Liverpool School Board Sets July 7 Reorganization Meeting, Names Acting Treasurer and District Physicians
The Liverpool Central School District Board of Education set its annual reorganization meeting for July 7, appointed Carol-Anne Mathews as acting district treasurer and approved two new school district physicians, along with a slate of contracts and personnel actions ahead of the new fiscal year.
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▶Key Actions & Decisions
●• Board voted to establish July 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., as the date of the annual reorganization meeting, with a public hearing to follow immediately (Motion Carried).
●• Board appointed Carol-Anne Mathews as Acting District Treasurer effective July 1, 2026 (Motion Carried).
●• Board appointed Vanessa Lalley-Demong, DO, and Kyle Plante, MD, as School District Physicians effective July 1, 2026 (Motion Carried).
●• Board approved an Owner-Architect Agreement for professional architectural services for an oil water separator and other plumbing scope at the Liverpool Transportation Center, part of the 2026-2027 Capital Outlay Project (Motion Carried).
●• Board approved the 2025-2026 Tentative and Estimated Fund Balance Analysis and Recommendation and the Reserve Plan (Motion Carried).
●• Board gave first reading to proposed revisions to Policy 6470, Policy 7315, Policy 7242 and Policy 8470 (Motion Carried).
●• Board appointed Bruce Olinger and, separately, Mitchell Regenbogen as Impartial Hearing Officers for two hearings assigned New York State Education Department case identifiers 684049 and 684657 (both Motion Carried).
●• Board approved lunch prices for 2026-2027 and the 2026-2027 Initial AS-7 Contract with Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES (both Motion Carried).
●• Board approved continuing additional vehicle-maintenance duties for mechanics Gerald Ratliff and Daniel Stauffer at $5,000 each, after amending the compensation period from the originally proposed 7/1/2026-6/30/2027 to 7/1/2026-8/31/2026 (Motion Carried).
●• Board amended a pay-rate resolution to strike the word "projected" before approving 2026-2027 pay rates for part-time, substitute and seasonal personnel (Motion Carried, Stacey Chilbert abstaining on the amendment).
The Liverpool Central School District Board of Education set July 7 as the date of its annual reorganization meeting during a regular session Monday, formally starting the transition into the 2026-2027 school year alongside a series of appointments and contract approvals. The reorganization meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the District Office, with a public hearing to follow immediately afterward.
Among the appointments taking effect July 1 is Carol-Anne Mathews, named Acting District Treasurer on a motion by Matthew Jones, seconded by Jecenia Bresett. The board also appointed Vanessa Lalley-Demong, DO, and Kyle Plante, MD, as the district's School District Physicians for the coming year, on a motion by Daniel McKeever and Stacey Chilbert.
The board separately approved two Impartial Hearing Officer appointments tied to special education proceedings: Bruce Olinger for a hearing assigned New York State Education Department case identifier 684049, and Mitchell Regenbogen for a hearing assigned case identifier 684657. Both motions carried with all nine board members present and voting.
On facilities, the board approved an Owner-Architect Agreement for professional architectural services covering an oil water separator and other plumbing work at the Liverpool Transportation Center, part of the district's 2026-2027 Capital Outlay Project. The board also approved the 2025-2026 Tentative and Estimated Fund Balance Analysis and Recommendation along with the district's Reserve Plan, following an earlier discussion of the same analysis under the meeting's discussion section. The minutes do not record a specific dollar figure for the fund balance or reserve plan recommendation.
The board gave first reading to proposed revisions covering four district policies — Policy 6470, Policy 7315, Policy 7242 and Policy 8470 — on a motion by Stacey Chilbert, seconded by Daniel McKeever. First readings typically precede a later vote to formally adopt policy changes.
In personnel business, the board approved continuing additional vehicle-maintenance responsibilities for mechanics Gerald Ratliff and Daniel Stauffer, whom the district recommended compensating at $5,000 each. The board first amended the compensation period from the originally proposed July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 window to a shorter July 1 through August 31, 2026 period before approving the item. The board also amended a separate routine resolution setting 2026-2027 pay rates for part-time, substitute and seasonal personnel, striking the word "projected" from the resolution's language; that amendment carried with Stacey Chilbert abstaining and John Solazzo not yet present for the vote.
Other routine business approved during the meeting included personnel actions, recommendations from the district's Committees on Preschool Special Education and Special Education, acceptance of gifts and grants, approval of surplus items, annual facilities use agreements, a Professional Services Agreement between St. Joseph's Medical, P.C. and the district, the transfer of funds to the Retirement Contribution Reserve Sub-Fund TRS and the Health Insurance Reserve Fund for 2025-2026, and the 2026-2027 Initial AS-7 Contract with Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, along with lunch prices for 2026-2027. All carried on votes recorded in the minutes.
During public communications, Tom Batovsky addressed the board regarding a board appointment; the minutes do not elaborate on his remarks.
The board also entered executive session to discuss matters that could lead to the appointment or employment of particular persons and to review the superintendent's annual evaluation, returning to open session at 8:47 p.m. Kimberly Martin was not present for the vote to return to open session or for the meeting's remaining votes. The board adjourned at 8:49 p.m. Its next regular meeting is tentatively scheduled for August 11 at 6 p.m. at the District Office, following the July 7 reorganization meeting and hearing.
This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-agent) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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Related Board of Education (Liverpool) Meetings
Liverpool School Board Votes to Abolish Positions, Appoints Merlino to Fill Board Vacancy
●• Approved a resolution abolishing positions, 6-2 (McKeever, Jones opposed), after voting down 4-3 (one abstention) a motion to table the item
●• Appointed Michelle Merlino to the board seat vacated by Kimberly Martin's resignation, for a term from July 1, 2026 to May 18, 2027, 5-3 (McKeever, Solazzo, Jones opposed)
●• Approved a bond resolution authorizing vehicle purchases not to exceed $2,717,264 and issuance of serial bonds, 7-1 (Chilbert opposed)
●• Approved a tax certiorari settlement with Upstate Portfolio LLC, 7-1 (Blaney opposed)
●• Established a Board of Education Curriculum Committee effective July 1, 2026, 8-0, after Meredith Devennie addressed the board on i-Ready at Alexandra Gyder's request
●• Accepted the 2025-2026 Internal Audit Report and its Corrective Action Plan, both 8-0; approved a Revenue Anticipation Note resolution, 8-0
●• Rejected change orders for the LHS AV System, 2-6, while approving change orders for the WRE PA System, 8-0
●• All 14 routine business items (prior meeting minutes, personnel actions, special-education placements, purchasing bid, BOCES participation, gifts/grants, surplus items, Treasurer's Reports) passed on identical 5-4 votes
●• In executive session, the board reviewed five student disciplinary appeals and denied all five, upholding suspensions from Superintendent hearings; Chilbert dissented on two of the five
●• Voted 6-0 to indefinitely postpone creating a new 1.0 FTE Purchasing Contract Clerk position
Liverpool School Board Elects Gyder President, Splits Over New Business Official Post
●• Elected Alexandra Gyder as Board President and Kimberly Melnik as Vice President for the 2026-2027 school year; both votes were unanimous, 9-0.
●• Created the position of School Business Official, 5-0 with four members abstaining (Michelle Merlino, Victoria Baratta, Jecenia Bresett, Dawn Curry-Clarry); separately voted unanimously, 9-0, to move forward with interviews for a School Treasurer position.
●• Approved routine officer appointments, authorizations, bonding of personnel, and other items (mileage reimbursement rate, non-resident tuition rates, standard work day resolution) as consent agenda items, all by unanimous vote; Dawn Curry-Clarry abstained on the Other Appointments consent item.
●• Approved Designations (official newspaper, bank depositories and related items) 8-1, with Matthew Jones casting the lone Nay; Jones also cast the lone Nay, 8-1, on appointment of the Audit Committee.
●• Tabled the Curriculum Committee appointment and voted 7-2, with John Solazzo and Dawn Curry-Clarry dissenting, to table the FEH Contract for Routing indefinitely.
●• A motion to enter executive session to discuss the medical, financial, credit or employment history of an unspecified person or corporation failed, 3-5 with one abstention (Alexandra Gyder), meaning the board did not go into closed session.
●• Approved second-reading revisions to Policies 6470, 7315, 7242 and 8470, and approved a resolution to participate in the RIC ONE Risk Operations Center (ROC), both unanimously.
●• Discussed, without a recorded vote, a proposed tax certiorari settlement for Target #1475 in the Town of Clay, a technology purchasing lease with OCM BOCES, and gave approval to proceed with a 360-degree access road project at Liverpool High School.
Liverpool School Board Rejects Target Tax Settlement and Bus-Routing Study Contract in Rare Split Votes
●• Failed, 4-4 roll call tie: proposed tax certiorari settlement with Target #1475, Town of Clay (Aye: Bresett, Melnik, Gyder, Merlino; Nay: Blaney, Jones, Curry-Clarry, Baratta)
●• Failed, 2 aye-5 nay-1 abstain: contract with FEH BOCES for a Routing Efficiency Study, after a routing-study presentation earlier in the meeting by FEH BOCES Director of Pupil Transportation Paul Overbaugh (Aye: Jones, Gyder; Nay: Blaney, Bresett, Melnik, Curry-Clarry, Merlino; Abstain: Baratta)
●• Approved, 8-0: Technology Purchasing Lease with OCM BOCES
●• Approved, 8-0: Memorandum of Agreement with the SEIU on sick day sell-back
●• Approved, 6-2: Memorandum of Agreement with the United Liverpool Faculty Association splitting coaching positions (Nay: Bresett, Baratta)
●• Approved, 8-0: revised Audit Committee Charter
●• Approved, 8-0: appointment of Timothy Manning as School Purchasing Agent
●• Approved, 5-3: appointment of Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Vile as Deputy School Purchasing Agent (Nay: Bresett, Melnik, Baratta)
●• Approved, 8-0 each: directives to the superintendent to issue Requests for Proposals for Treasurer and Claims Auditor services for the 2026-2027 school year
●• Approved, 8-0: 2026-2027 Board meeting schedule; entered executive session on an SEIU labor grievance, legal advice, and personnel matters, 8-0, and approved personnel actions after returning from executive session, 8-0
●Budget Adoption Tabled: The board voted 8-1 to delay approval of the 2026-2027 Annual Budget and the Real Property Tax Report Card until the April 20 meeting. Board Member Daniel McKeever voted against the delay.
●Reserve Fund Reduced: Board Member Matthew Jones successfully moved to amend the resolution for a Liability Reserve Fund, lowering the amount from $1.5 million to $500,000. The amendment and the final resolution passed unanimously.
●New Club Approved: The board unanimously approved the creation of the "Youth Alive Club."
●Personnel & Special Ed: The board unanimously approved personnel actions and recommendations for preschool and school-age special education placements.
●Capital Project Update: The board received an update on capital projects from Ashley McGraw Architects and Campus Construction Management.
●Calendar Adjustments: The board discussed adjustments to the 2025-2026 school calendar.
●Public Concerns: Three residents addressed the board regarding budget concerns, board observations, and a personal matter.
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