North Syracuse Board Abolishes a Dozen Teaching Positions, Adds Special Education and Therapy Roles for July

Key Actions & Decisions

• ◆ 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.