October Board Briefs
The December 10 Capital Project vote will take place in the wrestling room at the Onteora Middle/High School campus in Boiceville. This site offers ADA accessibility, spacious facilities to support high voter turn-out, ample well-lit on-site parking, and adequate space for voters to wait inside in the warmth. Poll workers will support an efficient and consistent voting process for all residents at the central location.
To make voting convenient, polls will be open from 7 AM to 9 PM—a significant extension from past elections—giving residents additional flexibility to cast their votes at times that work best for them.
In addition, Applications for Early Mail Ballots are available on the District’s website and will be widely available across the community, including at our school buildings and many community locations. Early Mail Ballots offer a simple, secure, and convenient way to skip the lines and vote from home. Learn more about Early Mail Ballots and where to pick one up.
Last year, the Rockefeller Institute of Government agreed with Governor Hochul that schools like ours are “overfunded,” which is clearly explained in this video the Governor’s Office shared last year. When the formula that determines Foundation Aid is revised to account for our significant loss in enrollment (a 50+% decrease over the past 20 years), Onteora is liable to experience a substantial loss of Foundation Aid.
Adding to these concerns, an August 2025 press release from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli outlines alarming projections of state budget deficits that could accelerate the negative funding impact.
These financial realities have weighed heavily on the Board as we made the difficult decision to close Woodstock Elementary School at the end of the 2027–2028 school year and transition to a Central Campus. We believe the December 10 Capital Project Vote is a proactive step to protect both students and taxpayers from the significant impact of any future adjustment to the State’s Foundation Aid formula, which would significantly decrease funding based on current enrollment levels.
Proposition 1 was proposed to address these concerns and represents the Board’s and administration's hope that our elementary school can remain a K-5 configuration. However, if the proposition is not approved, then we have built a generous planning window for the alternative—an important factor to create a well-designed transition plan and to be fair to our teachers, administrators, building staff, and families.
Student Spotlight - Arnoldo Umana
We were so proud to see one of our District’s students, Arnoldo Umana, take center stage at the official ribbon-cutting for the new Ulster BOCES Career Academies at iPark 87 earlier this month. Sharing the stage with business executives, elected officials (including US Congressman Pat Ryan), and even the NYS Commissioner of Education herself, Dr. Betty A. Rosa, his confidence and poise captured everyone’s attention.
Arnoldo attends the Ulster BOCES Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning program and spends half of his day at the Ulster BOCES Career Academies at iPark 87’s Law & Public Service Academy. He delivered an eloquent and heartfelt speech about his experiences in the program to an audience of nearly 200 educators, business and industry leaders, government officials, state education representatives, and higher education partners, and more than 100 BOCES staff and young professionals. The Onteora Board members in attendance were beaming with pride.
The Board extends a warm welcome to our new Student Board Representative, Jenny Albright! Jenny is a dedicated and curious learner who enjoys exploring new ideas and perspectives. She serves as President of the Art Club and is also an active member of the Science Olympiad, Philosophy/Lyceum Club, Debate Club, The Talon (the High School newspaper), and the National Honor Society. In addition, she is an avid reader who has spent the past year volunteering in the school library as a book shelver and all-around helper.
“Although I never would have thought of being a student rep, I am finding it to be interesting and rewarding,” says Jenny.
We appreciate Jenny’s thoughtful approach, calm demeanor, logical perspective, and meaningful contributions to appropriate Board discussions—qualities that make her an outstanding representative of her peers.
