on the educational policies and decisions that directly impact students, serving as a voice for the various stakeholders. Serving as a school board member in the decision- making process would allow for me to promote and encourage transparency and ensure accountability. My experiences working as a school psychologist and school district administrator have served me well in working with school boards at various levels. I understand the complexity and responsibility of running a school district, whether it be budgets, school law, personnel, curriculum or supporting exceptional learners. I believe it is important to balance the needs of the community with the needs of the school district. This happens best through effective policy making.
What are the most pressing issues facing the school district? School boards face many pressing issues related to providing quality education to meeting the needs of students, teachers and communities.
1. Fiscal Responsibility — funding and budget constraints are happening across New York State. What is the impact for Saugerties and how can we best respond to meet budget, student needs and keep taxes down in supporting a budget to meet these challenges? Are all stakeholders represented for the required committees at Saugerties that discuss these pressing issues in the challenging fiscal climate?
2. School safety and security — provide a safe and secure learning environment that meets student mental health needs, instructional technology and building level safety upon entering the campus.
3. Teacher recruitment and retention — address competitive salaries, professional development opportunities and working conditions. Recruit diverse populations. Simply does Saugerties teacher population represent the student population?
Michael Meyer
Occupation: Governmental program manager
Prior School Board experience: I have attended meetings but have not been a member of school board.
What made you want to run for School Board? As a 14-year resident of the district with two daughters attending Saugerties schools, I have a vested interest in ensuring our schools provide the highest quality education possible. I believe that my passion for education, coupled with my professional and academic background in public administration, translates well to the school board, where I can apply skills in strategic planning, budgeting and program development. As a school board member, I would be committed to advocating for all students and open communication and collaboration between the school board, parents, teachers and the community
What are the most pressing issues facing the school district?
1. Equitable access to educational resources and programs that empower all students to reach their full potential.
2. The cost-effective use of district funds to ensure our schools remain strong and competitive.
3. Establishing a proper balance in the appropriate amount and use of technology in classroom settings.
Saugerties Central School District budget
The SCSD will present a $75,173,678 budget proposal for the 2024-25 school year, a spending increase of 5.69 percent over the current plan. For the budget to succeed, it will have to receive the support of a supermajority of 60 percent or greater at the polls, as the district will ask for a tax levy increase greater than their 3.62 increase limit presented by the state; the budget proposal comes with a tax levy increase of 4.91 percent.
School officials have noted that passing a budget with a state limited 3.62 percent tax levy increase would equal $4,713 for a home assessed at $300,000, and a 4.91 percent tax levy increase would equal $4,770 for the same home.
The budget process has proven difficult for the SCSD, with the elimination of numerous position considered. The spending plan as presented maintains the district’s pre-K program; AP at Cahill Elementary School; art and music levels; an athletic trainer; armed security; one social worker and one psychologist at each building, with staff support from private schools; one floating multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) teacher as an additional support to the building with the highest need; one instructional coach; two reading teachers; non-mandated teaching assistants assigned by building leaders; and an advocacy specialist.
Reductions in the proposed budget include a part time counselor; part time Spanish certified teacher; part time French certified teacher; one full time library media specialist; a full time science certified teacher; one full time math certified teacher; one ELA certified teacher; two full time typists; math, ELA, social studies, science, and technology lead teachers; the reduction of a full time nurse to part time; three full time instructional coaches; one full time MTSS teacher; the elimination of 10 part-time teaching assistants, the equivalent of 6.5 full time positions; and the reduction of elementary after school busing from Monday-Thursday, to Tuesday and Wednesday.
The spending plan also includes moving a full time technology certified teacher to computer science; the shift of one full time head custodian and one full time maintenance positions to a director of facilities; and the addition of a part time ENL teacher and one full time speech teacher, the latter partially offset by reimbursement from Ulster County.
Even with the cuts and the potential tax levy increase, the district still had to overcome a deficit of $2,577,767, which it would achieve by tapping into its employee retirement system (ERS) reserve ($852,615), teacher retirement system (TRS) reserve ($764,000) and fund balance ($961,152).
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