Garrison proposal anticipates 3.58 percent increase
The Garrison School soon may have an armed police officer and a lunch program if the board and voters approve a spending proposal for the 2025-26 academic year.
Both the officer and the lunch program are described as pilots in the latest version of the $14.7 million budget, which was shared with the board at its March 19 meeting. It includes a tax levy increase of 3.58 percent, which is below the 5.78 percent allowed for the district under the state’s complex tax-cap formula.
The district estimates that a Philipstown home assessed at $300,250 would see its taxes rise by $306 annually.
To avoid raising the levy any further, the administration proposed paying for the pilot programs with savings. The board will vote on the budget on April 9 and district voters will be asked for their approval on May 20.
The Special Patrol Officer (SPO) would be a retired officer whose role is limited to security. The school would not hire a School Resource Officer (SRO), which is a Putnam County Sheriff’s deputy with training to work in schools and teach classes on topics such as personal safety, cyberbullying and drug awareness. The Haldane district has an SRO. The cost for the SPO would be $53,900 annually, according to the district, compared to $100,000 for an SRO.
The Garrison Teachers Association has lobbied for an officer, but some board members expressed ambivalence or opposition.
“I continue to believe an SPO program really doesn’t make us safer, but of course I can’t speak to anyone’s feelings of safety,” said Peter Lesser on March 19. “If our teachers feel that an SPO program is an essential component to giving our students the best education possible, I can support a pilot.”
Eric Arnold spoke against an armed officer. “We’re introducing a person and a deadly object where it didn’t exist,” he said. “What happens if the gun falls out of the holster in the hallway and goes off or a kid grabs it or the SPO is having mental health challenges of their own.”
Superintendent Greg Stowell said that the district would be careful in selecting an officer. “If my own children were enrolled in this building, I would want an SRO or SPO,” he said.
The lunch program would be available Monday through Thursday; on Fridays, the school would continue to sell pizza as a fundraiser. The district would need $150,000 to pay for staff, kitchen upgrades and a checkout system, Stowell said.
The program will be a pilot because “if we don’t find a partner to supply our meals and/or there are very low participation levels, it may not be feasible to move forward,” he said.
