Guide To Clarkstown School Board And Budget Vote

CLARKSTOWN, NY — Voters in Clarkstown go to the polls Tuesday to elect members of the Clarkstown Board of Education and decide on the school board's proposed budget for 2022-23.

As the district has been in turmoil for a year, mostly over the suppressed 8th-grade presentation that Black lives matter, the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ouster of the superintendent, the school board race has been contentious. Clarkstown, like Nyack, is now a local battleground for the national culture wars, focusing on acronyms like CRT (critical race theory) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).

Trustee Daniel Cazes is running for re-election but current board President Walter Litvak is not seeking another term. Also on the ballot: Brian Montes, Phillip DeGaetano, Jason Bass, Alana Rao and John Maltbie.

Politicians have also weighed in. Clarkstown Councilmen Frank Borelli and Michael Graziano posted their endorsements of DeGaetano, a former board member who ran unsuccessfully last year on Facebook. Councilman Patrick Carroll has endorsed Maltbie and Montes.

The Clarkstown Teachers Association and the Rockland County Central Labor Council have endorsed DeGaetano and Maltbie.

Bass and Rao called the 8th-grade presentation one-sided and inflammatory, The Journal News reported. In the Clarkstown candidates forum, both talked about district transparency about what's being taught and about bullying, issues which DEI opponents across the country, including Save Our Schools Rockland, often cite.

The fight against CRT is national in scope. Critical race theory is a decades-old legal and academic framework that looks at and critiques how race and racism shaped the U.S. laws and institutions that remain in place today and help perpetuate racism and a kind of caste system that continues to the disadvantage of people of color. The phrase has become a catchall for various claims about racism and race relations in the United States and shorthand for opponents of diversity initiatives.
In New York State, the fight is also a response to the state's Board of Regents, which has urged all districts to develop policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

In addition to the election, there is one proposition on the ballot: the school board's spending plan of $230,706,789, which is 4.49 percent higher than the current budget. The tax levy is expected to rise just 1.97 percent, which is below the state's tax cap. It maintains current programming.

The budget document also contains an expense line for the new superintendent. The salary listed is $325,000 with $98,000 in benefits.

District officials said in the budget plan that they were focused on four strategic goals for the coming year: Academic, advancing learning for all students; social-emotional and ethical, supporting all students' development; capacity building, investing in skills, knowledge and expertise of the community; and safety, maintaining and promoting a safe and respectful environment.

The polls will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 17 at:

• District 1 - Street School 31 Zukor Road, New City
• District 2 - Congers Community Center- Upper Level 8 Gilchrest Road, Congers
• District 3 - Chestnut Grove Administration Center 62 Old Middletown Road, New City
• District 4 - St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall 128 Parrott Road, West Nyack

If you are unsure where to vote or don't know if you are registered, use the Voter Information Portal.

For library elections only:

• District 1, 2, 3 - New City Library
• District 4 - West Nyack Library

SEE ALSO:

• Op-Ed: School Board Election Is A Battle For The Soul Of Clarkstown
• Cox Out As Superintendent Of Clarkstown Schools
• Protest Over Masks Shuts Down Clarkstown BOE Meeting
• Clarkstown Filled With Argument Over Student Slideshow