Putnam Valley Board of Education Meeting - March 12, 2026

001Good evening and welcome to our work session business meeting of March 12th, 2026. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, I'm going to open it up first for public comment on any of the agenda items. I'm not seeing anybody commenting. We'll move on to the consent agenda. Mr. Olivario >> resolved on the recommendation of the superintendent of schools to approve the con consent agenda items 2 through 14 as presented to the board at this meeting. >> Second >> questions or comments. >> The consent agenda includes approval of minutes of the previous meeting cseps placements and amended substitute listing approving amending additional or

002unpaid hours for various staff members. approving additional spring coaches and amending the appointment of a couple of previously approved coaches to either coming from volunteer to an actual coach or the other way around, coach to volunteer. Approving spring 2026 seasonal game day coordinator. Postseason stipens for the winter 202526 season. Sports team mergers for next school year with Brewster for girls ice hockey, Mayapac for girls swimming, Lakeland for boys swimming and ice hockey. We're accepting a donation from the booster club, a very generous donation of a batting cage which has a value of approximately $6,000. A the board is amending an unpaid leave of absent dates. Approving contracts with Garrison for tuition agreement for this current school year and a health and welfare with White Plains for this school year. Approving Dan Turner and Dawn Alera

003as the handle with care deescalation coordinators for next school year. and approving joint bidding with Southern Westchester Boseies for various supplies and services for next school year. Thank you. Any other questions or comments? All in favor? >> I opposed abstensions. The resolutions pass. Um our students are not here. They may be coming. Um so they're not here to give their report, but the superintendent is in in incognito is here to give his report. Good evening. I'm delighted to give this evening's superintendent report in Dr. L's absence. Um, we are so proud to announce our cheerleading, our traditional cheer team competed as section one title winners at the New York State competition which was held on March 6th. Um, and they secured a place in the top five. So, we couldn't be more proud of our

004wonderful cheerleaders and their wonderful coaches. Um, we are thrilled to announce that the PBEF had a very successful young artist night on February 28th. I got to see some beautiful videos from the evening and I, uh, understand there was a lot of wonderful excitement about the art that was presented. So, uh, thank you so much to our PBEF for all that you do for our community. Um, our students had their science research practice night last week and about seven of our students are preparing now to head to WESF. That's the Regeneron Westchester Science and Engineering Fair which is on Saturday, March 14th. We wish them lots of luck. Um we had seal of biiteracy presentations. A big thank you to Paul Pearson and Julian Nelson, the teachers who oversee that wonderful program uh for our

005students who are um excelling in the languages. They receive a seal of biiteracy upon graduation which is terrific. Uh our high school Aspire event happened as well. Congratulations to Julian Vasquez. his photo on canvas of Mirror Lake at Aad Acadia National Park in Maine. It can be seen in the front hallway of Putnham Valley High School. We're so thrilled for Julian. Thank you. Um and we are so excited to announce that our val uh validictorian and a salutotoran Masimo Cartedi and Caitlyn Caruso are a salutatoran. Um they are uh were both celebrated last week and announced. So we're so thrilled for them. Congratulations to them for their excellent hard work. Um some information to share. Dr. Loft attended the Niscus Winter of Institute. That is our New York State superintendent. They gather um every couple

006of uh months to uh learn together and um address new changes in education especially affecting New York State. Uh we are continuing with our PBFT negotiations with a meeting following up next week. Um we are delighted that we have been uh receiving multiple requests from different high schools around uh our region to visit our school here at Putham Valley and see our scheduling, our community lunch and other highlights of our high school, our IB program. So we welcomed North Salem recently and just last week we welcomed Eldrid School District. So those school districts came and visited because they wanted to see the wonderful work happening here and possibly replicated in their own schools and their districts. um our culture and commi uh culture and discipline committee met on Tuesday. Uh wonderful meeting and we had

007Dr. Holly join us. He was a listener um as part of the meeting. He joined several groups uh virtually as we uh discussed um culture and discipline in Putham Valley. And um an announcement for all that our seven snow dates have been used. So at this time we have worked with the union to uh establish that we will pivot for remote learning upon the next emergency day. So any future emergency days we have a plan for remote learning. Principles will be sharing that information specifically with their building families next week. So that information is forthcoming about what that could look like for your child if your child is in one of our buildings. Some upcoming events we have on March 13th, we have our elementary school musical, Schoolhouse Rock. Several of us got to see

008the dress rehearsal this afternoon and it is quite a show. You're in for a treat if you do make it out to the elementary musical tomorrow evening. Um, next week on Friday, we have our superintendent conference day. Our teachers will be gathering for different learning opportunities from co-eing to ENL practices uh to hands with care and it'll be just a wonderful day of learning for all of our staff. Um and we also have our middle school musical coming up Once Upon a Mattress March 20th, 21st and 22nd. So that is next week as well. Our upcoming board of education meeting dates are March 26th. We have a business meeting then continuing to talk about the budget. Um and April 7th a work session business meeting. >> Thank you. Lots going on and I'm sure we've

009missed you got you have all the things that I had. So uh I I don't know if students had any more but there's been a lot happening. That's for sure. >> Barbara, I have one question. Um just about the snow days. Uh Miss Lavine. Um some of them were during state of emergencies and so did we factor that into the number? Yes, that is counting that uh one waiver. >> One had a waiver. One day had a waiver. >> Okay. I thought it was two. >> There were >> I'm pretty sure it was one. >> They wavered the Monday, but not the Tuesday. >> And the the first big storm there was also a state of emergency. >> I don't know about that. >> Dr. But I believe that incorporates all of the days. >>

010Okay, perfect. Thank you. >> Yeah, that may not have been >> the first big one. >> Was that was that a Sunday? >> It was the first 18 in. >> Yeah. And then the one that happened recently Sunday that one and that's why then Monday was a >> Yeah, >> it was clear. >> Okay. >> Yeah, it was it was done by Sunday night, right? >> The cloud guy came Monday. >> Um I have a question for Crystal about the upcoming dates um for the board of ed meetings. I know that I'm not going to be here on the 26th because of the all county music. >> I will be here. Yes. So, we are all set. >> Okay, >> great. >> Tag, you're in. >> Um, okay. Um, our first presentation tonight is the

011budget presentation. I'm going to let um Mrs. Lavine um introduce our speaker. >> Thank you. We'd like to welcome up Dr. Grace Chan to give the budget presentation for Putnham Valley Central School District 2627 school year budget. Got a lot of stuff here. >> Good evening, Board of Ed, parents, staff, community members. Um, tonight we're going to present the superintendent's proposed budget. But first, I would like to thank my staff, Matthew, my treasurer, Karen, Debbie, and my newest hireer, Cynthia. Um, I also want to thank for the collaboration of the administrators and the staff while we prepare this. Also want to thank Mike Lee and Alex Kaufman who helped me use AI to try to make these slides look better. I was very stressed because it started to put in fake numbers and I had

012to go back and forth. So, there's a combination here, but what you see tonight are the uh correct numbers. This slide is a summary slide, but I think it gets to the chase of what everyone's trying to look for. Uh the budget that I'm proposing this evening is 65,254 332. Most importantly, the proposed tax levy is 1.98% and the budget-to budget increase is 3.04%. And in the presentation, you'll see how we got to those numbers. I gave this to you last year and I just wanted to have the public uh have this available. It's the formula for presenting how we get to the property tax cap. It's very complicated and I found this online which is another version of it but this is the numbers that affect Putnham Valley. So the uh we start with

013the prior year tax levy. We multiply the taxbased growth factor that's specific to Putnham Valley. And I've mentioned this before, but I think it deserves another mention tonight that the growth factor reflects the quantity change in taxable property values in the base year. This factor is based on actual physical changes to property tax like new construction of homes, stores, and offices, not just changes in the assessed value of the existing unchanged taxable properties. Next we have the prior year capital exclusions and there are a number of items that go into this and it nets out to 2 million 195647 which we subtract from the uh number above and from that we would get um the allowable levy growth factor. This is what you hear on the news when they always talk about the 2% and

014this year it is 2% but it usually would be the choice of the lesser of CPI or 2%. And then we apply that and then we have a tax levy limit before the exclusions of the current year. To that we add the current year capital exclusions. Once again there are a number of items that go down into this list and that total comes out to 43,412658. That comes out to 1.98% tax cap. The gross levy change in dollars means that we get to add $844 $844,363 to the budget. So this is usually my first starting point because this is the money that we're going to get from the taxpayers to support the bud budget. I'd like to add this in because a lot of people are curious about the historical tax cap inflation factors and

015as you see back in 23 24 the CPI was 8% but we were limited to 2%. This year it's 2.64% but we're still limited to the 2%. >> I'm sorry is that limited by the state or >> that's how who limits it? So the limit is on that one, two, the line that says allowable levy growth factor. Yeah, >> that's the 2%. It would have been CPI or 2%. That's what you read on the news all the time when people say it's 2%. >> Okay, so >> but then what's the 8%. >> The 8% was the CPI >> 8% inflation. >> That was the CPI that year. Got it. Got it. Got it. >> Okay, but this year it's 2.64%. And this is another uh way of looking at that except in a graph form.

016The orange dotted line across is the 2% whereas the blue line is the CPI that's going all over the place on the graph. So this basically is just showing you how much the same um numbers that we had in the beginning that after the tax levy, this is the amount of money that's coming into the budget to support the programs. We like to look at what the tax cap is in our neighboring districts. And as you can see, we're pretty low because we're at 1.98% as compared to some of the other school districts. Some of the key drivers that the superintendent and the uh cabinet has been uh looking at when we prepare the budget are listed here. And of course, we have the contractual salary obligations. We're in negotiations this year for the teachers

017union. We have employee health insurance and statemandated benefits that do increase which are like the ERS and the TRS. Uh we have transportation and operational overhead costs. We have essential instructional program that have needs and updates and we continue the investment in the comprehensive student services. >> What are we estimating the health insurance benefit increases to be? What percentage year-over-year? Well, I didn't actually calculate how much it is in in the budget this year. It would just put it. You'll see um the increase in the budget. Okay. I'll get that number for you. >> Okay. Thank you. I'm just curious. >> This is the uh state aid when we compare it between the neighboring school districts and it's also has last year's numbers and this year's number and the state change. You look at Putnham

018Valley, we had a change of 773,981, which is not absorbent, but I'm always glad when they don't reduce it. >> Yeah, better than it's been. >> And this is another way of looking at the state aid in a bar form. Um, this just gives you the tally of the district enrollments, which I usually get from Mike Lee. And this is a computation of the cost per student versus the enrollment by the district. And you have to recall last year uh when I talked about the cost per student. It depends on what goes into this. This I I retrieved the numbers from the transparency report and that does exclude transportation, charter school tuition, other tuition, debt service, and a little bit of other miscellaneous in order to capture this figure. Here comes the revenue sources for

0192627. Uh we already talked about the school taxes, the 43,412. We just talked about the state aid which is about 17,8008. We have uh a combination of miscellaneous other local revenue which I will get into in a minute. Then we have some transfer in from the debt service and capital projects that have been completed. that money has to be returned to the operating um bud budget of the A fund and then we have some fund balance and reserves. This is how we um would use the revenues because we have to make sure that our revenues equal our expenses. This pie chart is only looking at the 18 million other local revenue service. And that um just wanted to show you again there's a the piece of this as shown as a pie instead of in

020a chart. So the other local revenues I show in the next chart. This is a combination of three big things and one of the biggest things is the garrison tuition that we get this year has been increased to 517790. Okay. This is a three-part budget which uh we're required by law to submit to the state, but I thought you might be interested in knowing that 76% of our money goes into programs. Here are the proposed budget expenses divided up between the categories of how the state likes us to report it to them. Again, instruction is 52%, transportation is 7%, the undistributed is 29%. General support is 10% and interfund transfer is 2%. >> For the public, can you describe what undistributed uh is in in expenses, please, Dr. Chen? >> Yes. Um, just off the

021top of my head, because did a board member did ask me was curious about that recently, there's debt service in there. There's a lot of uh benefits that are goes in >> the insuranceances and things. Correct. Yes. >> Yeah. >> So 71% of our budget is due to salaries and benefits which is not a surprise to anyone and the remaining 29% is funded by the rest of the uh budget operations, special education programs, debt service, technology and transportation. So I feel like this is could be overwhelming for people to look at all these numbers. The first column is what we had adopted from last year's budget. The second column is what I'm proposing in the current year's proposed budget. The third column is the change between the two years and the third and the fourth

022column is the percentage of that item item to the whole budget of the current year. the these will be on the website so people don't have to memorize any of the numbers here. Um there's a line in the budget called transferred capital and that line item tells you what we're spending our money on this year to uh do capital projects in the in the um community. One of the first things that we have is the installation of an outdoor fitness equipment of which we did gain uh $60,000 grant to run this to build this and other items. Uh this is just more pictures of that and once more. Okay, these this is a list of the rest of the capital projects which would probably be best explained by David Spiddle who's gave me the list

023because this is the things that he plans to do in the district on the coming year. >> New stairs, right? Good. >> Um again, this is a a summary slide. The proposition to we're asking you to vote on is for the budget passing of the 65,254 332. These are important dates that are left um before the vote on May 19th. Does anyone have any questions? >> So happy again. You know, the district historically has never broken the cap since the cap has been instituted and this carries on that tradition. Uh and that's tough to do with everinccreasing costs. I don't know what the current circumstances uh circumstances nationally are going to do. We know fuel costs are shooting up right now. Uh barrel of oil is now $100 as compared to just two weeks ago

024was only about 62 $63 uh a barrel. >> It's $4.99 a gallon for oil today from my oil company. >> Yeah. No. and and and if need be, we have reserves to cover those unexpected increases for next year. >> Well, um I'm going to go back to the slide where it might give someone a headache to see all these numbers. >> If you see the operation, it has increased from last year to this year to 430, 109. That scared me when I had a meeting with Dave Spittle, but we understand why. There are a lot of things that are going up and if not for that, maybe my budget to budget would not have been 3.04 because we really tried to keep everything. >> I'm pleased to see that because that's anticipating what very well

025may happen unless you know the the the conflict ceases soon hopefully. Please God. So, we have um regular meetings with our administrators when we start this process. And I did want to point out that special education is going down because Melissa looked carefully at her budget and realize that she probably will be okay with less than what she was granted last year. So, I think everyone in the district is very cognizant of the money and we do our best together >> and that makes the increase in the operations budget not as much of a hit, right? because we're looking to save money in certain departments and then >> and that will I've noticed in the past few years that year by year that the needs vary, right? And sometimes it's one department that gives up

026a little bit to give to a different department and sometimes, you know, the favor is returned the next year when it's needed, right? And so I I really enjoy that you and your team take a really close look at where we can save so that we can be smart about where we have to spend um and and that we're projecting those expenses ahead of time so that we're not in a pickle that we can't handle, you know, later on in the year. It's just really responsible. So thank you for that. >> It's an excellent budget. >> Um >> and we do use the ERS reserves to uh help fund the budget. So, okay, >> that's been something that I've been doing since this is my second year here. So, >> y this is this is

027very good. Dr. Chin, thank you. >> Thank you so much. Absolutely. >> Dr. Chan, quick question. Um, going back to um the 71% 20 salary benefits, 29% um operations and such. Is that consistent with other school districts or >> I would say what's is consistent is that salary and benefits is up in the 70s. That's basically no matter where I worked or where I've been. I mean, we're in the business of teaching kids and our teachers are our commodity. So, you know, that that's very true. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I don't know if you can answer this, but on one of your slides, um the one comparing us to local districts, Henh went down. Um their budget is >> I think you're talking about their tax cap that >> their tax cap. Yeah. >>

028Right. So what happens is that complicated formula that I was telling you about, everyone has to follow that and wherever the numbers fall is where you get to pick your tax cap. The only change you could do is if like what we did last year, what we were allowed to change our tax cap to was like 4.5%. But we didn't. In their case, they went into the negatives. And it might have something to do with for instance when your debt service falls off and then you no longer have that number to put in to the tax cap formula. So without knowing the >> the details of that but that's that's an important thing that has to be collaboration >> with the superintendent to foresee this like we wouldn't come to this point and say oh

029my god it's negative this year like that could not be a surprise that we want to see. So we have to know what's happening. we project for the next five years. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Okay. Thank you very much, Dr. Chen. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. So, we're going to move on to new business. Um there's only four new business items. So, >> okay. resolved on recommendation of the superintendent of schools to appoint Jenna Gargano to a 4-year probationary term as an elementary teacher commencing on September 1st, 2025 and terminating on August 31st, 2029 in the elementary 10-year area at the middle school on step one BA of the PVFT salary schedule. Miss Gargano holds childhood ed 1 through six and students with disabilities 1 through six initial certifications. >> Second questions or

030comments? All in favor? >> I opposed extensions. The resolution passes. >> Number two, please. >> I will just say that this one is an honor for me to do because this is my daughter's kindergarten uh first grade teacher. resolved on the recommendation of the superintendent of schools to appoint Alyssa Arnett to a 4-year probationary term as an elementary teacher commencing on September 1st, 2025 and terminating on August 31st, 2029 in the elementary tenure area at the elementary school on step one BA of the PVFT salary schedule. Miss Arnett holds childhood ed 1-6 and students with disabilities 1 through six initial certifications. >> Second. >> Questions or comments? I have a question for Jackie. Um can you explain these two positions and how they're going from um I guess what were they prior to >> they

031replacement positions and due to shifts in our personnel from retirements to section changes these two positions can now be probationary positions. >> Okay. So just to clarify we're not adding positions. We're correct part of the replacement. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All in favor? >> I opposed extensions. The resolution passes. Number three, please. >> Resolved on the recommendation of the superintendent of schools to accept the resignation of Brandon Cassone from his position of cleaner effective March 1st, 2026 as per document number 151/26 and appoint Mr. custo to the position of custodial worker effective March 2nd, 2026 with a probationary period of 52 weeks mark March 2nd, 2026 through March 1st, 2027 at the operations department at the elementary school on step two of the CEA salary schedule. >> Second. >> Questions or comments? All in

032favor? >> I opposed extensions. The resolution passes. Number four, please. resolved on the recommendation of the superintendent of schools to appoint Mark Mazeras Mazar Reesei to a probationary appointment as a cleaner effective March 16, 2026 with a probationary period of 52 weeks March 15, 2027 at the operations department elementary school on step two of the CSEA salary schedule. >> Second. >> Questions or comments? >> All in favor? I opposed extensions. The resolution passes. Um, I asked uh to change the kind of order of the schedule. Um, so I'm going to we're going to first do board member comments and then I will open it up for public comment. Um, the reason I asked for that was we had talked at our last meeting about discussing the proposed senior exemption. Um, and I wanted to make

033sure we had a full discussion of that this evening. and um so and make a decision of how we're going to move forward. Um and I want to have our discussion before I open it up to the public in case they want to comment also. Um um Dr. Chen, um, before we begin the discussion, I thought it might be helpful if you kind of set us a a short course in in in um budgeting. >> Okay. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to present this. I want to remind you that I'm a messenger of facts. The district does not gain or lose anything either way. And that's important to understand. Uh so I'm going to go through my slides and then maybe if you have questions afterwards. Okay. There are some current property tax exemptions

034right now. Um the following groups receive those. Senior citizens, a disabled citizen, a veterans, and a volunteer firefighter and ambulance workers. The senior citizens receive multiple layers of tax relief. Currently, um, most m municipalities already provide senior citizens with the aged all exemption, which is 50% off the assessed property value. Then they have an enhanced star and then there are other possible relief programs. the exemption will shift to taxpayers other than those receiving those exemptions because it's basically a pie and when you change the slice of the pie, it's still the pie. So that's why I'm saying that the school district does not gain anything or lose anything because they're going to get paid what they have to get paid in order for the budget to um work in the programs of the school. So,

035um, we were tasked to ask what we think this new exemption might have as an impact. And so, we had to go back and forth with the, uh, software program company and they actually were able to write a program for us to pull out the aged all exemptions for the current year that just passed and that amounted to about 239,175. That cost has to be spread to the remaining taxpayers that we normally invoiced. And that results, if you just divide 23,9175 by 4326 invoices, it's about $5529 increase per tax bill. But that's just a quick math. It's not going to work out like that because people's assessed values are all different. >> Depends on assessments. >> Yeah. Yes. And very quick, so the 239,000 um how many does that represent? >> 168. Thank you. Um

036I just want to remind people that there is an impact to the other taxpayers and the many many residents who are not seniors and they will also be on a fixed income such as re young retirees who haven't reached that age uh to get the senior exemption. You have disabled residents who don't qualify for that. Unemployed people or underemployed people. You have single inome households. You have working families that are also facing rising costs. And most important is to understand that when someone says I am a senior, it's because of an age that that they reach. But if you're a senior, you don't automatically qualify this just because you reach that age. There is an income level threshold that you have to make less than that. Therefore, if you're a senior and you make more

037than that, you will not get that exemption, but you will also partake in the redistribution of taxes from the other seniors. So, I think that's an important point to make. Um, so the next slide is just showing that there's when the tax base shrinks, that's the only way I could think of that it would actually affect the school district because now instead of having say 4,500 people, we only have let's say 4,000 people that are paying the taxes of the school district. That's the only way I think and and this is just like in theory. Okay, here's the annual income and the percent of assessed value exemption from taxation. I retrieved this from the town and the district had passed the same thresholds as the town last time they had this exemption. So the first

038three 65% 60% and 55% are new. Okay. And this would be the threshold of the annual income. And I know I was asked to define annual income, but I'm really not prepared to do that. Sorry. Because um I called the town assessor's office because I thought it would be something easy, but it is not easy. But I did get some understanding. So I'm willing to talk about it, but not put it in writing. >> I can also I did a little bit of my own research. So when you're done, I can add whatever I found. But there is a link we can share with anyone who wants to look into it more. But I think they're trying to follow the star reimbursement and how that works. And this year they start with the federal AGI

039and there's two um adjustments that are required to be made. One is to add back interest and dividends that are non-t taxable and um the other one is very complicated. You can't have losses more than $3,000 $3,000 per schedule. And there's five schedules. Like for instance, a schedule E, a schedule C, a schedule F. And like if I start to talk about these people, of course, they're going to ask me what that is. >> I actually know what that is cuz I was a tax accountant, but I'm not in that role here. And I'm not prepared to tell people >> what's wrong or right on their taxes. But just to make you understand that there are two required adjustments. Then there are three adjustments that can be made but is not going to be made

040by the town because they did not adopt it. So basically because they didn't adopt it from the federal AGI, you would subtract your IRA distributions. You would add back your social security that is not taxed because there's a whole formula of how much social security gets taxed. And then there's another one that has to do with um medical uh drugs that has to get added back or subtracted one or the other. Yeah. >> When you do all that, that's how you come up with the income. That that's going to be the role of the town. That's not our role. So >> if you want to ask anyone, maybe you want to ask them. >> No, no, it's fine. It's fine. I didn't know if there was Yeah. >> But I mean, it's a fair question

041to ask like what is the annual income because there was so much talk. Is it the the New York state return? Is it the federal return? And you know, I think that people have heard that president is thinking about not taxing social security altogether. And if that happens, I would imagine they might want to change this formula. But >> this is not going to happen next year. That >> no, >> that's not happening yet. Um, we decided to pull three actual bills because we have the bills and we tried to show you in a simple way what's happening currently on that bill and what could be happening if the senior exemption was increased to 65%. So, if you have a $512,000 home, it's going to be full assessed value at $10,698. That would be the

042taxes that you pay. But this particular person has a few exemptions. The first one was a veterans exemption. The next one is the enhanced star which is the same for everyone. And that is actually funded by the state. Okay. Then they also had a 50% senior exemption. So, they ended up paying $2,479, which represents only 23% of the full tax paid. On the other end, on the other side of this um graph, you see that if you went to 65%, the numbers work out. So, that taxpayer would only pay $911, only 9% of the full taxes >> difference for >> Okay. For a house, that's $512,000. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, we pulled another bill that was a little less, you know, and the these are the numbers. So, this person currently pays 14% of

043the full tax and with the 65% exemption, they would pay nothing. This last one is a >> So, this I'm sorry, this So, this $360,000 one. So, they're currently paying the 1,6 >> They're currently paying Right. 1,6 right. Thank you. The last one is a,300,000 home. And >> is this I'm sorry. Does this is this somebody who's applying for the who would qualify for the 65%. >> Okay. So, the only way I would know is if they run through the income and that's from tax returns, which we have no access to, but this person got it last year. So, we're just making an assumption that whoever got it at the 50% could be the impact of who would get it in 65%. >> We're guessing here. >> No. Yeah. I just wanted to confirm cuz

044it's $1.3 million. Yes. Just wanted to confirm. >> So, this person is paying 10,838 in taxes only 40% of the full tax. The full tax would have been 27,162. If you go to the 65% then they would be only paying 25% of the full taxes and that's it. I don't have any more slides. Does anyone have any questions? >> Oh, that's good. Very fair uh you know perspective of the situation. Of course, if you reduce taxes for one group, you're going to inevitably raise taxes for the other. And what it comes down to is what we or I or any of us inherently feel is the proper thing to do. For me, I look at this and I say at $47,000 a year, an individual over 65 years old could be infirmed, disabled, perhaps. Um,

045agism is against them as well. You know, people don't like to hire someone uh older. uh nowadays. So they don't even have the option to work >> and those deductions are are huge. I mean it's a savings of that even though it's a million300,000 home. That's not unusual. I bought my house when it was uh 180,000. It's assessed now by three different organizations at $750,000. I didn't pay that, but I worked hard to get that house when I first bought it at 180. And that's where that 1,300 could very well come from. You bought a a lakefront house in Lake Oswuana or Roaring Brook or even Lake Petskill. You know, 30 years ago, you would have paid pittance for it, but it certainly could escalate to that high. Again, it it it comes down to

046for me, you know, where my heart is at. And I feel that those seniors who are most vulnerable deserve that additional thing. That's my own opinion. I don't speak for the board. I just speak for myself. And if we're able to do a public hearing and a vote, I would vote yes. And you know that that's that's my own feelings. And you did a great job, Dr. Chen in explaining how that redistribution would work. And you just have to decide, do we wish to burden the rest of the community for the those individuals that I feel are most vulnerable or don't we? That that's what it comes to. I I would love to see us have a public hearing to hear what the public has to say, you know, and we have time to, you

047know, put this out to the public and say, "Listen, attend the next meeting on the 26th. We're going to have a public hearing on this." how do you feel? And let's see what the public says. >> You know, I'd be willing to do that >> because ultimately that's who we represent. >> And um you just like the town had their public hearing and the county had their public hearing. I even if it's not possible to do this here, and I don't know whether it is or isn't, but even if it's not possible, at least we would have made that effort. We have the statistics. The public can hear it. you could do the presentation again at the next meeting for the public who may not be following us tonight and you know we then can

048decide. I I think that's the fairest way to go. >> I have some comments if other people don't. Um you mentioned that number 47,000 which I think is an incredible incredibly small number. Um, but you made it seem like only seniors can make less than 47,000 or that this because they're seniors, they're somehow more vulnerable than other people only making $47,000. Um, I also want to point out that in that picture of like it says 65% for 47,000, the number goes only goes to 585. So that number for people to qualify seniors to qualify for 5% is only 585 or 584. So if you're making 585 senior 18year-old who whoever you are in as a senior for this one if they were making 585 they will be taking more of a burden. Um it makes

049it it's that small of a difference. Um I work you know I'm a nurse. I work with veterans. I work with hundreds of veterans. I work with homebound veterans, which means they're all old um or very disabled. Um I come across a lot of them. Um and I talk to every single one about their finances because we need to figure out how to get support. And unfortunately, the people who are hit the hardest are the people making about $60,000. They worked their whole lives. They've had multiple jobs. They joined unions and they get a pension. And that pension plus their social security puts them over by pennies. I've literally seen somebody be over by 50,000 or $50 and not be able to qualify for it. Um or qualify for Medicaid or any any services based

050on just such a small amount. Um but people who make a lot less than that qualify for more more things. and people who have had a lot of education or have a lawyer in their family or have had really good guidance um have been instructed on where to put their money um and to have which would allow them to look like their income is less. So, while this $1.3 million home could be that they bought it at $187,000, I would assume based on my home not costing that and my oil bill costing $900 a month and my electric costing $300 a month that they are not living on $5,000 a month with food taxes. I mean, it would be impossible. So my assumption, which you know assumptions, um would be that somebody living in a

051house that costs that much had the resources to move their money into wherever their elder lawyer told them to put it. So that that's how they qualify for it. If I knew that every person who was under the income was somebody low income, it it I would feel differently about it. But >> you know, I wish I I wish we could get that because I agree with you. So, >> well, people don't talk about it because it's not right. >> Somebody somebody who who has a trust fund like that, I agree with you. >> It's called an irrevocable trust. And I have had a lot I just >> But I know a lot of people that >> that difference in in that from 50% to the 65% enables them to pay for their heating oil

052or their electric. But what about the person making $59,000 who's a senior who is on a fixed income and now you're giving them an extra $60 per person because they're up a hund $1,000 >> or what about the working families, the single parent families, people who are already going into debt to pay their heating bill to keep their lights on because it's either >> I agree with you uh you know my >> this part population is already getting a 50% discount >> the other people who who are not seniors are not getting any discount and we're just going to keep adding to their burden. I mean, I'm not ready. I I'd like to hear I agree. I have not completely made up my mind. I really would like to hear from what the taxpayers Yeah.

053>> have to say. I would I would really love hearing a public hearing on it and hear what the the majority of the people have to say. I know when the town halls uh had theirs, there wasn't a single individual that uh was against the the senior exemption. Not not a single one. And it was a unanimous vote. Um look, again, it comes down to I I know many of the seniors that would qualify for this that desperately need this extra money. I know that is a fact. Uh, one person I had had sent in an email. I was wrong about that. She, the individual was misinformed. She thought she was getting the senior exemption. She got the enhanced star and she said without that she would lose her house. So, thank God for the

054adhanced star. Look, we we're we're between a rock and a hard place. And and I I say that because the taxing system we have that's based on property is so wrong. It should be based on income and we wouldn't have this discussion because that person making 50,000 if you did a straight tax 10% would only pay that one amount. >> There's still the systems my friend I know and money and education know how to run the systems. I know a lot of >> the very rich love this based on property you know because I'll buy a house and I'll pay the same as my neighbor right here >> 100%. >> You know I I agree. So there's a lot of flaws, but I I think you're right. We should hear the public. >> I have

055a question for Grace or you guys something I'm not sure. So I'm looking right now at the presentation from the 2023 and the percentages. So would we be able to just continue what we're doing now if we chose to? >> We we don't have to go to the 65. I mean, we'd be able to keep what we currently do, >> right? That was just an option that the um governor said and then the the local government because I do know we discussed this among business officials in other districts and nobody is considering to do this >> right because just $50,000 um 2023 they would receive 50% discount. This with the new one 45%. >> That's uh >> No, it's the same 50. The only ones that are different are the first >> the first three

056the top three are the ones that are most >> so not according to the year three that I'm looking at here. So from the from the previous presentation >> I did it at now I have to >> so that would actually go up if you're making $50,000. >> If you're making $50,000 and we accept this 65 percentage thing >> it it goes up >> the person would get a less of a discount. >> Correct is what I'm saying. They would get a less of a discount. >> Right. Right. >> I just Oh, with the new >> with the new one, they would get a less of a discount. And we just have to keep that in mind. >> I understand >> that they would receive a less of a discount. And I don't think that

057the public's aware of that. >> I mean, some people maybe, but >> so yeah, >> I think that this is um a community decision. And the reason why I say that is because it's really going to be contingent upon what this comm community values. >> Absolutely. If we value to Sam's earlier point about what happened when he did a town hall, if we value as a community people who are willing to say, "I will pay the $55 because I believe in taking care of the elderly and taking care of our widows and taking care of people who need it in this season of their lives, then that's what we should do as a community if that's the voice of the community." >> But you're not necessarily taking care of widows. You're only taking care of

058widows. understand that. But if that is their wish is to do this exemption because that is their belief, their perception and their understanding, then as a community that is the sentiment of Putnham Valley which may be very different than somewhere else, right? Yeah. >> Um I also think that you know if this community is also severely impacted by the financial past that has happened with inflation which this community obviously is highly impacted. Um I don't know if anybody has you know passed the middle school and the high school recently when uh the food drive is happening but a lot of people >> like there are a lot of people in our community who are also struggling whom are not seniors right and so again I think that hearing out from the people about what our

059community wants the people who care enough to come to an event like that I think we should listen to to kind of gauge or maybe there's a way to do a poll um of what people think. Um because it is a rock and a hard place. Um you know it it is really hard and if you're philosophically involved in thinking about caring for the elderly, you know, we can also make the opposite decision of well if we care for our elderly, we also must care for our children. And therefore this entire community should come out and vote for the budget. Um whether they vote yes or no, they should at least vote. Um, and so, you know, I think that it goes both ways. You know, there there are vulnerable groups of people out there.

060One of them is seniors, one of them are children. And, you know, I would like to see that if we're going to rally together for our community that we support our seniors, but then our seniors also support our students. >> Children. Yeah. >> So, you know, I think that there's there's uh an argument on both sides for this. And it's not right or wrong. It's what matters to each person in our community. And to Sam's earlier point, we are a representation of our community. And so I I do think it would be great to hear what they have to say. I do think that we need if if we want to hear from our community, which you I would love to, we need to make a valiant effort to reach all members of our community.

061So not just Facebook, not just the newspaper that a connect dad needs to go out. We need to reach parents. We need to reach working parents. We need to reach >> We need to put it on Facebook. We need to put it in the pharmacy. We need to put >> wherever we put the fact that we have a school budget. We need to put the fact that we are considering an exemption cuz I don't want to see the same 12 faces that I see at every event that we're only reaching those 12 people. I've met the same exact people at every event since I was here in 2020. I want to hear from all of the people. Um, but we seem to be missing a great population um, when we reach people and to me

062that is concerning. >> You don't >> I don't know it's that if it's that we're missing them. I I think that it people will come out for what they care about >> and we've seen that in the large variation of voter turnout that we've had in the last couple of years based on what's on the ballot in any given moment. The year the library was on the ballot, there were a lot more people that showed up to that vote. Um, and so I think that people will come out to what they care about and we all know that people care about their finances. Um, >> but they don't care about their budget. >> Well, this is, you know, >> I I don't know that people really understand how I don't know that everybody understands how

063a school budget affects people's finances, but when there is, you know, an exemption that will make your tax bill either lower or higher, taxes are something people really um tend to understand. the the the connection to how schools affect that I think is where people maybe miss the mark sometimes. Um but I do agree with you. I think that we can always do more to communicate with different sects of our community to make sure that we're reaching every group to make sure that we're not isolating any group of people from doing the most technologically advanced um campaign communication campaign to the banner and the street sign that goes up when we do the budget vote which we talked about last time, right? like the fact that that banner is up, everybody sees it. Thank God.

064I I really think it's the most effective means of communication is the banner and signs. >> I agree. >> You know, but um you know, I do think that we and we talked about this last year with the budget vote. We struggle to have communication be received. It's not that we're not putting it out there, it's that it's not being received for whatever reason. And we we have to do our due diligence to fix that. And I agree with Sasha. Whatever it is that we would do for the budget vote this year, we should try to communicate in the same way to get the opinions of our community of all members of our community to be able to hear where their their heads are at with this particular topic. >> We we have a bit

065of a time limit and that's that's the the difficulty here. You know, it it was supposed to be submitted by March 1st. We missed that. I I don't know whether legally and I've heard different scenarios whether it's possible still to get an extension. >> I mean this may be moot. >> No, my understanding is that it's not >> you heard Marggo's opinion is you. >> No, it's not. The two attorneys spoke. >> Yeah. >> Did I miss that? Um, we actually did hear from our attorneys. Um, they said that since the taxable status date March 1st has already passed, there is no way that the town can change the taxable date status date at this point in time. They suggested that the school district put an effective date in the resolution, which we can try

066to do, but her experience has been that assessors will not use an effective date that is not accurate. So, she's had to revise tax exemption resolutions on occasion to that reason. >> So, it's moved. that's moved for this this year, right? But >> but I still think we should have that public hearing. >> Okay. >> I I I still think we should >> Well, I I and I don't know if public hearing is the right verbiage. Just a public forum. We need to hear from the public. That's right. >> Announce it for the next meeting and and just see what the people have to say. You know, we >> people don't come to meetings. >> Well, well, we got to get the word out. I'll put it on Facebook. I mean, I've got a bunch

067of people that follow. I can I could get that word out and say, "Listen, at our next meeting, we're going to be discussing the senior exemption. Unfortunately, we're not able to do it this year. We missed the deadline." >> So, you have a lot of >> shame on us. >> Working parents on your list. >> I'm sorry. They did not give us enough time to do that. >> No, that shame on us, Barbara. It is shame on >> What about Spanish speaking families? Are they on I'm sorry. >> Are are people Spanish speaking families on your friend list? or working parents on your friend list or >> I I I do Putinham Valley voice uncensored community news moms and there's one other group plus my own and I've got 5,000 followers so it hits over

068uh 10 to 20,000 at any given time. So I'll put it out, >> you know, and it'll just be uh you know public forum on um the senior exemption, you I think we also need like a something from like the board or the school, you know, an official speak with Dr. about some things that we can >> this this will be in in effect for >> next year than if you're speaking upon for the board that it's an agreed upon. >> Yeah, we we need to be clear that right now the what is in place is not going away. It's not going away. Nothing's nothing's expiring. It's not going away. In addition, what else was going to say to this? Um, I lost my train of thought. So, someone else >> All right. When I

069when this first came up, I thought, "Oh, okay." Um, and but I thought back over the 20 years that I've been coming to schoolboard meetings or on the schoolboard. Um, and this is an ongoing question. we get maybe not every year but probably every other year or every three years there's another request to give another exemption to another group of people and I think all of us have said if we can help our neighbors help you yeah sure >> of course absolutely >> but then it then the levels raised and helped them some more and then help this other group and help this other group and we got two new requests this week for exemptions for other groups >> yes >> I know that >> there's no exemp exemption. I I don't see anybody putting

070forth an exemption for people that are struggling, for people that are working that can't afford fuel or what, you know, there's and I'm not against and I think we should have a public forum, but I think it's really hard to walk up to that microphone and say I'm against the seniors getting an exemption. Nobody wants to do that. Nobody on the board has wanted to do that. Nobody really feels like that. We'd like to give exemptions. Everybody. Can I give everybody a flat exemption? Then we're all paying the same. >> There you go. That that that would be based on income. You're right. >> But um I can't do that. Uh so I'm I I agree. I'd like to hear from the community, but I also will say that I think it's really hard and

071it makes you seem really selfish. Make this is my own personal. It makes me feel selfish to say, well, I just I just think that this is too much. I to me 50% off the tax value of my the value of my home before taxes are figured would be a huge huge benefit. >> Yeah. >> I'm not entitled and I feel lucky that I'm not in that in the situation where I need it. >> I'm not saying I don't I'm not saying I don't need it, but I'm not I'm not desperate. This is this is to me some of these numbers in terms if that's their actual earned income is desperate. Um >> we couldn't survive in this. I mean >> so I mean I just I just want to be clear that this is

072not an us them. This is not a community that's if we don't pass this that we're anti- seniors or that we're anti veterans or anti- firefighters or anti- anything. But I think we h it has slowly grown over time the amount of exemptions that the that the rest of the taxpayers in Putnham Valley have to pick up. And I'm supposed to represent all the taxpayers in >> Barbara, you you speak the truth. Let me tell you where this originated from. Who's running for governor this November? Our governor. And that's where this came out in December of 2025. late at night it was pushed through the legislature and it falls to the towns, the county and us then to carry out what we need to do with no concern for those other people Sasha that you've

073been talking about and everybody's been talking about. I agree with you. But the reality is Hokll looked at this situation and said taxes are ever going up and these people at the 50% maybe we can help them a little bit more with the 15. So it it falls on us and again it throws us between that rock and a hard place. >> Well, if it was really helped then the state would be paying for it. >> Uh I agree but the state doesn't. They throw it to the municipality. Let's not phrase it like that because they're not helping. they are redistributing the funds and so we need to make sure that our language is >> and it's up to the towns whether or not they want it redistributed >> for that reason right and so

074you know I I just think that we need to be unified I also think that to your earlier points that maybe a forum is not the best way what I will say is that I was actually surprised at how many people did speak up um about their own situation on social media and about how they would necessarily, you know, either be in favor of this or not for various reasons. Um, I I do think that it would be wise if if there was a way that we could do some sort of poll, yay or nay. You don't have to tell us who you are. You don't have to tell us why. Just yay or nay, how would you feel about this? To get a sense. And listen, we're a very 50/50 kind of place. So

075it might be 50/50 across the board, >> but doing a poll, depending on where you put the poll, you're going to get South Carolina if we were able to put the poll in our hands of the right places, right? Which if you know the answer to that, I would love to know what it is because I don't I've been trying for 3 years to figure out why why we don't get the voter turnout that we need to get. Um, and I still haven't figured out >> to keep their house. I get it, but there's other ways to vote when you're busy working. And I'm never going to excuse not voting. I'm just not. It's a right that at one point in this world I would not have had as a woman. And so I appreciate

076the vote to to the right to vote very much. And um I will do whatever I have to do to make sure that I vote. So I just think that there's there's got to be some kind of way. I think the point here is that this is a community decision because we're either going to make a choice to take care of, you know, a group of people in this manner um because other people are okay with doing that, right? It it's just it's a it's a community decision. And I do agree with you, Barbara. There's a lot of exemptions that have come up and all of them have meaning. >> All of them have meaning. >> Yeah. But at some point we all have to realize that the the money has to come from somewhere

077and we we're again we're a community and so we just have to figure out the best way forward in that light. >> Well considering that again we're not able to to do this exemption this year and I I feel very badly about that that we weren't even able to have a public hearing on it and a vote. I understand that's the law. We got to follow it. But I I would like us at least now and and maybe it it's dumb to do any public form when we can't do anything with it anyway, >> but we can do it for next year so we're not caught off. >> Well, that's what I'm saying. >> Let's put it on the agenda and make sure we have the data for next year's vote for before the tax

078roles go into the assessor. In other words, prior to March 1st of next year, >> let's do that public hearing. Let's have that data up front so we can do it in January and maybe February and then do our vote. It then can take effect. I mean, I' I've found that to be true. If we miss this year, we can always implement it next year, which means the 50% still holds it, just the 15 additional percent does not until we take action. And that action can't happen until the 2027 tax year or 2028 2028 tax. >> And we have also to keep in mind that every board meeting there's an opportunity for public comment. >> So we don't need one meeting for people to come and speak their mind. >> It's required to have the

079public hearing on the private but every meeting we have that opportunity. >> That's true. >> So there was something else that I looked up um that I wanted to mention. Um I found it when I was looking at the social security thing. Um, starting in 2025, there is a new 6,000 enha $6,000 enhanced deduction for seniors. It was put into the one beautiful bill act >> by Donald Trump um back in 2025. So, just as something seniors are getting also an additional 6,000 off of their federal tax returns. Just something to think about when we're considering. >> But that doesn't lower their their income, their stated income. It it gives them that extra money. >> No, it doesn't. But they're being thought of by a great thing. I love that. >> Yeah. So, which I

080think is great. I just I'm not saying it to prove any points. Just that the seniors are also being thought of on a federal level. >> It has already been approved at a county level, which our taxpayers this year, because the exemption was approved, will be taking on their county and the and the town property taxes. They will already be >> getting a little bit enhancement from uh a little Yep. they'll be getting the 65% on that and the rest of our taxpayers. >> Again, >> non seniors making less than $47,000 and making less than 55 585 >> are going to be already having that and not receiving the $6,000. >> My my again I I got to say my one regret is that we were not able to to carry this out this year.

081And and I'm not saying it would have passed or not passed by us, but it would have been nice to have been able to vote on this in a timely manner. >> Yeah. And you know, I'm bummed for that. >> Um, I I I like the idea of a public forum. I liked what we did when we did the wellness center, other kinds of repairs that we've had. We've had community groups. I think that would be great. I My personal opinion is I'd like to get the budget passed first before we start because I don't want people to get confused as to what they're voting. >> No, I I agree. You know what I mean? So I' I'd like >> That's why I said next year we could start >> or May, June, July. I

082mean, we can do it whenever. Um >> I have an unconventional idea. I don't know if it works and I don't know if it would be confusing, but when people come and vote for the budget, >> can we have an option outside of the school? >> I think that might get hairy. Okay. >> And and again, Meen, I don't know if that's possible to do anything like that. I don't think that's >> Yeah. No, that's just like the kids. with the >> I think it'd be confusing for a lot of people. >> I don't know how I feel about it, but you're going to get a bunch of people there that day. So, that's why I thought I'd mention >> bring it to the little opening day. >> I always say use the concerts. >>

083Yes, that kind of stuff. That's a better idea. >> Better idea. >> And and really maybe that we need to do a better job of explaining how the tax works, school taxes work. you know what the exemptions do. Some of the exemptions have caps, some of them don't have cap. I mean, there are just so many variables um that I think it it makes it hard for people like Sam was saying, you know, somebody thought, well, I get the senior exemption. Well, no, you don't. >> Right. >> That's that's something else, right? >> You know, it's explaining that. >> Yeah. >> And again, talking about how >> we have to raise this amount of money to run the schools. If you don't give it to like I have to fill in somehow and >> exactly

084>> put the burden put the onus on somebody else. >> I understand that. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> You know, >> I also want to make sure that's clear that none of us are against seniors against exception. We're we're all for that. >> It's just we have to worry about or we have to keep in mind the 4,494 homeowners in this town. And we also have to make sure and Joe, thank you for bringing this up. um or bring more awareness to the motion is whoever receives the tax exemption from whatever we can do as a school to make sure they are eligible for it. >> So, we just need to make sure cuz that's fair to all taxpayers also. >> Absolutely. Doing our due diligence, >> right? Um I I would also just like

085to say on that notion of the communication of the budget um the information that we give whether it's on our budget or on exemptions or whatever. I would like to see as a part of our future budget presentations a the communication presentation of what the communication around the budget is going to look like. We struggle with this as a district. It has been a board goal for us, which we haven't really talked about much and we probably should get back to to really ensure that we are communicating as best we possibly can. And truthfully, I don't think any of us know what the answer to that is cuz we haven't done a very good job of getting voters to the polls. Now, I'm not saying that that is necessarily our job, but what I am

086saying is that we may need to seek professional help to do a demographic study of how we reach people to give them the information the way they need to receive it, how they need to receive it, when they need to receive it, where they need to receive it, so that they are fully informed to make these types of decisions. Um and so that the information campaign is so strong that it is alone in and of itself able to combat the misinformation campaign. Um and so I I think that that would be really great is to see how the district is planning to communicate around the budget this year before the vote so that we're not trying to do it after as a reaction but to be proactive in our communication style. I would love to

087just see what that um what the ideas are. We did have a committee for that last year. I don't know if that's still happening, but um we need to think differently. >> There's also just still a lot of misinformation. Um >> I see it online. I mean, that's really where I see it. Um cuz you can read it there. But you see things like, oh, you know, my taxes went up. Oh, well, the school said that we weren't going to they weren't going to raise your taxes. um which >> I feel like people got confused right about the capital project >> versus the things still um so I do think to Crystal's point like people don't really understand how school tax how what the cost of school is impacts their taxes >> um or like

088what that school tax is versus like the capital project. So, I think, you know, it's hard to try and convince people as to like, no, well, the district didn't say that because it it's just a miscommunication. Um, so I think that anything that we do communicate should be very >> just very clear. >> And I think it also comes down to, as we know, school taxes are the only taxes that we vote on, >> right? Yes. >> And people don't realize that. >> Mhm. >> So, there there definitely is an education opportunity there. Although I don't want to say that we haven't done a good job all in the past, it's just we need a change with a change in demographics, a change of how we could get word out. We just need to make

089sure we're on top of that each year, >> right? And I that's a really good point, Janette, because I, you know, I think that 30 years ago or however many years ago the high school was, you know, the high school was up for the vote, the method of communication in that day was very different. It was very grassroots. It was very I'll see you at the baseball field. It was and and there is a truth to that still in this beautiful town that we live in. It's one of the reasons why I love it so much. But we also live in a different age where we those conversations were not combating social media. They were not combating misinformation. They were not combating the technological era that we're in right now. And our method of communication

090has got to be able to reach the people who are still waiting for the information at the baseball field and the people who are waiting for a QR code. That's the the challenge is that we still have these pockets of people that are in all different kinds of worlds when it comes to technology or no technology. Like I I venture to say there's a lot of people in Putham Valley that still have a phone on the wall somewhere, right? I don't have a a house phone anymore, but I I used to. I have neighbors that have them still, right? So, we have different um groups of people in Putnham Valley that we need to think about how do we best communicate with this group and how do we make sure that we reach this group

091to your earlier point in any type of communication that we're doing about an event, about a budget, about a poll, about whatever it is. Um, and I think that there's work to do in that area and I don't want to keep coming back to the same problem over and over again without really trying to address it. What I will say is that I am always so proud of how our district welcomes questions, welcomes feedback, um, gets answers to people when they're asked. um you know, we're always incredibly open and uh I think that sometimes because information doesn't reach in the right way or at the right time, uh we get critiqued that we're really not. And I don't think that's the case. So, you know, we got to kind of control the the the narrative

092to be truth, right? And that was the first thing I said when I got on the board originally was, you know, #truth. It's it matters what the truth is and that we get the truth to the right people at the right time. >> Banners I can tell you I hate getting mail. I hate checking my mail. I hate looking at my mail. I hate it. But I love emails and I love tech uh text messages and people are like, "Oh my god, I get so inundated with that." So like and my mom hates text messages. She loves mail. So it's >> it depends on what you're >> It's totally dependent and I feel like that's one really one of the things that we're that we struggle with. Like >> some people still get the newspaper

093like some people get it delivered. Um, some people listen to the radio, some people listen watch streaming services, some people watch the news, some people, you know, listen to podcasts. There's just so many ways to gather information that like it's that's the difficulty. >> It's >> that day glow mailing that we did. >> I love the yellow that totally agree that that caught so many people and they couldn't deny that they received. I mean, you got this thing that's almost radioactive in your mailbox. You're not going to toss it away cuz it's >> Wow. >> Yeah. Yeah, I did like that. >> That was a great idea. And uh my favorite color, you know, the forms and and you know, we just have to do that, >> right? I I I love You're right. That

094was amazing. But it came as a reaction. >> Yeah. But >> that's what I'm trying to say is now we can be proactive. Now the proact we need to be proactive. I think I think it's a good call that >> when we're talking about the budgets and presentations, we should >> talk about how we are planning to communicate. I think that's great. Yeah. >> No, it's not that far away. >> It's not that far away. >> April, May. Boom. There it is. >> So, speaking of public comment, Barbara, are we ready for it? >> Huh? Are we ready for public comment? >> We're ready. I'm ready for public comment. >> Public comment. >> I'm going to open it just in case there's anybody here that would like to add to our discussion. >> Absolutely. >>

095Yay. There is life in in the in the audience. Hello, my name is Joe Ferraro and there's so much to unpack. I my brain is spinning. So, this is mostly about the the exemption piece. You know, I was the one who brought it to to first uh in December. I booked a story uh in mid December about Hokll giving us the opportunity as as a district to do it. Not. So, it essentially eliminates the state from >> That's right. >> from making the hard decision, right? It make it it lifts it could lift the sling to 100%. I mean, they could totally do that, right? And then it would be up to everybody else to deal with the consequences. I get that piece of it. Uh, and I was initially thinking, no brainer, you should

096probably do it. I'd done my research. Uh I'm really concerned that either through intent or unintentionally there's a significant amount of fraud or mistakes in the applications. Um I don't I don't know what that $1.3 million assessed value home is, but I know through some of my research I've seen $1.2.4 $4 million assessed homes where there are three people on the deed and they've qualified for the exemption at 65%. And I know the two two of the three people are not seniors. So it should violate that their their exemption. Others I've seen school I know school age children are in a house that also violates the exemption. Now, I had a conversation yesterday with the assessor at the town board meeting and essentially they go through their process to authenticate whatever the numbers are, but

097they are not charged with investigating. They do not have that capability. So, I asked them, "How would you know if there was a school-aged child >> for people who were applying for that?" They wouldn't. So I then suggested to them and then I suggested to the district there should be some collaboration between the assessor and the school district. That way the you know you get a list of those who have applied since you already know who applied and then you h you have to have some sort of and I don't know the legalities and authorities for this >> but the idea of there there could be dozens out of the 600 the the the the 600 however they may are >> that are with students in there and a lot of times it's a grandchild

098um but it still violates the And then the idea of it being income based. What is the income? What counts as income? And yes, the most shrewd of the shrewd to have the great tax tax lawyers and elder care. That money is hidden. It's somewhere else. And that's fine. I understand you're work you're working the system and that's how the system is built. Um but and I understand the idea of going to an income base, but Zuckerberg doesn't pay anything in taxes because everything's written down, you know. So all those things play into this. And my concern is for that $1.3 million home, that reduction comes way down. what is pulled off of that person's taxes is essentially the equivalent of two small homes in Lake Peakskill or in some of the in Florida and

099etc. So it it actually is taking those off the out of the pie the equivalent of that and it's it is a redistribution and I understand it and to be clear I if you are owed that exemption I totally think you should get it. I'm concerned about the way some of the calculations are or the fraud, intentional or unintentional, is happening. Um, so much in there. I actually I think it's kind of a good thing that you didn't get it done in time and and you can really de delve into this over the next year to figure it out. Again, no other school district has done this. Uh, so I don't think you have that exposure other than you have folks in the community who really are invested in it. And I get it if

100they want it and they think it's it that that amount is a real amount for them that really impacts them. But it does not take into consideration if you do that change and you're in that band, that funky band near the top of the income, you could actually see an increase even with a enhanced exemptions. But the idea of a small bungalow um that is in Lake Peakskill and they're struggling to get by and they're at that income level, but they're going to see their taxes go up because of the exemption. And there's no good answer. I mean, there really isn't because it's the pot is the pot. >> Um but I I think it's really um the the idea of a public forum and a public hearing. We know who comes to public hearings.

101Nobody. Unless coach is getting fired or there is a security risk that is, you know, talked about, nobody comes to to those types of meetings. There was a public hearing yesterday at a town hall for the veterans uh exemption. There were three people in the audience and I was one of them. So uh and I only went because I needed to talk to the assessor uh because I wanted to be prepared for this meeting. So, uh, I I just the it's the same thing that I've been telling Jeremy for a decade now. The, you know, by trade, I'm a fundraising communicator, so on the channel, direct mail, email, text, phone, all those things. It has to be all of it. And the problem with that is you have community members saying, "Why are you spending

102money on sending me a piece of mail?" >> Right? So you you can't win in that situation either because I just know for our small part of the library, us sending out a mailing or two is a significant part of our budget. It's much smaller part for you, but for us to send something to the entire community, it's a lot of money for us. Um, but I'm convinced that mail and phone banking, I know that becomes controversial in some ways, but phone making to get out a vote, you know, and that's a really tough thing to be able to to get going. I remember when they were doing budgets and I was in leadership class at high school, they sent us to the district office and we're calling people to get them out to vote.

103I don't think that's actually allowed to do anymore. Um, but doesn't mean that there's not a a way to use telephone, but mail I think especially if you want to reach seniors and they're a strong voting block, mail is the way to go. Additionally, insert in the Sunday paper so everybody gets something in that Sunday paper. The for the people who still get it, if they're reading the paper, they're going to see that. So all these things, it's kind of all the above for the marketing and outreach. It's really really tough but it becomes m because it comes money and when you're trying to put the money in the education marketing is always the thing that suffers and it happens >> you know in my world of fundraising the marketing budget always suffers because we

104you know we're trying to focus on the mission the mission and everything you spend on marketing gets kind of diverted from mission however the marketing enhances mission because you get more people involved you allow it to happen you raise more money you get more engagement. Um, I know there are 15 other things in there, but I really I think not to say that you you you you know missed a bullet, but I think it's not a terrible thing that you missed the opportunity for a few families. It might be a little bit more of a hardship, but it's the same it could be the same thing for people who are not seniors uh who would experience that hardship if you implemented it right away. Um, and maybe over the course of the next year as

105other districts are able to get up to speed, there can be a collaborative effort as far as just understanding what other what others are doing. Um, so I know I've exceeded 3 minutes, but that's that's my you know, Joe, >> you you you're not my age. I'm older than you, but there was a time you had a book. You could open it up, look up a person's name, you had their phone number, their address, and everything. >> Oh, yeah. Those those used to exist now. >> Phone book. What's that called? >> No. >> And that doesn't exist. And that's what makes phone communication so difficult. They don't have a phone book for cell phones. >> You know, either the person gives you their cell phone number or you'll never guess it, >> right? >> Because

106there's no place to look it up. >> So, in the industry, and because I'm in the industry, here's a check. Um you you email delivery and open rates are in the toilet. They you know there was I grew up in the industry in direct mail. Direct mail is is the bread and butter. It's a thing where you can tell long stories and you can really elicit elicit a story elicit a response. Telemarketing was also part of that piece of it and you know where person called a person. Um but the the you know and then email kind of supplanted that everything is going digital. Everything's going digital and now you can't get anybody to open emails cuz everybody signed up for a trillion emails a year. Click click click click. You're deleting them all. >>

107Uh so you had to send 10 emails to get any connection whatsoever. Texts are the new emails from 20 years ago where you get like an an 80% open rate on texts. Now you had to have that information. um you can get that information. You can use essentially you can use a voter registration list and and find out um what phone numbers are and all that that type of thing. But yeah, it's not as easy as it used to be in some ways, but in some ways it's even easier to get that information. It's just a matter of there are some things that the probably the school district may or may not be able to do to get that. you don't have an a strong alumni association which would be a great thing um because

108you have now 20 plus years of alumni which so if they're around it would make a difference but uh >> so it's it's really not I shouldn't say it's not that difficult but it's it's it's it is time consuming and energy consuming and money consuming but it depends on the the the priorities and I've been proponent of Jeremy's like we have you should you need to get that printed newsletter to to tell the story what's happening in three or four times a year minimum and you know >> it's going back and forth ed and flow I haven't seen one in a long time it's now it seems like it's going back to just being the budget uh uh and I think that's a mistake but the yellow postcard stands out multiple postcards all those things

109but as far as public forums I mean the only reason why the um bond got so you know energized because it went down and then everybody came together uh to get that. So only when there's controversy do you get something that kind of energy and as far as polling you know kind of the public you know you're going to get a 100 responses and you're going to know what the answer to 50 uh and and it's like you're going through all the energy to get based on our last supervisor election. So yeah, just >> be 50/50. >> Thank you, Joe. >> Thank you. >> What about the door hangers? >> Huh? >> You remember the people used to hang stuff on your door? >> Take those. >> They still do. Hospital. >> You know what?

110>> They come around. >> Yeah, that's true. Good point. The second amendment is very strong here. >> Um I'm wondering actually like I'm just thinking about like the working family, right? that is coming home at 7:00, woke up at 5:00 on the on budget vote day and is exhausted. Right. There might be the inkling that they come if they were reminded to vote yesterday or today. >> Yes. On their way home. >> On their way home. So that they can go like this and go back to the >> Once they go home, they're not, >> you know, because I am that person, you know, and I I'm in it more than others. So I I have to remember but it it's really hard like to juggle all the things in life and you know remember

111to vote and it's like we're tired like working families are tired. So I think the reminding piece is really important like the week of the vote like up up to the vote almost like labor pains right stronger and more frequent as we get there. I think >> make it a calendar event. >> What? >> Make it a calendar event email >> where you push the button, you know, when we get invited to things and I say yes and it goes directly to my Google calendar which is so nice. >> You would have to have Google calendar though. But there there would like >> Who doesn't have Google? >> Oh, a lot of people Yeah. >> that use Microsoft. >> They'll get the mail. >> Figure it out. >> The banners. The banners work, man. >>

112Those banners do work. >> Well, you know what else used to work? You can ask Moren. We used to sit with our lists of pages. Who's who hasn't come to vote yet? Oh, their name's not. We're calling that person >> and say, "Did you remember to vote?" Y >> but you have to have the volunteers to do it. >> Do it. That's the problem. >> The PTA used to do it. We had groups of people. >> Yeah. You know that so willing to volunteer to do. What I did last year was I created like a >> elementary school played >> uh a te like a text message that I sent I literally copied and pasted to every single person in my phone that lives in Putnham Valley. Same text message like hey here today's the

113vote like don't forget polls are open six like here's what you do blah blah blah this and the other and I and I sent it to as many people as I could. not like one of them responded unless it was a negative response which was usually like somebody that's like my family who's like we've heard about the vote from you already we know it's today you know so I don't know if it was effective for those people but text messaging I I do believe is actually one of the better ways to go I know that certainly it works for me as a as a building people >> text message at 400 p.m. on your way home. Go vote. >> Yeah. >> I do just want to share for the audience that we sent our last

114mail newsletter in December. >> Wonderful. Thank you. >> Yeah, we got one. I got one. >> Yes, I got it. >> Yeah. >> I did remember one coming out. >> Joe, your mail's not working. >> We have a great budget. >> He's only operating on technology. >> Jen, again, thank you for the presentation. We have a terrific budget. >> It's a fair budget. It's under 2%. It's under the cap and we're we're providing I I I think the best education any child could ever get in these United States. This district is superb and and we people need to understand that and you're right, we we need to get that word out in a much more uniform manner. And again, just my closing comment. I I feel badly we couldn't initiate this senior exemption, but next

115year >> definitely that's got to be honored agenda. >> Well, again, we do have a senior exemption. >> No, no, I understand that, but not the not the newest version, but we do have one. >> Yeah. >> So, we need something. And I just want to, you know, make sure everyone knows that we do send out especially to our school community >> the day of the vote information uh call um to connected to the school district. >> I think this past year >> the students usually >> the students do do it. Yeah. >> I think uh Jeannie Dik did two text messages on the day of the vote the la last year. >> It was one that was earlier and one that was like later. Um, which is definitely, you know, I think we're moving

116in the right direction. >> Let's get the start getting the word out now. >> Yeah. Like that's something that like forever at 5 a.m. when I'm going. >> Save the date. >> We need a Domino's card. >> What I want you to do >> put this on your referral, >> Crystal. What I would like you to do is look at the voting list who voted and compare it to your text messages and see who voted for your text. >> I'm going to thinking about that. I can >> I got it. But I had already been in my pajamas to vote >> and to open the polls at 6 a.m. >> On that note, Barbara, >> who is going to the town board meeting uh next Wednesday? >> That'd be me. That's you. Okay. >> All

117right. Just wanted to be sure that somebody was going. >> Someone might have to recall me. Remind me. >> Um so the science fair is coming up. Uh the elementary, you talk about excellent education. And I tell you those when you see those little ones presenting their science. Uh >> I know it's it's adorable. >> It's it's really cute. >> Um but they're practicing Monday and Tuesday from 3:45 to 4:40 4:15. So a half an hour. >> Um >> uh and they need somebody to talk to. So if you can if you can volunteer, that would be great. Um okay, any other things? I just wanted to shout out our kids that did their science research poster night. They were so great. >> They really were. >> They were so great. >> Beautiful new posters

118donated by >> It was an F. >> The PEF was the PDF, wasn't it? >> No, it was a family, too. >> It's the Zamperlands. >> It's a Z, not an F. You're correct. >> Um, great supporters of education and science research um project. So they're like a metal to you know like >> it's a bad >> like you used to be able to set up a a movie screen. >> So it rolls up pulls out. >> You know they used to have to rent a car. Cat used to have >> they have to rent a truck >> and there were these big heavy boards which were lovely and beautifully made but this is nicer so much. >> We we do have the the two musicals coming up the elementary school this weekend >> right

119>> and the following weekend the middle school. the elementary school we like you had mentioned we went to the dress rehearsal it was so cute school of rock and it just brought back Saturday mornings to me so they were adorable >> it was awesome >> pretty good singers I'm sorry school what was it >> not school of rock uh schoolhouse rock >> schoolhouse rock schoolhouse rock okay thank you >> with a guest so excited when it became a law >> so >> and what's the middle school uh playon address So it's >> middle school kids are doing that one. >> It's Princess and the PE. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's what it is. >> It's really cute. Very cool. >> But cool. >> Yeah. >> And then the high school uh is >> into the woods.

120That's going to be good. People >> That's on the 17th, I believe. >> It's going to be good. >> 17th of what? >> April. >> Yes. >> Yeah. In April. In April. April, I'm sorry. Right. April. Okay. >> They just took the wood out of the closet to build the set. Super exciting. >> Yeah. >> We do some great theatrical stuff here. We really do. >> Um upcoming meetings uh topics. Did Jeremy give you that or does it >> so our uh next meeting on March 26th uh we will have another >> uh 26th I believe. Thank you. Uh we'll have another presentation of the budget and then another meeting on April 7th which will be a work session business meeting with I believe another presentation of the budget. So, >> oh, >> um, you

121need to correct on our agenda because it says March 27th and April 10th. >> It has last year's dates. >> Okay. >> So, ignore that. >> It is. It does say 25. >> Look at your calendar. >> That's exactly. >> Okay. Anything else? >> All right. Motion. >> Good job, Jackie. >> Huh? >> Yes. Great job. >> Good job. >> Grace. Thank you, Grace. Great job. Thank you so much. >> Right. Motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> Thank you. >> Good night. Happy St. Patrick's Day to people. >> Yes. Yes. >> Sorry, I didn't wear green. >> Me, too.