BUDGET HEARING AND ANNUAL MEETING AND ELECTION LIBERTY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Liberty Central School District will hold a Budget Hearing at the Liberty High School Auditorium, Buckley Street, Village of Liberty, New York, in said District on Tuesday, May 6th, 2025 at 6:00 pm (Prevailing time) for the purpose of discussion of the expenditure of funds and the budgeting thereof proposed by the Board of Education for the school year July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.

NOTICE IS GIVEN pursuant to Section 1716 of the Education Law, that a copy of the statement of the amount of money, which may be required for the following year for school purposes, exclusive of public money, and the Real Property Tax Exemption Report will be annexed to any budget of which it forms a part and may be obtained by any resident in the District at the District Office, 115 Buckley Street, Liberty, New York, and at each of the three following school buildings in the District:  The Liberty Elementary School, Liberty, NY, The Liberty Middle School, Liberty, N.Y., and the Liberty High School, Liberty, NY during the fourteen days immediately preceding the annual budget vote and election, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. prevailing time, other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday, together with the text of any resolution to be presented to the voters and will be available on the District website.  A copy of the detailed statement of estimated expenditures will also be made available at the Budget Hearing to be held May 6th, 2025.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Annual Meeting and Election, including the vote upon the appropriation of the necessary funds to meet the estimated expenditures for school purposes for the 2025-26 school year, the election of members of the Board of Education, the vote upon the propositions outlined below, and any other business that may legally come before this meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, between the hours of 11:00 am and 8:00 pm prevailing time, at the Liberty High School Media Center, 125 Buckley Street, Liberty, New York and

NOTICE IS GIVEN:  that any qualified elector who desires to submit any proposition to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting and Election, except as to a question or proposition required by law to be stated in the published or posted notice of meeting, shall file with the Board of Education a petition setting forth such proposition, not less than thirty (30) days  (by 5:00 pm on Monday, April 21, 2025) prior to the Annual District Budget Vote and Election and such petition shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District.

NOTICE IS GIVEN:  that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education must be filed with the Clerk of the District between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, prevailing time and no later than Monday, April 21, 2025 at 5:00 pm.  Nominating petitions are to fill the vacancies caused by the expiration of the terms of the following Board of Education members:  Matthew DeWitt (One 3-year term), Timothy Hamblin (One 3-year term) and John Nichols (One 3-year term).

The following vacancies are to be filled by the Board of Education:

• One three-year term to fill position No. 5 (at large) July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028
• One three-year term to fill position No. 8 (at large) July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028
• One three-year term to fill position No. 9 (at large) July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028

At-Large Voting: the three candidates with the highest amount of votes will fill the three vacant positions. Candidates for office of member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition and each petition must be filed with the Clerk of the District, shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District.  The petition shall state the residence of each signer and shall state the name and residence of the candidate.  No person shall be nominated by petition for more than one separate vacancy.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the following propositions will appear on the ballot:

PROPOSITION NO. 1

Shall the following resolution be approved?

RESOLVED: that the Board of Education of the Liberty Central School District, Sullivan County, be authorized to make the expenditures shown in the budget presented by the Board of Education for the 2025-26 school year.

PROPOSITION NO. 2

Shall the following resolution be approved?

RESOLVED: that the Board of Education of the Liberty Central School District at Liberty, Sullivan County, New York, is hereby authorized to undertake certain capital improvements consisting of constructing improvements to and reconstructing School District buildings and related facilities, including original furnishings, machinery, equipment, apparatus, appurtenances (including improvements to and replacement of HVAC systems and the replacement of a boiler in the Liberty Elementary School), and other incidental improvements and expenses in connection therewith, at a maximum estimated cost of $7,494,246, of which $1,125,000 will be expended from the available fund balance, and the remaining amount, or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be raised by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of said School District and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education, taking into account the amount expended from the available fund balance; and, in anticipation of the collection of such tax, issue bonds and notes of the District at one time or from time to time in the principal amount not to exceed $6,369,246, and levy a tax to pay the principal of and interest on said obligations when due.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that pursuant to section 2014 of the Education Law, Personal Registration of voters is required, and no person shall be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting and Election to be held on May 20, 2025, whose name does not appear on the register of the District or who does not register as hereinafter provided, except a person who is otherwise qualified to vote and is registered under the provisions of Article 5 of the Election Law. The times and place of registration are set forth below, and any person shall be entitled to have that person’s name placed upon such register, provided that at such meeting of the Board of Registration, that person is known or proven to the satisfaction of the Board of Registration, to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at the school meeting or election for which such register is prepared.

The Board of Registration shall prepare a register for said Annual Meeting and Election which shall include all persons who shall have presented themselves personally for registration for any annual budget vote and election or special District meeting or election and who shall have voted at any Annual or Special Meeting or Election or conducted at any time during the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 calendar years.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that Personal Registration may be achieved on any day, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. prevailing time at the Liberty Central School District Office, 115 Buckley Street, Liberty, New York up until Thursday, May 15, 2025.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the register of the District, so prepared, will be filed in the office of the School District Clerk at the Liberty CSD District Office, 115 Buckley Street, Liberty, N.Y., where the same shall be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District on each of the five (5) days prior to the Annual Meeting and Election, weekdays between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., prevailing time (with the exception of Saturday and Sunday by appointment only). Said register will be open for inspection at the Liberty High School Media Center, 125 Buckley Street, Village of Liberty, N.Y. during the hours of the Annual Meeting and Election.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the members of the Board of Registration shall meet at the Annual Meeting and Election on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the Liberty High School Media Center, 125 Buckley Street, Village of Liberty, N.Y., between the hours of 11:00 am and 8:00 pm, prevailing time, where and when the Annual Meeting and Election will be held for the purpose of preparing a register of the school district for meetings or elections held subsequent to such Annual Meeting and Election.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that applications for Absentee Ballots may be applied for at the Office of the District Clerk.  If the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the election, or Tuesday, May 13th, 2025.  If the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than the day before the election, or Monday, May 19th, 2025.  Absentee Ballots must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. prevailing time on May 20, 2025.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2018-a of the Education Law, qualified voters who meet the criteria for “permanently disabled” and are so certified by the Sullivan County Board of Elections, will receive paper Absentee Ballots by mail.

A list of all persons to whom Absentee Ballots shall have been issued will be available for public inspection in the office of the District Clerk on each of the five (5) days prior to the date of the Annual Meeting and Election, weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, (or Saturday and Sunday by appointment) and such list will also be posted at the polling place at the Annual Meeting and Election of members of the Board of Education.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that in accordance with Section 2018-e of the N.Y. Education Law, applications for EARLY MAIL BALLOTS may be applied for at the Office of the District Clerk. A list of all persons to whom Early Mail ballots shall have been issued will be available for inspection in the office of the District Clerk on each of the five days prior to the day of the Annual Meeting and Election of members of the Board of Education, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, (by appointment on Saturday and Sunday), and will also be available at the polling place at the Annual Meeting and Election of members of the Board of Education.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that military voters who are qualified voters of the School District may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application from the District Clerk at (845) 292-6990 or tdefrank@libertyk12.org. For a military voter to be issued a military ballot, the District Clerk must have received a valid ballot application no later than 5:00 pm on April 24, 2025. Military voters who are not currently registered to vote may apply to register as a qualified voter by filling out a Military Voter Registration Application, which can also be obtained by requesting an application from the District Clerk. Military Voter Registration Applications must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 pm on April 24, 2025. Military voters may indicate a preference for receiving a military voter registration, military ballot application, or military ballot by mail, fax, or e-mail in their request for such registration, ballot application, or ballot. The School District will transmit military ballots to military voters no later than April 25, 2025. Completed military ballots must be received by the School District by 5:00pm on May 20, 2025 in order to be counted.

Dated: April 4, 2025
Liberty Central School District
Liberty, New York
Tania DeFrank, District Clerk