Posts
In response to strong encouragement from broad sectors of the New Paltz Central School District community, Steve Greenfield is announcing that he will run in the May 20th, 2008 School Board election. Much of that support results from his recent efforts for preservation of the Middle School, and the overwhelming desire to strengthen the commitment of the board to full implementation. Others pointed towards the need to rectify the absence of representation for the interest of elementary-school children, the desire to move forward with healthy food initiatives, and the need for the board to take a more pro-active while Albany and Washington directives unfairly burden local property taxpayers to the point where expenses exceed means.
Greenfield explained the gaps in the incumbent School Board that he intends to fill. "Besides protecting the community's decision to preserve the historic Middle School, there are other key matters before the Board during the next term. Many of them are related to the sustainability of programming and control of tax levies during a time of dramatically rising fuel and employee health insurance costs; and others pertain to healthy, locally grown food and other aspects of environmental and economic responsibility. I would be a passionate advocate for progressive and sustainable solutions, and will promote an improved climate for public input into School Board decision-making on an ongoing basis -- the importance of which was demonstrated by the Middle School debate. It is also critical that parents of elementary school children have an advocate on the Board. With some board members having no children in our schools, and others having high-school aged children, and given that today's elementary school students will be the first group to feel the impact of the next term's decisions, this is a time when a stakeholder in those outcomes needs to be part of the decision-making process." Greenfield has 3 children who will attend elementary school over the next 8 years.
Former Deputy Mayor Rebecca Rotzler will be Greenfield's campaign manager. "I have come to know Steve as a dedicated community volunteer in many capacities, most significantly in his role as a firefighter, which was a result of recruiting his assistance in fundraising for our fire department. His dedication is reflected in his attention to his family, where his integrity and commitment to simply "doing the right thing" will benefit all of our children as a school board member."
Election Day for the New Paltz Central School district is May 20, 2008. For further information, contact Greenfield4OurKids@gmail.com, 532-0280.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
A message from Steve Greenfield
Friends:
Under strong encouragement in the aftermath of the recent public action for the preservation of the Middle School, I am considering running for the Board of Education this spring. There are two seats opening -- those currently held by Patrick Rausch and Mike Swigart -- for a three-year term, during which the investigation into the prospects for a successful renovation of the Middle School will be conducted.
There are several other key matters before the Board during the next term: many of them related to sustainability of programming and rising property tax levies during a time of dramatically rising fuel costs; and others pertaining to healthy, locally grown food and other aspects of environmental responsibility. Neither Mr. Rausch nor Mr. Swigart is proactive in these areas, and there is reason for concern that they are less than supportive to these and other matters of great importance to all of us. I would certainly be a passionate advocate for progressive and sustainable solutions, as well as promoting an improved climate for public input into School Board decision-making on an ongoing basis.
Of course, mounting a campaign that would require around 1200 to 1300 votes to be competitive is an enormous undertaking, and I need to first get a sense of the degree of support for my entry into the race. Toward this end, there will be a gathering this coming Wednesday night at the Gilded Otter, at 7:30 PM. I hope you can attend and bring your ideas for what you'd like to see out of the campaign and my potential service to you as a member of the School Board.
Please circulate this message to anyone you think would be interested. Thanks so much, and feel free to call or write with any questions or comments.
Steve Greenfield
255-2516 (h), 532-0280 (c)
Wednesday, April 2nd, 7:30 PM
Gilded Otter 3 Main Street, facing the Wallkill River
Under strong encouragement in the aftermath of the recent public action for the preservation of the Middle School, I am considering running for the Board of Education this spring. There are two seats opening -- those currently held by Patrick Rausch and Mike Swigart -- for a three-year term, during which the investigation into the prospects for a successful renovation of the Middle School will be conducted.
There are several other key matters before the Board during the next term: many of them related to sustainability of programming and rising property tax levies during a time of dramatically rising fuel costs; and others pertaining to healthy, locally grown food and other aspects of environmental responsibility. Neither Mr. Rausch nor Mr. Swigart is proactive in these areas, and there is reason for concern that they are less than supportive to these and other matters of great importance to all of us. I would certainly be a passionate advocate for progressive and sustainable solutions, as well as promoting an improved climate for public input into School Board decision-making on an ongoing basis.
Of course, mounting a campaign that would require around 1200 to 1300 votes to be competitive is an enormous undertaking, and I need to first get a sense of the degree of support for my entry into the race. Toward this end, there will be a gathering this coming Wednesday night at the Gilded Otter, at 7:30 PM. I hope you can attend and bring your ideas for what you'd like to see out of the campaign and my potential service to you as a member of the School Board.
Please circulate this message to anyone you think would be interested. Thanks so much, and feel free to call or write with any questions or comments.
Steve Greenfield
255-2516 (h), 532-0280 (c)
Wednesday, April 2nd, 7:30 PM
Gilded Otter 3 Main Street, facing the Wallkill River
Friday, March 28, 2008
Steve Greenfield Considering Run for New Paltz School Board
According to a letter by KT Tobin Flusser in this week's New Paltz Times, Steve Greenfield is considering running for School Board.
There will be an exploratory meeting on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at the Gilded Otter in New Paltz.
"Steve was integral in the recent campaign to show the current school board the enormous support that citizens in the district have for keeping and renovating the middle school at its current location," wrote Tobin Flusser.
There will be an exploratory meeting on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at the Gilded Otter in New Paltz.
"Steve was integral in the recent campaign to show the current school board the enormous support that citizens in the district have for keeping and renovating the middle school at its current location," wrote Tobin Flusser.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Maria Rice: Board's Vote Not a Guarantee New Paltz Middle School will be Renovated
NEW PALTZ — In the face of a near-unanimous public appeal to renovate the middle school building, the New Paltz school board voted unanimously to explore doing just that Wednesday night.
But the board’s action isn’t a guarantee that the aged building, whose original structure was built in the 1930s, will become the final home for middle school students.
Superintendent Maria Rice said the decision will be based on exactly what engineers and architects discover when they explore the building, which includes a ’60s-era wing in far worse repair than the original structure.
New Paltz school board to investigate renovation option
NEW PALTZ — The school board unanimously voted last night to start investigating what it will take to renovate the existing middle school building.
The vote came at the end of a standing-room-only public meeting where people overwhelmingly urged the board to renovate the aging building rather than move the school to another site.
The motion proposed by board member Don Kerr also answered the requests of many at the meeting - to investigate the costs of a “green” renovation.
The motion passed 6 - 0; board member Laura Walls did not attend the meeting.
Crowd wants district to renovate school
January 30, 2008
NEW PALTZ — It was as close to a love-in as you could expect to see when people talk about increasing the tax local burden.
The burden in question - initially at first - was the costs of either renovating the district’s existing and aged middle school or building a new one at a different location. The occasion was a school board meeting that brought scores of residents from as many walks of life to a too-small music room at the high school last night.
The result was an undeniable consensus on the question to renovate or to re-locate the aging middle school. Overwhelmingly, the request from about two dozen residents was to keep the middle school in the village, to renovate it and don’t even consider building a new one elsewhere.
Dollar amounts were presented as hypothetical figures and seemed to hold minimal interest for the crowd following an initial presentation by Superintendent Maria Rice. That may change as more solid figures are developed. But what resident after resident urged the board to do was renovate the existing building for what might best be called quality-of-life reasons: the importance for students of having the school within walking distance of the village, the need to keep future gas costs in mind ($8.50, $9.50 a gallon, who knew?) and the desire to make a renovation as green as possible.
A petition containing 802 signatures of residents from not only New Paltz but the parts of Gardiner, Esopus and Highland served by the district urged that the school be renovated.
The town and village boards, which have been able to agree on little if anything in recent years, both unanimously requested the building continue to be used as a school.
Two residents were less enthusiastic and urged the board to keep the potential costs of renovation in mind.
The meeting even featured a confession of sorts - former teachers union president Ron Simon said near the end of the public comment period that he’d changed his mind since last week and now favored renovation rather than building new. He received a loud ovation.
The board had taken no action by 10 p.m.
NEW PALTZ — It was as close to a love-in as you could expect to see when people talk about increasing the tax local burden.
The burden in question - initially at first - was the costs of either renovating the district’s existing and aged middle school or building a new one at a different location. The occasion was a school board meeting that brought scores of residents from as many walks of life to a too-small music room at the high school last night.
The result was an undeniable consensus on the question to renovate or to re-locate the aging middle school. Overwhelmingly, the request from about two dozen residents was to keep the middle school in the village, to renovate it and don’t even consider building a new one elsewhere.
Dollar amounts were presented as hypothetical figures and seemed to hold minimal interest for the crowd following an initial presentation by Superintendent Maria Rice. That may change as more solid figures are developed. But what resident after resident urged the board to do was renovate the existing building for what might best be called quality-of-life reasons: the importance for students of having the school within walking distance of the village, the need to keep future gas costs in mind ($8.50, $9.50 a gallon, who knew?) and the desire to make a renovation as green as possible.
A petition containing 802 signatures of residents from not only New Paltz but the parts of Gardiner, Esopus and Highland served by the district urged that the school be renovated.
The town and village boards, which have been able to agree on little if anything in recent years, both unanimously requested the building continue to be used as a school.
Two residents were less enthusiastic and urged the board to keep the potential costs of renovation in mind.
The meeting even featured a confession of sorts - former teachers union president Ron Simon said near the end of the public comment period that he’d changed his mind since last week and now favored renovation rather than building new. He received a loud ovation.
The board had taken no action by 10 p.m.
New Paltz to study renovating middle school
Poughkeepsie Journal
Thursday, January 31, 2008
NEW PALTZ — The board of education voted unanimously Wednesday night to study renovating New Paltz Middle School.
The school, built in 1930, now houses 650 students in grades 6-8, as well as the district’s shipping and receiving operations and the district’s main kitchen.
It was last expanded in 1966, with infrastructure updates completed in 1998.
Reasons cited on the district’s web site for needing renovation include energy efficiency, building codes, meeting state education mandates, compatibility with modern technology, ADA compliance and parking area expansion.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
NEW PALTZ — The board of education voted unanimously Wednesday night to study renovating New Paltz Middle School.
The school, built in 1930, now houses 650 students in grades 6-8, as well as the district’s shipping and receiving operations and the district’s main kitchen.
It was last expanded in 1966, with infrastructure updates completed in 1998.
Reasons cited on the district’s web site for needing renovation include energy efficiency, building codes, meeting state education mandates, compatibility with modern technology, ADA compliance and parking area expansion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)