Section: Croton-on-Hudson Board of Education
March 12, 2008
Croton School District Bond Measures Fail to Pass
Yesterday, Tuesday, March 11, 2008, voters in the Croton-Harmon school district voted against both pending bond referendums put forward by the board of education that totaled $7 million in planned spending.
Bond Referendum 1—that included various education and safety considerations pegged at $4.6 million—failed by a margin of 513 to 449. Also rejected was Bond Referendum 2—for health and wellness improvements estimated at $2.4 million—which lost by a wider margin of 567 to 390.
Complete details about the proposed bond and information about the Croton-Harmon Unioin Free School District can be found on their website, at www.croton-harmonschooldistrict.org.
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March 5, 2008
Croton-Harmon School District Budget Workshop Set for Saturday
Why not wake up early Saturday morning, March 8, 2008, and get over to the Croton Harmon High School Community Room at 8:00 AM?
There you will find, by public invitation, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marjorie Castro, Director of Finance and Administration Diane Chaissan, Director of Staff and Pupil Personnel Services Kusum Sinha, the District’s building principals and other administrators, and the Board of Education, who during a day-long workshop will present the District’s 2008-09 budget.
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May 16, 2007
Croton Harmon School District Budget Passes
Voters in Croton-on-Hudson collectively passed the proposed 2007-08 school district budget—pegged at $39.7 million—with 701 to 493 votes. The adopted budget now makes way for for a tax increase of 6.9 percent for residents of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson and the Town of Cortlandt while residents of Yorktown will see a 16.5 percent increase.
Additionally, voters passed the $709,945 budget for the Croton Free Library with 801 to 377 votes. And, a proposition for purchasing two new school buses for $171,200 also passed with 705 to 463 votes.
Among the four candidates in the school board race, Beth Roth was re-elected with newcomer Teri Lukin, who was one of three write-in candidates. Incumbent Marshall Goldberg and Linda Conte were the other candidates seeking a seat on the board.
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May 12, 2007
I too am a Write-in Candidate for Upcoming School Board Election from Linda Conte
To Croton School District Residents:
In the absence of any announced candidates for one of the open positions on the Croton-Harmon School Board, I am writing to announce that I am a write-in candidate for that opening.
Now retired after more than thirty years in public education in Westchester, as a teacher, special education teacher, school social worker, clinical coordinator for a regional educational service and finally as a CPSE/CSE (Committee on Pre-School Special Education/Committee on Special Education) chairperson, I am dedicated to the idea that public education is our best investment for the future.
In addition, as a former Drug-Free Communities Grant coordinator, I am committed to finding ways to help communities work together to provide a safe, positive environment for our youth. As an almost life-long resident of Westchester and a Croton school district resident since 1963, I also hope that my experiences working as a mediator, board member, and adjunct professor will be an asset to the Croton-Harmon schools.
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May 11, 2007
Asking Residents for Their Support in School Board Election from Teri Lukin
To the Croton Community,
I am writing to ask you to support me as a write-in candidate in the upcoming School Board Member Election for the Croton-Harmon School District.
Having served the community in a variety of roles, I feel I can offer a fresh perspective that reflects the values of the parents and residents of the district. As President of Croton Little League from 2001 to 2006, I learned how a board with diverse perspectives can best work together to move forward on shared goals. During the seven years I served on the Little League Board, I often collaborated with Croton Village and School District officials and have developed a good understanding of both governing systems.
My family and I have been residents of Croton since 1987. I have two children, one in the Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School and one in Croton-Harmon High School. This year, I joined the board of CHEF—the Croton-Harmon Education Foundation—and also served on the CHHS Building Planning Council, as a PTSA representative. I am also serving on our district-wide Wellness Committee, creating an overarching Wellness Policy to guide students to healthy lifestyles through sound nutritional choices and physical fitness.
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May 9, 2007
My Desire for Write-In Votes in Upcoming School Board Election from Marshall Goldberg
Too often, many of us find our lives running a bit more quickly than we’d prefer; a situation in which I, rather recently, found myself.
Amid the clutter of employment responsibilities, the completion of two additional Master’s degrees (in education, this time), school board responsibilities, work on behalf of the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Assn., the Regional Educational Advocacy Districts (READ), Destination Imagination, and the remaining aspects of ordinary life, I found my current school board term expiring at a moment in which the careful, thoughtful consideration that this decision requires was, to put it mildly, elusive. With a mostly completed petition, and time run out, I left to attend the National School Boards Association convention, seeking to further my knowledge and perspective, network with others from throughout the nation, and bring back materials and notes for sharing with those Croton board members unable to attend.
My regret for not having decided the issue earlier was palpable, but my respect for the commitment and responsibilities associated with school board service was its equal. The role has become more complex through the years and, doing the job well, to the greatest benefit of students and taxpayers cannot be engaged idly. Instead, the challenge must be met with purpose, dedication and intellectual intensity.
Given the opportunity for such reflection, I’ve found that my passion for the Croton-Harmon school district, and public education, remains as intense as ever. My interest in innovation, improvement, and challenging the limitations imposed by others is unabated. The opportunity the convention afforded to learn from others, to assess new research, and to see our district from another vantage point, deeply reasserted those core beliefs.
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April 6, 2007
Croton Harmon School Budget Cuts to Cause Staff Layoffs
The 2007 school budget is coming up. The school board and Dr. Castro have decided to lay off a number of support staff employees. They will also be asking for an increase in the budget. The big question to me is what exactly do they gain by this decrease in staff? They will not be adding anything to the district only taking away.
I, as a tax payer would rather pay a higher increase in the budget and not see services taken away from our children! Really how much more could it cost? It just doesn’t make sense to not gain something by changes that create a loss!
— Kevin Mulligan
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March 9, 2007
Croton Harmon Board of Education to Review 2007-08 Budget Saturday
Wake up early Saturday morning, March 10, 2007, and get over to the Croton Harmon High School library at 8:00 AM. There you will find, by public invitation, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marjorie Castro and the Board of Education, who during a day-long workshop, will present the 2007-08 budget.
According to the workshop schedule, the meeting will begin at 8:00 AM with a financial overview and review. At 9:00 AM, discussions regarding the high school will continue until 9:45 AM, where a presentation of proposed athletic expenditures will continue until 10:15 AM. Budget review for Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School will take place until 11:00 AM, followed by a presentation for Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School until 11:45 AM. Review of the transportation budget immediately begins after at 11:45 AM, at 12:15 PM, buildings and grounds will be discussed, and then followed at 1:00 PM with BOCES and special education talks. The last topic on the agenda for the workshop meeting begins at 1:30 PM and includes public discussion on possible modifications to the budget proposal.
According to Dr. Castro, with the proposed budget in place, residents can expect an increase of 7.8% to the school district’s property taxes in Cortlandt and Yorktown. Contributing to the increase are nearly 6% in expenses, “carry-over” from last year and a cut of $460,000 in state operating funding—that begins July 1, 2007.
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May 17, 2006
Croton Harmon School District Budget Passes
Yesterday voters in Croton-on-Hudson narrowly approved a 38 million dollar budget for the Croton-Harmon School District by a margin of 69 votes. Out of 1,127 ballots cast at Croton Harmon High School, the 9.4% tax hike passed 53% to 47%. Also up for vote was a bond referendum for the purchase of two school buses—which also passed with 610 “Yes” votes to 510 “No” votes. In the Board of Education race, Kathryn Brechner and Eugene Perl—who ran uncontested—retained their seats.
Additionally, the Croton Free Library budget was overwhelmingly approved by Croton residents with 694 “Yes” votes to 422 “No” votes.
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May 16, 2006
Croton-Harmon School District Vote Today
Voting for the Croton-Harmon School District budget, Croton Free Library budget, bond referendum and Board of Education election is being held at Croton-Harmon High School on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Additionally, the district concert and student art show is scheduled from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the high school..
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April 1, 2006
R.E.A.D. Seeks Legislative Changes in Public Education
Dr. Tom Rogers—Executive Director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents—will lead a presentation sponsored by R.E.A.D. (Regional Educational Advocacy Districts of Westchester-Putnam) on Thursday, April 20, 2006, beginning at 7:00 PM in the Briarcliff High School Auditorium to discuss the effects of new state and national school reforms on local school districts like Croton Harmon.
R.E.A.D. was established two years ago when several neighboring school districts came together to consider issues of mutual concern and to strategize solutions. The R.E.A.D. advocacy group is made up of board members and superintendents from the Briarcliff, Croton-Harmon, Garrison, Haldane and Hendrick Hudson school districts who meet monthly to discuss ongoing legislative issues that impact:
- Fair and sufficient funding
- Mandate reduction
- Local control
- Standardized testing
- Factors driving local property tax increases and the potential for budget defeats
The group’s challenge is to seek legislative change and to educate residents about hidden costs of legislation and mandates in a region that strongly supports local schools with spiraling tax rates.
Croton-Harmon Board of Education President Marshall Goldberg notes in a R.E.A.D. flyer that, “It is our hope that, in working together, we may achieve what our students, our constituents, and our society most deserve…the finest education possible for each and every child in our communities.”
According to the group’s members, local control by school boards has been diminished by state and federal regulation and mandates while funding deficiencies are growing because of increasing enrollments and costly requirements. Additionally, distant policy-makers are harming and limiting educational programming by defining penalties for performance variations.
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January 5, 2006
Village and School District Partner on Croton Point Ball Fields
Option: Download and watch this video clip of “Village and School District Partner on New Croton Point Ball Fields” in Quicktime format (3:53 mins. | 4.8 mb).
The new year brings forth a new partnership between the Village of Croton-on-Hudson and the Croton Harmon Union Free School District. On January 3, 2006, during the regularly scheduled Village Board of Trustees meeting, a resolution was passed without objection and comes in response to a proposal from the Croton Harmon Board of Education to share 50% of the Village’s expenses for maintaining two new ball fields (slideshow) at Croton Point Park. The newly-renovated fields, paid for by Westchester County, include a baseball diamond and another multi-purpose area – complete with goal posts – which is well-suited for Field Hockey, Football, La Crosse and Soccer.
According to this new resolution, “The Village of Croton on Hudson received a permit from Westchester County authorizing the Village to maintain and manage the new ball fields at Croton Point Park for the 2005 fall season.” As a result of passage, Mayor Dr. Gregory Schmidt is now authorized to sign the agreement with the school district for the utilization of the fields at Croton Point Park.
After passage of the measure, Trustee Leo Wiegman said, “I think it’s good that the school board took the step of putting this in writing. And, I think those fields are important.”
The Village of Croton-on-Hudson Department of Parks and Recreation, headed by Supervisor Sue Menz, will be responsible for providing administrative support for managing the new fields. However, in a memo (download) to Mayor Dr. Gregory Schmidt, Villages Trustees and Village manager Rick Herbek, which was presented at a Village Board Work Session Meeting held on December 12, 2005, Recreation Supervisor Sue Menz expressed many reservations about taking responsibility for the Croton Point ball fields.
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