Category: District News
Liberty CSD voters approve $68.5M school budget proposal, $7.5M capital project
On Tuesday, May 20, voters in the Liberty Central School District approved, 658-131, the district’s $68.5 million budget proposal for the 2025-26 school year.
“We thank the residents of Liberty Central School District for their continued support so we can empower our students to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “We are also happy we could present a budget that, for the seventh year in a row, did not increase the tax levy.”
The $68,508,362 budget funds all current student programs and services as the district continues its vertical and horizontal alignment of curriculum, adding the curriculum management platform Eduplanet to aid in curriculum mapping. The district is also expanding partnerships with colleges and universities to offer additional credit-bearing classes for high school students.
Voters also approved a nearly $7.5 million capital project, 616-167. The project will add air conditioning to the elementary school to address recent state legislation that sets 88 degrees as the maximum temperature in educational and support services spaces. The project also includes related boiler and electrical upgrades. There is no expected tax levy impact, as fund balances will be used to offset the costs not covered by state reimbursements.
“We are glad that this project was approved so that we can help keep our students cool in a more cost-effective manner by working this into our ongoing project,” Dr. Sullivan said.
Three board of education members were elected to three-year terms on the board. John L. Nichols with 761 votes, Timothy Hamblin with 759 votes and Matthew DeWitt with 762 votes Also on the ballot were: Miriam Rivka Singer who received 28 votes, and Miriam Heimlich who received 27 votes. Six write-in votes were also cast: four for Richard Ienuso and one each for Mike Grosman and Pamela Hamlin.
Groundbreaking set for Phase 1 of capital project
Dirt will soon be moved for the Liberty Central School District capital project that was approved by voters in January 2024. Following final approval by the state Education Department earlier this month, Phase 1 of the project is set to begin on June 16.
A ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the football field at 9 a.m. Friday, June 13, featuring officials from the district as well as project partners construction management firm Schoolhouse Construction, design and architecture firm LAN Associates, and construction firm Clark Companies, who is contracted to complete the work for the athletic field improvements..
Phase1 of the project includes construction of the maintenance building; athletic facility improvements, including the installation of a new synthetic turf field, track and field improvements, installation of a grandstand and press box, and installation of new athletic field lighting; upgrades to the HVAC controls at the middle and high school; upgrades to the carbon monoxide alarm system and replacement of exterior stairs at the high school; and replacements of some interior doors at the middle school.
Retesting shows lead levels in water below action level at Liberty schools
On May 2, Liberty Central School District completed follow up testing on 10 sinks that were found to have lead levels above action level during lead in water testing in April.
Following remediation, water from all 10 sinks was retested and all locations were found to have levels below the action level of 5 parts per billion.
More information and links to the full first and second round reports are available here.
Liberty names new high school principal
On Tuesday, May 6, the Liberty Central School Board appointed Liberty High School Assistant Principal Stephen Matuszak as LHS principal, effective July 1. He will replace Dr. Derek Adams, who was named assistant superintendent.
Mr. Matuszak has served as assistant principal at LHS since April 2020.
He grew up in the Binghamton, New York, area. He began his educational career as a substitute in the Maine-Endwell school district after earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a focus in social studies from Mansfield University in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Matuszak moved to Sullivan County in 2007 to take a seventh and eighth grade social studies teaching position at RJK Middle School in the Monticello Central School District, where he also was a coach. He was the school’s behavior specialist his final year. He also earned a master’s degree from the University of Scranton in curriculum development and design, and completed his certificate of advanced studies in educational leadership from SUNY New Paltz in 2019.
A Liberty resident, he is married and has two daughters.
LMS teacher under consideration for NYS Teacher of the Year
A Liberty Middle School teacher is under consideration for the New York State Teacher of the Year award, presented by the state Education Department.
Melissa Murphy, a sixth grade ELA teacher, is one of only seven teachers in the state to make it to the third round, chosen by the Teacher of the Year Council.
“This accomplishment speaks to the powerful investment you and your school community have made in education,” the letter announcing the selection read.
The next step in the process is a site visit by three or four members of the selection committee in May. The site visit will involve a lesson observation as well as interviews with staff, administration and students and a conversation with Ms. Murphy.
If she moves on in the process, she will be interviewed by the selection committee in June, with the Teacher of the Year named near the start of next school year.
Retiring LHS science teacher to be honored by MHSSC
In her final year of teaching, a well-loved Liberty teacher will be honored by the Mid-Hudson School Study Council next month.
Lucinda (Cindy) Nolan, a science teacher at Liberty High School for 31 years, will receive a Teaching Excellence Award from the MHSSC. She has taught a variety of science classes from eighth grade physical science to Regents physics.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award,” she said. “It is the frosting on the cake of a fulfilling career as an educator.”
In his nomination letter. LHS Principal Dr. Derek Adams called Ms. Nolan “the epitome of an exceptional educator, demonstrating unwavering professionalism and dedication.”
Her high-quality instruction, engaging learning experiences and meaningful assessments fosters an environment where students thrive, he added
While her work in the classroom has been noteworthy it is her interactions with her students that make her an outstanding teacher.
“A good educator is able to inspire students to learn about the subject that they teach, but more than that to connect with students to help them to become better humans and to make a difference in their lives,” Ms. Nolan said. “Sometimes a difference is made by teaching exciting topics, other times it is by showing love.”
From engaging her students with her how-can-it-not-be-fun Physics of Toys classes, to leading lessons on rollerblading during this year’s Genius Hour, to posing with selfies with graduating seniors in their caps and gowns, Ms. Nolan has a way of connecting with students.
“I don’t think anyone dislikes Ms. Nolan,” freshman Baileigh Steinberg said.
She goes above and beyond helping her students understand their lessons, students said.
Senior Jonathan Stonick said during his freshman year he spent almost every day after school and during a study hall with her to help understand and complete his work.
“She has helped me a lot throughout my four years,” he added. “She’s a really great teacher.”
Fellow senior Nora Liddle agreed.
“I’m really happy to have had her as a science teacher. She’s one of the best female science teachers I have known,” she said. “It’s a joy to be around her.”
It’s not just the students who say that.
“I have witnessed each and every current and former student, staff and community members give and receive the warmest of greetings and interactions usually starting and finishing with a hug,” Dr. Adams said in his nomination letter. “The relationships that Cindy has built through her career are remarkable and is a testament to her dedication to an education for all students”
Beyond the classroom, Ms. Nolan also serves as adviser of National Honor Society and Science Olympiad. She is also a leader and a mentor to her colleagues, serving as a department facilitator and leading weekly professional learning community meetings, and she has spearheaded initiatives to improve instruction and student outcomes.
“Ms. Nolan is a worthy recipient of the MHSSC Teaching Excellence Award,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “We will miss her at Liberty and wish her well in her retirement.”
While she may leave Liberty schools at the end of the year, her memories and connection to the district will always remain.
“I have grown so much as a person during my time here. I have received an education in different cultures and their traditions. My co-workers have become lifelong friends and extended family who have been mentors, and ‘partners in crime’ and extended family,” she said. “Not many people can meet so many people and have as much fun in their career as I have. I chose the right career for me!”
Ms. Nolan will be honored at the MHSSC’s annual meeting and awards celebration in the Fieldstone Auditorium in the North Rockland Central School District on May 7. Earlier this school year, Liberty Middle School Aide/Safety Duty staff member Cindy Mercado was honored with the MHSSC Support Staff Award for Excellence in Education.
Lead in water testing results reported at Liberty
State law requires school districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis. Testing must be completed every three years, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner.
The state established an action level of 5 micrograms per liter or 5 parts per billion (ppb). If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.
School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results — along with remediation plans, if required — on the official district website.
Testing took place at the middle and high school on April 8, the elementary school on April 9 and the White Sulphur Springs building on April 10.
- At the high school, a hand washing sink in the Nurse’s Office returned a 10.1 parts per billion level.
- At the middle school, a second-floor pass-through storage hand washing sink returned a 175 parts per billion level.
- At the elementary school, eight sinks were found to be above 5 ppb
- Between 16 & 17 Teacher space hand sink: 20.6 ppb
- Room 30 class sink: 14.7 ppb
- Room 42 class sink: 9.5 ppb
- Room 43 class sink: 25.6 ppb
- Room 45 class sink: 59.1 ppb
- Room 46 class sink: 6.3 ppb
- Room 48 class sink: 67.6 ppb
- Room 53 class sink: 9.1 ppb
- All outlets at the White Sulphur Springs building returned levels below 5 ppb.
Signs have been posted at all impacted sinks that water is not to be consumed from that outlet. Remedial actions will be taken and the outlets will be retested.
More information and links to the full reports are available here.
Liberty BOE OKs $68.5M budget proposal; info sessions planned
On Tuesday, April 22, Liberty Central School District Board of Education approved a $68.5 million budget proposal for the 2025-26 school year that maintains programs while enhancing goals and procedure alignment as well as efficiencies district-wide without increasing the tax levy.
This is the seventh consecutive year there is no proposed tax levy increase.
The vote will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, in the high school media center.
There will be a series of budget information sessions, to which the public is encouraged to attend:
- May 5: Budget presentation to the Liberty Town Board, 6:30 p.m., the Senior Citizens Center at 119 N. Main St.
- May 6: Budget hearing, 6 p.m., High School Auditorium
- May 8: Budget, Dinner and a Concert, 5:30 p.m., HS Media Center
- May 9: Budget talk, 8:30-11:30 a.m., New Munson Diner, 12 Lake St.
The proposed $68,508,362 budget increases spending 0.70%, or $474,068 and would fund all current student programs and services.
Based on the governor’s budget proposal’s state aid projections, the district expects an overall slight decrease in state aid, with the tax lex levy remaining at $17,760,162, the same as the 2024-25 budget.
Also on the ballot is a nearly $7.5 million capital project proposal that would add air conditioning to the elementary school to address recent state legislation that sets 88 degrees as the maximum temperature in educational and support services spaces. There is no expected tax levy impact, as fund balances would be used to offset the costs not covered by state reimbursements. More information is available at the district’s 2025 capital project webpage.
There also will be three board of education seats on the ballot. On the ballot, in the order they will appear, are Miriam Rivka Singer, incumbents John L. Nichols and Timothy Hamblin, Miriam Heimlich and incumbent Matthew DeWitt.
The elected candidates will serve three-year terms running July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
For more information on the budget, including voter information, visit the district budget information page on the website.
LMS hears anti-bullying message from Sweethearts & Heroes
A mixed martial arts professional and a retired Army sergeant severely injured in Iraq recently presented a message of hope, empathy, compassion and action at Liberty Middle School.
Sweethearts & Heroes Director and Co-Founder Tom Murphy and Rick Yarosh, a Purple Heart recipient and motivational speaker, used role playing, facts, small-group exercises and real-life experiences to help teach students they can be heroes by helping stop bullying and offering hope.
“Many communities in this region grapple with socioeconomic hardships, further complicating the educational landscape,” Murphy said. “The struggles these students endure are heartbreaking, yet Liberty Middle School has paved the way for resilience and success.”
Sweethearts and Heroes’ message and approach aligns with the LMS Comprehensive Education Plan and the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan, said Behavioral Specialist Sheila Wormuth, who brought the program to LMS.
“Their unique approach focuses on actionable steps, rather than just awareness, making a real impact,” she said.
For more than 16 years, Sweethearts & Heroes has presented what Murphy calls “the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying” to more than 2.5 million students across the Northeast and Canada.
The target for the lessons isn’t the bullies or their targets, he said, but those who see it happening and can step in and help.
Over two days, Murphy and Yarosh presented two assemblies—tailored to fifth and sixth grade students in the first and seventh and eighth in the second—visited classes and led small group activities, called circles.
“It was real, it was honest, it was relatable and it will help me see ways to be a better person in school,” seventh-grader Greyson Torres said.
While the message was primarily geared toward students, it also heavily involved staff, who were directly addressed in the presentation and participated in the circles, Wormuth said.
“These were two of the most positive and productive days toward our SEL (social emotional learning) effort,” sixth-grade teacher Justin Golden said.
That is something Murphy said is needed.
“While their environment may not be perfect, in just two days, we witnessed not only students thriving but also a dedicated staff that genuinely loves and cares for the children in their community,” Murphy said. “Bravo, Liberty—bravo!”
A recording of the assemblies can be found at https://events.locallive.tv/events/172824
A message regarding high school graduation dress code
Dear Liberty families,
On Feb. 27, the district held a forum to discuss the current dress code for our high school graduation ceremony. The dress code is in place to maintain the formality of the event while keeping the focus on our students’ academic and civic achievements.
Along with their caps and gowns, the district has, in the past, allowed students to wear regalia from certain outside organizations/entities. Students will continue to be permitted to wear regalia from those previously approved organizations/entities, which are listed below. The district will not permit students to wear regalia provided by any other outside organization, entity, group or otherwise that are not included on the list below. Students are also permitted to decorate the tops of their graduation caps to reflect their heritage, families, personalities and journeys, provided that such decorations comply with the district’s Code of Conduct and Student Dress Code policy.
During the forum, about 15 attendees requested a change to the existing dress code. They noted that some surrounding districts have implemented changes; however, upon further review, we found that the districts in Sullivan County follow a graduation dress code similar to ours.
We appreciate our students, alumni and families for sharing their perspectives.
After careful consideration, the current graduation dress code will be as follows:
- School-issued: Valedictorian sash; salutatorian sash; LHS Class Officer cord.
- Other approved regalia: National Honor Society stole; United States Armed Forces stole or sash; New York State Public High School Athletic Association medal; New York State Seal of Biliteracy medal; National Art Honor Society cord; National Technical Honor Society cord; HOBY Youth Leadership cord; NY Blood Center Donor cord; New York State Seal of Civic Readiness medal; and Sullivan County BOCES SkillsUSA.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Superintendent
Dr. Derek Adams, High School Principal