• January 20, 2025

    Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, Staff, and Community Members,

    I am happy to announce that the New Paltz Central School District Continuing Education Brochure for the Spring 2025 session is now available.  The link to the brochure can be found here:

    Spring 2025 Continuing Education Brochure

    This program is being organized on a volunteer basis by school board member, Heather Kort, and administrative intern/middle school teacher, Ben Liberatore.  Here is an introduction to the continuing education program by Mr. Liberatore

    New Paltz Central School District: Community Continuing Education Program – Spring 2025

    Dear New Paltz School District Families, Teachers, Staff, Community Leaders, and Local Businesses,

    We are excited to announce the rollout of our Spring 2025 Continuing Education Program, starting this February! Our schools are more than academic institutions—they are vibrant community hubs that offer enriching programs designed to connect, inspire, and support the entire New Paltz community.

    This program highlights the immense talent and creativity within our town, featuring a diverse range of workshops, classes, and activities for people of all ages and interests. Whether you're looking to learn a new skill, prioritize wellness, or explore your creative side, there’s something for everyone.

    The Benefits of an Open School Community
    At New Paltz, we believe that strong communities are built through shared experiences. By opening our doors to the public, we aim to foster lifelong learning, create opportunities for personal growth, and strengthen the ties that bind us together.

    Our programs are intentionally designed to be accessible and inclusive. Popular offerings such as creative craft workshops and free fitness classes have shown how impactful simple, flexible activities can be in bringing people together. This spring, we’re building on that success with even more options to promote wellness, creativity, and collaboration.

    Program Details

    • Start Date: February 2025

    • Duration: February – April 2025

    • Offerings: A wide variety of classes and workshops, including fitness, arts, career development, and more.

    • Locations: Programs will be held at school facilities and other partnered community spaces.

    How to Get Involved
    The Spring 2025 program is the result of community members coming together to share their knowledge and skills. While we are no longer accepting proposals for this term, we encourage everyone to explore and participate in the many exciting offerings available.

    Join Us in Strengthening Our Community
    This program thrives because of our collective effort to build connections and provide opportunities for growth. By participating in our Continuing Education Program, you contribute to a stronger, more inclusive New Paltz, where everyone is welcome to learn, grow, and thrive.

    Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you this spring as we embark on another season of learning and connection!

    Warm regards,
    The Continuing Education Committee
    New Paltz Central School District
    continuingeducation@newpaltz.k12.ny.us

     

    The Capital Project Vote

    I want to thank the voters for coming out on January 16 to participate in the capital project vote.  I am very pleased that nearly 3000 people came out and let their voices be heard.  Full participation in the democratic process by all district residents was our top priority.

    As you have no doubt heard by now, proposition #1 passed and propositions #2 and #3 did not pass.  Here are the final numbers:

    Proposition #1  1,798 in favor 1,128 opposed

    Proposition #2 1036 in favor 1,861 opposed.  

    Proposition #3 409 in favor 2,476 opposed. 

    While these results may not be to everyone’s liking, I do want to point out one very obvious fact.  In this time when our school is facing many difficult financial challenges and a shrinking student enrollment, it is a significant sign of support from the community that they approved a $17,000,000 capital project to finance necessary upgrades across our district.

    We realize that $17,000,000 is a lot of money to take out of our community.  This equates to an approximate 1.16% tax increase which is not insignificant and poses an increased burden on our taxpayers for at least 14 years.  It is important to remember that by doing these necessary upgrades through a capital project we are leveraging much needed state funds that will lower the overall cost of the project to about $9,000,000.

    It is also worth noting that we will continue to pursue avenues for lowering the total cost of the project.  It is possible that grants will be available to lower the cost of some items, especially the LED lighting project.  While it would not have been appropriate to count on grants that we might or might not get when planning a capital project, that does not mean that we will not pursue all avenues we can to lower the cost.  Hopefully, the cost of the project will end up being somewhat less than $17,000,000.  Rest assured that we will not borrow any more money than we need to borrow.  Thus, if savings occur, the taxpayers will pay less than anticipated.

    To refresh your memory, these are the items contained in proposition #1.

    The next step in the process will be the design phase, during which our architectural firm and our school employees will work together to define exactly what each of these items will actually look like and what will be involved in creating them.  Once the design phase has been completed, we will submit a request to New York State for permission to do the work.  It typically takes a long time to get state approval for anything, so we will proceed with the design phase immediately and we will hope to have permission to break ground on these projects by the summer of 2026.

    Thank you again for coming out and voting.  Thank you for your approval of proposition #1 and the significant portion of the cost that the taxpayers will end up paying.  This is important work which we can not do without your support.

    Regards,

    Stephen Gratto - Superintendent