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 supported the appointments. “At this point the district is without a Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, and this summer, will be without a Deputy Superintendent. I have no expectation going forward that the Board of Education with new leadership, will be filling these positions with qualified personnel,” he said.
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.
One parent asked to speak during the session and was not allowed to. “The decision to pass through $1 million in multiyear contracts on a Sunday, with no public comment and oversight – is absolutely proof that this board needs restructuring,” said Vanessa Nisperos.
“If the board and the central office leadership wants to be so adversarial and hateful to parents, nobody is going to be able to have an insight and turn the ship around,” she said.
After the session, the police were called to the board of ed offices by member Phillip Howard.
