Olive Matters... What’s Their Stance?

“We’re getting together this Wednesday to discuss school board candidates,” Boggess said this week of a planned April 16 gathering at the Olive Free Library in West Shokan.
She noted that one newly-announced Olive candidate, Ralph Legnini, had asked if he could come before Olive Matters to seek their support for the slate of four candidates he’s running with who are against the current board’s pending proposal to redistrict Onteora for a new 5-8 Middle School, necessitating the closing of another elementary school.
“We said that’s crazy, that’s like asking somebody from Woodstock to support an Olive candidate,” Boggess continued. “We’re definitely not supporting anyone not from Olive… Olive only candidates, that’s who we support.”
Later, Boggess wrote that the group DID meet with Legnini, who made his case. But all in attendance politely disagreed, standing by their belief that taxpayer issues were paramount at the moment, at least in their terms.
In explanation of the Olive Matters Olive-only stance regarding Onteora matters, Boggess was no-nonsense. She noted that even though a deal has been struck between New York City and the Town of Olive that makes the Large Parcel issue that raised the townspeoples’ school taxes moot for the coming decade, her group won’t be happy until laws are passed in Albany that specifically remove reservoirs from any consideration if its implementation.
“All we have now is a ten year reprieve,” she said. “What happens after 10 years if New York City and the town can’t agree on a value anymore?”
Boggess said the rest of the Onteora School district had former Woodstock supervisor Jeremy Wilber and former Shandaken supervisor Bob Cross to thank for the Olive Matters stance, which would push for their town’s complete control of the school board until which time Large Parcel is removed from consideration by the state. No matter what any local candidates say about not implementing it. And no matter whether either of the former supervisors ever apologized for their previous stances.
She also noted that Olive Matters was fully supporting the Middle School plan, and planning process, pushed by the three incumbent candidates it helped bring to the Onteora board in an upset election three years ago. She pointed out that the middle school discussions had taken long enough – three years – to already allow everyone a say, and that “parents who don’t want this don’t understand” that unless schools are closed and consolidation allowed to happen, there would be more cuts to education, including “things like band and art” because of the district’s runaway expenses.
Boggess’ husband Drew served as a member of the school district’s Budget Study Group that recently recommended closing a school and consolidating programs, as well as hiring new teachers at lower wages, as a means of stemming the sort of high costs it characterized, in its recently disseminated report, via the image of a runaway train.
“These three people have kept our budget down and done a bang-up job,” Boggess said of OCS Board President MaryJane Bernholz and boardmembers Cindy O’Connor and Rita Vanacore. “We’re tired of seeing our board members being unduly badmouthed, just like we’re tired of being bad-mouthed as a town.”
Boggess spoke about how candidates opposing the Olive incumbents were talking about issues related to qualities of education and community when what mattered most to the Olive voters Olive Matters represented were more interested in pure economics.
“They should ride around with our Meals on Wheels programs and ask our seniors themselves to pay these $100,000 salaries for teachers,” she said. “Tell them why there are 60 passenger busses with only 40 kids on them. Tell them you want all this stuff paid for out of their Social Security checks.”
Boggess noted that Olive Matters didn’t care which school closed, as long as one did.
“We can’t keep feeding this monster,” she said.
After noting that Olive Matters wouldn’t mind Woodstock and West Hurley splitting from the rest of Onteora, the better for the remaining district’s school aid formulas, Boggess was asked whether anyone in her organization was giving thought to the effects of rising energy prices and those who are now saying it will force an eventual return to smaller, community-oriented education.
“I don’t think a lot of people here understand or care about any of that right now,” she replied. “Right now, everyone’s more concerned about paying bills that are piling up. And a lot of our senior citizens are without children now, so they don’t really care. ‘Why would it effect me,’ they say.”
Should the new slate ask to speak to Olive Matters at an upcoming meeting, via Legnini, an Olive resident, or any of the other candidates, Boggess said they would likely be put on the agenda. But the she added that there might also be a chance that no one would show up to listen to them.
Does Olive Matters have a fourth candidate for the open slots up for election May 20, in addition to the three incumbents they consider theirs?
Boggess said there were other petitions out but no official word of anyone yet.
Has their turnout been as strong as it once was, back when Large Parcel was more of a pressing issue?
“We have a turn out. We’re kind of silently active, with a formidable e-mail list,” Boggess said. “WE want a big push to have only Olive people on the board.”
Forever?
“It would be nice to figure out how the heck all these towns can get together,” she said. “But for now, we’re sick of people considering us ‘low tax Olive.’”

Running together in a four-candidate block are Woodstock resident Donna Flayhan, Olive resident Ralph Legnini, Shandaken resident Ann McGillicuddy and Woodstock resident Laurie Osmond.
Adam Pollack, a Woodstock resident and a senior attending Onteora High School also joined the campaign. He recently turned 18, therefore qualified to vote and run for office.
The block of four candidates are challenging the incumbents based on the school board’s recent decision to create a five-through-eight middle school and close an additional elementary school. Bernholz, O’Connor and Vanacore all voted in favor of the middle school, but no decision has been made on which school will be closed. The three believe that enrollment is declining at a rate that will result in only two elementary schools being needed in the future. They say their plans make long term fiscal sense to district taxpayers.
Flayhan, Legnini, McGillicuddy and Osmond all believe that community elementary schools with smaller classrooms are most important. They do not support a middle school bond with total renovations that they say could cost taxpayers between $70 million and $86 million, nor do they support the closure of an elementary school. The four have joined together from all areas of the district as a response to the fact that five out of six school board members currently come from the town of Olive.
A majority of people from Olive successfully voted in their candidates over three years in reaction to a 2004 implementation of the Large Parcel Bill. Seven of the current eight candidates have publicly stated that they will not support a vote to enact Large Parcel if the subject arises again.
Pollack could not be reached for a statement.
The top three vote winners will fill three three-year terms. The fourth place winner will take the remaining time left on Rosenfeld’s seat, for reelection next Spring
In other Onteora business, the current board’s agenda for its Wednesday April 23 meeting included mention of a “termination,” for Deborah Fox’s position as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum. Does this mean the position itself was terminated, or Fox as the person filling it?
According to Superintendent Leslie Ford, the board feels that curriculum is important and “we will have that position filled.” The title will not be folded into another administrative position, but another person will be hired. She would not make comments on why Fox was terminated and her contract will end June 30, 2008.
Fox was hired as an assistant superintendent under the leadership of Justine Winters in 2004.
Also, Middle School Principal Paul Schwartz has resigned effective June 30, 2008, when he will have been employed with the district for one year. The reason given for his resignation was listed as “personal,” and Ford said she would not comment on such issues.

Rosenfeld Explains His Resignation
Herb Rosenfeld resigned from the Onteora’s school board on April 4 and in a recent phone conversation explained why he made his decision to step down after nearly five years of service.
“I felt like I didn’t fit into the way the board processed information and came to conclusions,” He said, noting that educational topics he presented were never addressed, he carried a lack of voting power and his opinion was often ignored.
Rosenfeld believes the school board’s proposed 5-8 middle school, that would necessitate the closing of another elementary school, lacks a major component - education for all. He emphasized the “all,” part. This is something Rosenfeld said is being largely ignored.
“We do fine with kids who wind up in fancy schools,” said Rosenfeld. “We need to develop a vision on what we want for all students.” He described the need for an education “blueprint,” a vision designed to engage all students and so far with the new reconfiguration he has not seen any benefits for kids.
Rosenfeld, a retired educator with 40+ years of experience, said investments should be made in more “pedagogy and curriculum.” Teachers need space to call their own, he explained but, “this $80 million project, it’s a Cadillac of jobs that we’re going for, instead of finding alternatives.” Rosenfeld wants the school board to put the breaks on the proposal.
Rosenfeld also does not understand why the current board placed a 15 minute limit during the “public be heard” section of the board agenda. He called the move “disrespectful” to the public. He said, “I sat for hours listening to the people when they closed West Hurley (elementary),” in 2003/2004. He noted the same procedure when Large Parcel was open to public discussion. Both had public input before any vote was taken. He does not blame the district leadership for what he believes is its mishap, but said things will change if the board were to change. Superintendent Leslie Ford is, “interested in doing her job-I don’t think that she is the issue.”
Rosenfeld called the current board, “politicized,” primarily because of the Large Parcel legislation where the town of Olive found candidates who, once elected to the school board, would vote against the bill. Five out of the current six school board members are from the town of Olive. He believes the board, “was elected to serve the Large Parcel issue and wound up with a fortress mentality that they stick to.”
Rosenfeld said there is nothing wrong with a 5-8 middle school model except that it does not fit in the Onteora district. In a narrow four to three vote that approved the middle school, he voted against it because it meant closing an elementary school. He also said there are equally positive studies for 6-8 middle school and Kindergarten-through-twelve configurations. He also warns against the proposed larger classroom size population of students that will happen if a school closes. He said studies do not support any positive outcome.
“If you close down another school you are going to shift 250 plus kids into two elementary schools,” he said. “The research as to what that would do is astounding.”
Rosenfeld explained that the board should start at the beginning with public meetings, town meetings and “utilize more than one architect” at competitive bids. “I mean you would do that when building a house.” He noted that really good changes are happening at the elementary schools, so what is the purpose of changing or closing a school when it works.
“They are on the cusp of being incredible,” he said, giving credit to good teaching, coupled with the new reading/writing program and community and parental involvement. He said Phoenicia has shown increased enrollment at the lower levels and he does not trust demographic reports when the reconfiguration plan will maximize space.
Rosenfeld reflected that he voted on very controversial issues such as the closing of West Hurley elementary school. Always, he worked with his fellow board members and enjoyed their company, even though he was vehemently against the majority’s vote.
His first couple of years on the board, he explained, were different.
“Then,” he said, “The lines weren’t drawn.”
But now continuing his term as a school board member he viewed as, “pointless.”