Fishkill resident will begin district job on July 1
The Haldane school board on Tuesday (March 18) appointed Gail Duffy as superintendent. She will begin July 1.
Duffy succeeds Philip Benante, who left in 2024 to become the superintendent of the Arlington school district. Carl Albano, a former Garrison superintendent, has been serving as interim for the 2024-25 academic year.
The Fishkill resident is assistant superintendent for instruction and human resources at the Irvington district in Westchester County. She previously worked as an administrator for the Sleepy Hollow and Cornwall districts and has been an elementary and special education teacher and principal.
Duffy has a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh, a master’s degree in education and educational administration from Pace and a doctorate in educational leadership from Manhattanville. She is also an adjunct professor at Hunter College.
2025-26 budget
The school board reached an informal consensus on Tuesday to move ahead with a budget that includes a proposed levy increase of 2.8 percent, or 0.6 percent less than the state-mandated tax cap.
That would put spending at $30.2 million. Under a complex formula, Haldane can raise its levy for 2025-26 by up to 3.38 percent without requiring 60 percent of voters, rather than a majority, to approve.
Two weeks ago, administrators presented a budget with a 2.8 percent cap. But board members debated at the time whether to ask for the maximum 3.38 percent or minimize taxes following the approval by voters last fall of a $28.4 million capital project that will raise taxes by 6.95 percent over three years.
This week, the board heard a presentation from administrators about what could be accomplished by seeking the maximum levy cap, which would mean an additional $132,000 in revenue, including energy efficient LED lighting, refurbishment of the gym floor and auditorium upgrades.
After the discussion, President Peggy Clements said the five-member board had reached consensus to move ahead with the lower increase. “It is sufficient to achieve the goals that we set out early in the budgeting process, as well as which include some capital improvement,” she said. The board is expected to adopt a budget on April 22 and the public vote will be May 20.
Library taxes
The Butterfield Library in Cold Spring is proposing to raise its tax levy to $98,150, an increase of $25,000, Director Johanna Reinhardt told the school board. The vote to approve the higher levy will be included on the Haldane ballot because the district collects taxes for the library.
Reinhardt said that the library has not increased its levy in 10 years. The funds will be used for tech help, maintenance, ebook licenses and wages. The library’s expenses for 2025 are projected to be about $413,000, she said.
If approved, the increase would raise the annual taxes on a $500,000 home by $8.40, Reinhardt said. She and other staff will answer questions about the proposition at 1 p.m. on Sunday (March 30) at the library at 10 Morris Ave.
