NEWBURGH – Following debate on procedure and legality of conducting a special Sunday meeting, the Newburgh Board of Education approved three administration appointments without discussion.
The board approved the contract for Deputy Superintendent Onyx Peterson through June 30, 2027 at a salary of $230,000 through June 30, 2025 with three-percent per year increment in each of the remaining years of her contract.
The board also extended the contracts of Assistant Superintendent Natasha Freeman and Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Rohring through June 30, 2028. They were to expire on July 1, 2025.
Board Member Mark Levinstein said with a new board majority taking over on Tuesday, July 2, they could have appointed their own choices for those posts, and they may not have been sufficiently experienced to perform their duties.
New member Christine Bello challenged the legality of the special session claiming the legal notice announcing the meeting was illegal as it did not include appropriate language pertaining to one member participating remotely. That allegation was dismissed by board attorney David Shaw.
