Voters across the state will hit the polls on Tuesday, May 19 to decide the fate of their local school districts’ operating budgets, as well as a slate of candidates running for boards of election. Below is a brief primer on the budget proposals for the Kingston, Saugerties, New Paltz and Onteora local school districts. Hudson Valley One also reached out to the candidates for board of education. They were each given a maximum of 250 words to answer one question: What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district? Below are the district-by-district responses from those who met our deadline, along with the names of those who did not. Candidates appear in the order provided by each school district.
Kingston City School District
Seven candidates are vying for four open seats on the Kingston City School District (KCSD) Board of Education. Three of the seats are for three-year terms, while the fourth is for a one-year term.
Erika Bernabei
Occupation: Equity and results, equity facilitator, policy expert
Do you have previous school board experience? If so, when have you served?
Yes, I was appointed for a one-year term (currently) and I am running for a three-year term.
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
Children will build our future world. During these very difficult and painful times, we must work together to make sure all kids thrive in our schools.
The new board must ensure that we strengthen trust, communication and transparency — building deeper and more committed communication and relationship, building processes with families, community members, teachers and staff to guide equitable and academically impactful policies and budgets. The board must believe and behave in a way that honors the expertise of people closest to the problem and includes them in developing policy solutions and the future budget.
Secondly, we need to ensure that all students are on track academically and that we have the best tools and school configurations for teachers and staff to get this done. We know that our student body has decreased by 800+ students over the past five years and this fact, plus changes to state-aid formulas, requires that we make hard choices with fewer resources. But we must ensure that students and families who have been historically underinvested in and left out of decision making, students with disabilities, BIPOC and immigrant students, LGBTQIA+ students and neurodiverse students have the teachers, staff and materials they need to achieve. Classroom resources must be culturally relevant and support students’ identities.
Finally, we must continue build an open, respectful and accountable school board culture so that we can attract new candidates that reflect the diverse KCSD school population.
Rita Worthington (incumbent)
Did not respond to questionnaire
Marc Rider (incumbent)
Did not respond to questionnaire
Suzanne Jordan
Do you have previous school board experience? If so, when have you served?
I am currently a member of the Ulster County BOCES board and served as a trustee on the Kingston City School Board for three terms from 2016-2025.
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
This is a very challenging time for public education, which is the cornerstone of our democracy. We must advocate for sufficient resources and a fair funding formula that represents the true needs of our students and resources of our community, without further burdening our local taxpayers. Just as rising costs affect our families and local businesses, expenses have increased greatly for our school districts. We must transport our students, heat and maintain our buildings while foundation aid is being cut due to a funding formula that is unfair and skewed. I will continue my advocacy for fair funding.
I am interested in ensuring all our students are provided a safe, welcoming environment where they are taught to think critically and provided with the skills needed to be successful in this challenging and complicated world. As a trustee, I understand my role and strive to support the professionals who are responsible for making that happen for ALL of our students. I have served on the policy committee for many years as a board trustee and this past year as a community volunteer. Policy is an important responsibility of the board and where we express our values and goals.
I appreciate the need for schools, families and community partners to support one another’s efforts on behalf of all of our children. We have different roles, but we share a common goal. Communication between all parties is something we must continually work toward improving.
Michael Detweiler
Occupation: NYS Thruway Authority — electrician
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
The district is facing multiple challenges of spiraling costs, decreasing enrollment and decreasing revenues. This is placing increased financial pressures on the district as well as families. We must work together to insure that all available resources are allocated where most needed, to the children and the front line direct contact staff that are performing the hands-on work of educating our children. The board must work together cohesively and creatively to negotiate these challenging conditions are met and that the educational needs of the children are met, which is everyone’s priority. Also, in these times more than ever, the board must be an effective communications conduit for families, to assist in the flow of information and to act as an advocate for those not in the room.
Anthony Fitzpatrick
Occupation: Writer
Do you have previous school board experience? If so, when have you served?
I was elected in 2024 to a three-year term. My resignation in January 2026 was a constructive discharge, forced by the superintendent.
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
Corrupt leadership
Louisa Solomon
Occupation: Rabbi, Jewish Liberation Learning
Do you have previous school board experience? If so, when have you served?
n/a
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
These are scary times — our communities are under attack here in our district and around the country: immigrants, people of color, queer and trans folks, people with disabilities. In this painful context, I want to be part of a school district where we fight for and protect every child’s right to an excellent education. I want every child in Kingston to go to school knowing we believe in them, knowing they are safe at school and with access to the services and support they need to get the education they deserve.
To do this work, we need to stay grounded in our values and we need to be courageous. If I am elected to the BOE, I am committed to building trust with the community; listening deeply to students, parents and all community members; and I will not back down from speaking uncomfortable truths that need to be spoken. We need to make difficult budgetary decisions in the light of day, with broad community participation and transparency. We need to set priorities as a community and seek the guidance of those with relevant expertise to partner on developing equitable, meaningful policy. We need to support our teachers and get them the tools and resources they need to truly serve every child.
KCSD budget
The KCSD is seeking public support for a proposed $258,079,830 budget for the 2026-27 school year.
The proposal includes a significant staff reduction of 59 positions, though according to district officials, the cuts of active positions are down from 29 to 14 over the past month thanks to an increase in the number of eliminations through retirement incentives. The active staff eliminations are expected to come from the Kingston Teachers Federation (KTF), education support professionals (ESP) and administrators. Changes to the district’s students with disabilities placements may bring back some employees sooner than later, said district officials.
The spending proposal represents a 3.31 percent rise over the 2025-26 budget, and comes with a tax levy of $130,877,575, a 4.04 percent increase and the maximum allowable by the state. The budget proposal uses reserve allocations totaling $12.1 million to cover costs.
A chart of “major changes” in the budget presentation includes increases in debt service ($6,958,300), employee benefits ($3,160,000), contractual expenses ($232,030) and transportation ($232,030). Originally, the latter was significantly higher, but superintendent Paul Padalino said changes in arrival and dismissal times, as well as other changes, may yield a savings of around $600,000.
There are also reductions in the “major changes” portion of the budget, including $200,000 in salaries and $1,801,400 in special education tuition, the latter the result of a focus on serving students within the district.
Polls will be open at all seven of the district’s elementary schools on May 19 from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
For more information, visit: www.kingstoncityschools.org/ourdistrict/budget-information
New Paltz Central School District
The New Paltz Central School District (NPCSD) has three open seats and just two candidates on the ballot.
Johanna Herget
Occupation: Owner of Five Leaves Acupuncture
Do you have previous school board experience? Yes. If so, when have you served?
Yes, 2021-2024
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
One of the main roles of a board member is to oversee the fiscal management of the district. Over the past several years, growing costs have had a significant impact on the school budget much like we have felt in our own budgets at home. With several years of deficits, it will be important to keep a close eye on spending and continually look for new ways to save.
The board has been considering consolidation to address budget concerns. There are many aspects to consider when deliberating such a significant decision. I look forward to reading through all the information gathered and carefully listening to all members of the community in order to dive into this discussion and see what makes the most sense for our district.
State wide and within our own schools we have faced over a decade of enrollment decline. As a parent with three children in district, I realize it is important to consider how this change reflects not only in our budget but also in our programming.
Some may say the biggest changes facing our district are the curriculum changes taking place as our district also develops and adjusts to the portrait of a graduate framework. We will need to continue to be mindful to prioritize support for our staff through these changes.
As a consensus-minded person by nature, I am always open to conversations, am willing to explain details and generally take a logical and reasoned approach. I look forward to hearing from you.
Michel Henry
Do you have previous school board experience? Yes. If so, when have you served?
I have no previous BOE experience.
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
The safety of all school attendees is priority number one. All school attendees. The number-two priority is the quality of education they get.
I realize there is a problem in this school board since only two candidates are coming forward for three openings. It’s the second time (that I know of) that we will have write-in candidates. Voters have little knowledge of those candidates. I want to try and help fix this problem. Maybe one issue is that the public has no feedback since the question period is not being live streamed anymore. I am in favor of this live stream.
I also want to work on the budget to see if the taxes reflect the wishes of the paying public.
NPCSD budget
Residents in the NPCSD will have their say about a $78,186,369 budget proposal for the 2026-27 school year, a spending plan that comes with a 3.86 percent tax levy increase. The budget is a more than $2 million increase from the current year’s total of $76,095,330, which despite including a larger tax levy increase of 4.35 percent, was approved by voters by a margin of 1,038-369.
District officials pointed out for the first time in a few years, staffing reductions in the spending plan are only a result of attrition. She budget proposal cuts three positions, two of which are vacancies — one at the elementary level and another in high school with a special education focus — with the third a transfer of an MSR teacher to a vacant special education position, and consolidating MSR services into AIS reading. Those three moves will save the district $385,316.
At around 70 percent, the $53,480,595 raised through the local tax levy is by far the largest piece of the district’s revenue pie. State aid, an anticipated $20,027,754, is roughly 27 percent. Other revenues, including PILOTs, tuition, rentals and Medicaid, bring in an estimated $2.5 million.
With expenses estimated to cost $78,571,685, district officials had to find their way out of a $2,609,316 hole. The budget will see the district make up ground thanks in part to high interest rates bringing in more revenues from investments than anticipated, and health insurance costs were lower than the district expected.
The remainder will be accounted for by using around $2,224,000 from a variety of fund balances: $800,000 from the TRS reserve, $300,000 from the ERS reserve, $200,000 from workers compensation reserve, $154,000 of the remaining 2015 MS Capital Project, and $770,000 of unrestricted fund balance. The district will still have $8,319,538 in reserves, and both unappropriated and appropriated funds.
Among the district’s budgeted expenses is two 65 passenger buses, and two 20 passenger buses, for a total of $533,500.
Also out for voter approval in May will be a $1 million capital project that will use existing savings for a wide range of facility upgrades not covered by a recently passed $17 million facilities project.
Among the projects under consideration for the $1 million facilities plan include a new football scoreboard with video ($110,000); air-conditioning in the high school auditorium ($325,000); new scoreboards and shot clocks in both the high school and middle school gymnasiums ($45,000); sound systems for both gymnasiums ($85,000); a food trailer for the football field, various outdoor events, and the culinary program ($85,000) that would replace the existing concession stand set for demolition when new bleachers are installed; blue outside lockdown/lockout lights to enhance security ($130,000); flexible seating for classrooms ($50,000); and middle school playground equipment ($20,000).
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. in the New Paltz High School gymnasium.
For more information, visit: www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us/our-departments/business-office/2025-2026-budget
Onteora Central School District
The Onteora Central School District (OCSD) has three open seats and two candidates on the ballot.
Aubrey O’Neal
Occupation: Senior design director
Do you have previous school board experience? If so, when have you served?
I don’t have any previous school board experience, but I’m looking forward to learning and being mentored by the great trustees of the Onteora School Board.
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
As a potential board member and as a parent, I believe the most pressing issues that the district faces is setting policy for technology use in schools and fiscal responsibility. In the past few years, Onteora has been consumed with consolidation and the capital project. I’m excited to turn the focus to academics and making sure that we are paying attention to the impact that technology, like AI, is having on our kids. Setting guardrails on when and how AI can be used in our schools and making sure our students are taught to think critically, should be a priority. I also believe in continuing to make fiscal responsibility a top issue. The administration at Onteora has given the district a wonderfully unique position of having a healthy and stable fund to support our needs without borrowing or incurring debt. We are fortunate that this capital reserve allows us to feel a sense of safety in times of declining enrollment and increasing costs. Although that doesn’t seem like a pressing issue, I believe that it is up to the school board to continue to be diligent and protect this position for the health of the school, its students and staff. I intend to join the audit committee as a board trustee and I hope to understand where and how the district’s money is spent. Come out to vote on May 19th and please support an amazing write-in candidate, Faedra Dagirmanjian, for board trustee as well!
Caroline Jerome (incumbent)
Did not respond to questionnaire
OCSD budget
Voters in the OCSD will have their say about a $66,481,500 budget proposal for the 2026-27 school year that meets the district’s state-mandated 2.48 percent tax levy increase.
District officials have noted that the spending plan maintains student programs, even with rising costs in property and auto insurance rates (10 percent increase), electricity (30 percent increase), out of district special education placements (13.7 percent increase), and employee health insurance premiums (11 percent increase).
The budget was balanced in part by using $2,962,485 in fund balance reserves. An additional $1 million transfer to the capital line will fund the completion of numerous projects at Onteora Middle/High School, including elevator repairs, asbestos removal and ceiling replacement, replacing the middle school’s gymnasium floor, flooring upgrades pin the counseling offices and learning center, server room repairs and selected paving and roof repairs.
Voters will also decide the fate of a second proposition on the ballot, whether to authorize the establishment of a capital reserve fund in the ultimate amount not to exceed $10 million over a probable term of ten years. The funds would be reserved for construction and renovation projects, including recommendations from the five-year capital facilities plan; the purchase of zero-emission school buses, including associated infrastructure upgrades and maintenance. The capital reserve fund would be funded through transfers from unappropriated and unassigned fund balances.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. at Onteora Middle/High School.
For more information, visit: www.onteora.k12.ny.us/departments/business-office
Saugerties Central School District
The Saugerties Central School District (SCSD) is also facing an election with fewer candidates than there are available seats. Two incumbents — president Jeffrey Riozzi and Timothy Wells are running for reelection, while fellow trustee Carole Kelder is not. A fourth seat is also open after trustees declined to appoint anyone to serve on a seat vacated by former president Robert Thomann, who resigned last December.
Jeffrey Riozzi (incumbent)
Occupation: Strategy Consultant
Do you have previous school board experience? If so, when have you served?
Completing my three-year term. First year as vice president, last two as president.
What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing your district?
Student Welfare
This includes ensuring their safety, monitoring their mental health and meeting diverse learning requirements. What it takes to successfully meet the needs in each of these areas is a constantly changing landscape. Whether advancing personnel training or having the most up-to-date policies and procedures, the district must maintain the ability to continually adapt to meet these needs.
Financial due diligence
Over the next couple of years, the district will experience a wave of staff retirements. How the implications of these retirements are handled, along with possible district reconfiguration and asset disposition will be critical factors in strengthening the district’s financial outlook over the near and long term. Saugerties also needs to establish a recurring cycle of capital improvement projects. Most districts complete a major project every three to five years, Saugerties has done one in the last 10-15 years. All of our buildings will require fundamental maintenance and updates over the next couple of years. It is important that we are proactive on this front instead of continuing the reactive cycle.
Leadership
The paramount short-term issue before the board is identifying the correct person to lead the district. The current state and future requirements of the district highlight the need for an experienced executive who can build teams across all areas of the operation. It is crucial that the individual is responsive, clear and thoughtful in communication and decision-making.
Timothy Wells (incumbent)
Did not respond to questionnaire
The SCSD budget
The SCSD will present an $83,758,576 budget proposal for the 2026-27 school year.
The spending plan comes with a 3.15 percent tax levy increase, at the state cap for the district, thus requiring only a simple majority at the polls to pass.
Among the expenditure increases identified in the budget summary are property insurance (52.34 percent), board of education and central administration (18.89 percent), BOCES services (15.26 percent), transportation (13.32 percent) and debt services (6.2 percent).
The budget also includes the cost of adding the equivalent of 13.5 full-time teacher aides and assistants to meet the needs of 504 and IEP students, and the hiring of an assistant superintendent of human resources and instructional leadership, a recommendation of a recent external audit. The equivalent of two full-time learning community teachers, four full-time learning community teacher assistants, one junior high special education position and a part-time junior-senior high counselor are also among the additions for the 2026-27 school year.
The district initially planned savings by reducing the armed security contracted through Goshen-based Atlas Security Services from four to one, with the junior-senior high school campus still covered. Door monitors and a school resource officer will take their place at the elementary level. But after community pushback, that change is no longer on the cards.
To overcome a nearly $4.5 million shortfall, the budget includes numerous staff reductions through retirement, the elimination of a universal Pre-K nursing position, reductions in overtime and extra pay approval and the elimination of superfluous transportation routes. And $1.7 million of fund balance and reserves will also be used to balance the budget.
The balance in the various district reserves as of April 21 is nearly $12 million, including capital reserves ($4,703,252), the employee retirement system ($3,121,385), the teacher retirement system ($2,293,087) and the employee benefit liability reserve ($1,269,264).
Polls will be open in the Saugerties Junior High gymnasium from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 19.
For more information, visit: www.saugerties.k12.ny.us/our-district/budget-finance
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