North Syracuse School Board Reorganizes, Cuts Tax Assessments for AutoZone and Target Stores
The North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education held its annual organizational meeting on July 13, 2026, electing Michael Mirizio as president, then in its regular meeting approved reduced tax assessments for an AutoZone and a Target location, a new Universal Pre-Kindergarten contract, and a custodial position swap.
New York State flag flying in Baldwinsville — photo:
Quintin Soloviev
(BY 4.0)
▶Key Actions & Decisions
●Board elected Michael Mirizio as President and Paul Farfaglia as Vice President for 2026-2027, both by 8-0 votes; new members Cheryl McDonald, Carol Goehner and Joshua Ludden took the oath of office, along with new Student Ex-Officio member Mia Lieu.
●Board approved a settlement reducing AutoZone #4737's assessment to $875,000 for 2026-2027, with no reduction and school tax refunds waived for 2023-24 through 2025-26.
●Board approved a settlement reducing Target #2295's assessment to $6,745,840 for 2026-2027, with no reduction and refunds waived for 2022-23 through 2025-26.
●Board authorized refunds not to exceed $7,006.12 to settle a separate tax certiorari case, Comm 2014-USB4 Brewerton Road, LLC and Mattydale Commons, LLC v. Town of Salina, by roll call vote.
●Board approved a Universal Pre-Kindergarten contract with the North Syracuse Early Education Program: $8,600 per child for 25 full-day students ($215,000 total) and $4,300 per child for 35 half-day students ($150,500 total).
●Board approved abolishing a 1.0 FTE Custodian II position at Roxboro Road Middle School and creating a 1.0 FTE Custodian I position at Roxboro Road Elementary, effective August 5, 2026, for reasons of efficiency.
●Superintendent Dr. Terry Ward said the district's anticipated Capital Project vote is tentatively set for Thursday, December 17.
●Board recognized the retirement of school bus driver Brian Sbano after 21 years of service.
●Board amended and readopted Policy 7316, Use of Internet Enabled and Electronic Devices.
●Board approved a healthcare staffing agreement with Ro Health and renewed lease/license agreements with the Village of North Syracuse for Lonergan Park and fuel/wash facilities.
The North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education opened its July 13, 2026 annual organizational meeting at 5:00 p.m. at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building, where District Clerk Jilian K. Herrera administered the oath of office to newly elected Board members Cheryl McDonald, Michael Mirizio and Carol Goehner, each beginning three-year terms, and to Joshua Ludden, beginning a one-year term. Herrera also swore in Mia Lieu as the Board's new Student Ex-Officio member.
The Board then elected officers for 2026-2027. Robert Crabtree nominated Michael Mirizio for President, seconded by Cheryl McDonald, carried by eight yes votes. Amanda Sugrue nominated Paul Farfaglia for Vice President, seconded by Joshua Ludden, also carried 8-0. Mirizio and Farfaglia then received a separate oath of office as president and vice president.
The Board approved its full slate of annual appointments and designations as a single block, 8-0. Among them: Vincent Love as District Treasurer and Donald Keegan as Deputy Treasurer; Jilian K. Herrera reappointed District Clerk at an annual salary of $79,120; Suzanne Lepkowski as part-time Claims Auditor at $44.93 an hour, bonded at $1,000,000; Karen Beck as Purchasing Agent; Grossman St. Amour as External Auditor and D'Arcangelo & Co., LLP as Internal Auditor; King & King, LLP as District Architect; and The Post Standard as the district's official newspaper. The Board also readopted all existing Board of Education policies in total, with exceptions to be determined later by majority vote, and adjourned the organizational meeting at 5:12 p.m.
The regular meeting that followed opened with a moment of silence for five members of the school community: graduates James Brower, Linda Sue Nicholas and Robert Fiedler, and retirees Diane Geloff and Helen Byrnes. Superintendent Dr. Terry Ward thanked Director of Security Kate Loveland for organizing reunification training that all District Office staff attended, and said the district's anticipated Capital Project vote is tentatively set for Thursday, December 17. New Student Board Member Mia Lieu introduced herself to the Board.
The Board approved the minutes of its June 22, 2026 regular meeting by a vote of seven yes with one member abstaining.
Three tax certiorari settlements went before the Board. In the first, the Board authorized refunds not to exceed $7,006.12, subject to final audit, to resolve a case brought by Comm 2014-USB4 Brewerton Road, LLC and Mattydale Commons, LLC against the Town of Salina, approved by roll call vote with all eight present members voting aye and Mark Thorne absent. The Board also settled with AutoZone #4737 over its Brewerton Road parcel in the Town of Cicero, providing no assessment reduction and no school tax refunds for the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 tax years, but reducing the assessment to $875,000 for 2026-2027. A parallel settlement with Target #2295, also on Brewerton Road in Cicero, provided no reduction or refunds for 2022-23 through 2025-26 but reduced the assessment to $6,745,840 for 2026-2027. All three settlements carried 8-0 or by the roll call described above.
The Board approved a Universal Pre-Kindergarten contract with the North Syracuse Early Education Program (NSEEP) for 2026-2027: $8,600 per child for 25 full-day students, totaling $215,000, and $4,300 per child for 35 half-day students, totaling $150,500.
In a personnel action tied to Roxboro Road facilities, the Board abolished a 1.0 FTE Custodian II position at Roxboro Road Middle School and created a 1.0 FTE Custodian I position at Roxboro Road Elementary, effective August 5, 2026, citing reasons of efficiency. The Board also appointed Rocco Nalli as Co-Chairperson of the District Committee on Special Education for 2026-2027, approved a consulting agreement with Dominic D'Imperio, Esq. of D'Imperio Law PLLC, and approved a healthcare staffing services agreement with Ro Health effective July 1, 2026.
The Board renewed several longstanding local agreements: a lease with the YMCA for before- and after-school child care at Allen Road, Cicero, Karl W. Saile Bear Road and Roxboro Road Elementary schools running September 8, 2026 through June 25, 2027; a $1.00-per-year license agreement with the Village of North Syracuse for parking and egress at Lonergan Park through July 31, 2027; a fuel and bus-washing facilities agreement with the Village, also through July 31, 2027; a one-year shared-services agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation, not to exceed $10,000, for salt and sand storage in exchange for 2.5 percent of the salt stored; and a fueling agreement with the North Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NAVAC) through July 31, 2027. The Board also awarded automotive supplies purchase orders across sixteen vendors under Bid Reference #2026-09, and amended and readopted Policy 7316, governing use of internet-enabled and electronic devices.
Board President Mirizio recognized the retirement of school bus driver Brian Sbano after 21 years of service. The Board approved its Instructional, Support Staff and Administrative Personnel Reports, which recorded new hires, resignations, transfers and leave requests across the district, including an amendment correcting part-time physical therapist Allyson Bush's annual salary from $42,276.75 to $46,276.75 due to a clerical error.
The Board moved into executive session at 5:25 p.m. to review one personnel matter, with no action to follow, and adjourned the regular meeting at 6:45 p.m.
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Coverage of the Board of Education (NSCSD) meeting on 2026-07-13,
Town of Clay, NY.
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Related Board of Education (NSCSD) Meetings
This district publishes meeting agendas but no minutes on BoardDocs; this record is built from the published agenda. Agenda items are proposals until an official record of the votes exists.
●Created 27.0 FTE Teaching Assistant positions (2.0 at ARE, 6.0 at CE, 5.0 at LRE, 1.0 at GRMS, 13.0 at RRMS) and abolished 12.0 FTE Teaching Assistant positions (1.0 at RRE, 6.0 at SRE, 5.0 at NSJH), all effective July 1, 2026, per a resolution citing enrollment data, staffing and student needs and stating it is necessary "for instructional reasons."
●Abolished a separate 1.0 FTE Associate Principal position at SRE, effective July 1, 2026, also "for instructional reasons."
●Created a new co-curricular position, NorthStar Network Broadcasting Coach, effective July 1, 2026.
●Approved contracts with Toth's Sports for a CNS gymnasium sound system ($31,843.00), Gillette Road scoreboards ($189,535.00), and a Lakeshore Road message display ($103,395.00), after review by King & King Architects and Watchdog Building Partners.
●Authorized use of Data Privacy Agreements negotiated by the OCM BOCES RIC ONE Risk Operations Center for 2026-2027; this motion carried with six yes votes, one board member abstaining -- the only vote of the meeting not recorded as unanimous. A related "Initial AS-7" resolution on the same Risk Operations Center carried unanimously, seven yes votes.
●Approved 2026-2027 Universal Pre-Kindergarten contracts with Head Start (PEACE, Inc.), Bright Path, Northminster Early Childhood Center, and YMCA of Central New York (North Area YMCA).
●Readopted Policy 3410, renamed from the Code of Conduct Policy to the District Standards of Conduct and Care, following Policy Committee review on June 9.
●Accepted a $500 stipend gift to Roxboro Road Middle School, awarded after the school was randomly selected for the New York State Department of Health's Youth Tobacco Survey.
●Approved a memorandum of agreement between the district and the North Syracuse Education Association dated June 10, 2026.
●Superintendent Dr. Terry Ward thanked Assembly member Pam Hunter for securing $200,000 and Assembly member Al Stirpe for securing $520,000 in state budget funding for the district.
North Syracuse Board Abolishes a Dozen Teaching Positions, Adds Special Education and Therapy Roles for July
●Board approved a resolution creating 10 special education, therapy and related-service positions (including added speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology and behavior-intervention roles) while abolishing 12 elementary, special education and subject-area teaching positions across several schools, effective July 1, 2026; the resolution cited enrollment data and said the changes were "for instructional reasons." Passed with nine yes votes.
●Board approved a bond resolution authorizing up to $2,525,994 to purchase 12 gasoline school buses, two service vans and a wide-area mower; roll call vote passed 8-0 with Amanda Sugrue abstaining.
●Board approved a settlement of AutoZone #2944's tax certiorari case on its Town of Clay parcel: no reduction in the 2025-2026 assessment, with AutoZone waiving school tax refunds, but a reduction to $28,000 for the 2026-2027 tax year. Passed with nine yes votes.
●Board member Robert Crabtree said this year's budget vote drew the lowest level of positive support in the past ten years and that a majority of voters were age 60 or older; he asked the board and administration to review voter demographic data before any future referendum.
●Board accepted gifts including two $1,000 awards to Cicero Elementary School and $30,000 from Micron Technology covering 100% of the cost of a district "Chip Camp" STEM program. Passed with nine yes votes.
●Board approved Personnel A actions (appointments, leaves, transfers and resignations) with eight yes votes and one abstention, and Personnel B actions with nine yes votes, including the retirements of Brigitte Glasser (3 years of service), Greta Johnson (36 years) and Alicia Rausa (11.4 years).
●Board set its Annual Organizational Meeting for July 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. at the district administrative offices, and moved into executive session to review two personnel items with no action to follow.
North Syracuse Board Abolishes Assistant Superintendent for HR Post, Hires Middle School Principal Sarah Jones to New Director Role
●Board abolished the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources position effective July 1, 2026, and created a Director of Human Resources position effective the same date; carried with nine yes votes.
●Sarah Jones, principal of Gillette Road Middle School, was hired as Director of Human Resources at an annual salary of $151,606 effective July 1, 2026, replacing Michael Baroody, Ed.D.; Jones resigns her principal position effective June 30, 2026.
●Board abolished the 1.0 FTE Systems Administrator position in the Technology Department effective September 1, 2026, and created a 1.0 FTE Help Desk Supervisor position effective July 6, 2026; carried with nine yes votes.
●Board awarded the 2025/26 Capital Outlay Project contract to Brick-Tek for $72,000, the lowest total bid among five companies whose bids were opened Tuesday, May 5, 2026, for King & King Project #26-44-9106.
●Board created a new 1.0 FTE LPN position at RRMS effective September 22, 2025, and approved new support-staff positions including two Occupational Therapists, a Physical Therapist and a Systems Consultant.
●Board approved instructional hires including Naomi Holliday as a long-term substitute Science Teacher ($78,510) and Kyle Scalzo as a probationary Mathematics Teacher ($76,577) under a four-year term per Education Law section 3012.
●Board approved classification and placement of disabled and preschool disabled students by the Committee on Special Education, and appointed poll inspectors, poll site managers, machine technicians and absentee/mail-in ballot counters for Districts 1 and 2.
●Superintendent Dr. Terry Ward announced the district's Special Olympics event was rescheduled to the rain date of May 28, and that a regional discussion on PILOTs, requested by OCSIA Chairwoman Nicole Watts, is set for Wednesday, May 27 at 4:30 p.m. in the junior high library.
●The board moved into executive session to review one personnel item, with no action to follow, before adjourning at 6:54 p.m.
North Syracuse Board Adopts AI Policy, Nets Loss of One Office Position
●Board formally adopted Policy 5840-Artificial Intelligence on a second reading, after the Policy Committee reviewed it April 14, 2026
●A resolution abolished three Civil Service office positions effective June 30, 2026 (two Typist I posts at GRMS and RRMS, one Secretary I at the District Office) and created two new positions effective July 1, 2026 (a Typist I at the District Office, a Secretary I at C-NS) -- a net loss of one position
●Board approved a three-year contract (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2029) between the district and the North Syracuse Per Diem Professional Association
●Board accepted a $25,000 gift from the estate of Ronald A. Dickson for the high school scholarship fund, to be transferred to Dollars for Scholars
●North Syracuse Education Foundation presented grants to 11 teacher projects across multiple schools, ranging from $234.90 to $2,799.00
●By roll-call vote, the board nominated Peter Nowacki for the NYSSBA Area 4 Director position; four of the board's nine members were recorded absent
●Board approved Personnel A, B and C reports covering a large slate of appointments, tenure grants, resignations, retirements, transfers and leaves for the 2026-27 school year, including tenure for Sara Kees as Director of Special Education
●Board acknowledged the retirements of five longtime employees, including a School Bus Driver with 36.6 years of service
●Board members reported the state budget remains unadopted, with the district's own budget vote scheduled for May 19 and the next meeting -- on a Tuesday -- to include the required budget hearing
●Board approved an extra classroom account for the Community Club at Gillette Road Middle School to manage fundraising for donations to nonprofit organizations
North Syracuse Board Adopts $233,406,875 Budget for May 19 Vote, Settles $100,000 Workers' Comp Claim
●Board adopted the proposed 2026-2027 budget of $233,406,875 by roll call vote and directed it to the May 19, 2026 public ballot; every board member listed in the roll call was recorded voting yes.
●Board approved OCM BOCES' tentative 2026-2027 administrative budget of $11,722,448, with six yes votes and one board member abstaining; Robert Crabtree stated North Syracuse's enrollment-based share is $345,877, the largest of any OCM BOCES component district.
●Board elected Nicholas Blaney (Liverpool), Jennifer Welch (Marcellus) and Joan Reeves (Baldwinsville) to fill expired terms on the 11-member OCM BOCES board, with six yes votes and one board member abstaining.
●Board approved a $100,000 Section 32 Waiver settlement of a workers' compensation claim from an injury dated April 25, 2023, funded from the district's Workers' Compensation Reserve; the minutes project a future cost avoidance of $55,000 to $110,000.
●Board created a new 1.0 FTE Systems Consultant position at the District Office, effective July 1, 2026, described in the resolution as a Middle Manager position created 'for reasons of efficiency.'
●Board approved the Policy Committee's recommendations to advance Policy 5840 (Artificial Intelligence) to First Reading and to amend and readopt Policy 7522 (Concussion Management) and Policy 7552 (Student Gender Identity).
●Board accepted an anonymous $5,000.00 gift from the Friends of the North Syracuse Early Education Program benefiting NSEEP, and approved a consulting services agreement with the New York State School Boards Association for State Aid Review Services.
●Superintendent Dr. Terry Ward reported a 3% statewide increase in math proficiency, with Lakeshore Elementary School up 16%, Roxboro Road Elementary School up 11%, and Smith Road Elementary School up 6%, for a district-wide average increase of about 7 percentage points.
●The board moved into executive session to review one personnel matter with no action to follow, and separately acknowledged the retirement of Elementary Teacher Kimberly Kennedy after 31.3 years of service.
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