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Heads up! Our parent watchdogs have scanned the upcoming agenda for NEWBURGH CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. We found 10 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 10) |
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$149,245 ‘Instructional Coaching’ Consultant
The district is awarding a $149,245 contract to a single consultant for “professional development” and “instructional coaching” at South Middle School. This is being done under a “Receivership” plan, which can be used to fast-track ideological changes in curriculum and school culture, bypassing normal parent and board oversight.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM: This is a critical threat. A single consultant is being paid nearly $150k to reshape a school under a ‘receivership’ plan. Contact the Board immediately (see Official Agenda link) and demand Item 11.9 be pulled from the Consent Agenda and rejected. Ask: ‘What specific, measurable academic outcomes is this consultant being paid to produce, and why can’t this be done by district staff?’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: $149,245
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| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 9) |
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$114,240 for GoGuardian Student Spying Software
The district plans to spend $114,240 on GoGuardian software, which monitors students’ online activity on school devices. This type of software tracks browsing history, flags keywords, and creates a digital surveillance record of your child’s work and communications.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM: This is a massive expenditure on student surveillance. Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand Item 10.2 be pulled from the Consent Agenda for a full public discussion. Ask the board: ‘What is the district’s data retention policy for student information collected by GoGuardian?’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: $114,240 + Your Child’s Privacy
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| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Code of Conduct Adoption on Consent Agenda
The Board plans to adopt the full 2026-2027 Code of Conduct as part of a bundled “consent agenda” vote, likely without public discussion. This is the final vote on the document discussed in the earlier public hearing, and placing it on consent bypasses a dedicated debate on potentially controversial policies.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand Item 5.2 be pulled from the Consent Agenda for a separate discussion and roll-call vote. Parents deserve to hear the Board publicly debate the new Code of Conduct.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Reduced Board Oversight
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| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Medicaid Billing Contract Creates Perverse Incentives
The district is renewing a contract with Zycron Industries, a firm that will take an 11% cut of all Medicaid money it helps the district claim for special education services. This creates a financial incentive for the district and its vendor to identify as many students as possible for services and to maximize billing, potentially compromising the integrity of the IEP process.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the District Office (see Official Agenda link) regarding Item 12.2. Ask: ‘What safeguards are in place to ensure that the 11% performance fee paid to Zycron does not create an incentive to over-diagnose students or recommend unnecessary services simply to increase Medicaid billing?’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: 11% of Medicaid Claims
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The district is holding a public hearing on the new Code of Conduct for the upcoming school year. The document itself is not included in the agenda packet, preventing parents from reviewing potential changes to discipline, student rights, or gender-related policies before the hearing.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘2026-2027-Proposed Code of Conduct’ attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policy changes. Sign up to speak at the public hearing.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Hidden Policy Changes
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Vague $100,500 ‘Coaching’ Contract
The Board is approving $100,500 for “staff development, school improvement, and executive coaching” through Ulster BOCES. These vague terms are often used to fund ideological training for teachers and administrators, such as DEI, SEL, or equity initiatives.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the files attached in the Official Agenda for Item 9.15 (Ulster BOCES Change Forms) to confirm the specific content of this ‘coaching’ and ‘staff development.’ Demand the district provide a detailed breakdown of this $100,500 expenditure before the vote.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: $100,500
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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New ’21st Century Learning’ Director Position
The district is creating a new Director-level position for “21st Century Learning,” funded by a federal grant. This title is often a euphemism for programs that de-emphasize core academics in favor of social-emotional or global citizenship-style initiatives.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK QUESTIONS: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and ask for the job description for the ‘Director of 21st Century Learning’ and a copy of the grant application. Ask: ‘What specific curriculum and metrics will this new Director be responsible for implementing?’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Federal Strings Attached
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| 👀 MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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Hiring of ‘Truant Teacher’ for Summer
The district is hiring a “Truant Teacher” to address attendance issues over the summer. This role focuses on student surveillance and can lead to investigations of families for what the district defines as “chronic absenteeism.”
Recommended Action Plan
MONITOR: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and request the policy that defines ‘truancy’ and the procedures this teacher will follow. Ensure the process respects parental rights and doesn’t become punitive.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Family Investigation
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague ‘Home Teacher’ Appointments
The board is approving “Home Teacher” appointments without defining the scope or purpose of their work. While this could be for standard homebound instruction, the term can also be associated with intrusive home visit programs that monitor family life.
Recommended Action Plan
SEEK CLARIFICATION: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) regarding Item 8.11. Ask: ‘What is the specific purpose of these ‘Home Teacher’ appointments? Is this for academic tutoring for homebound students, or is it a home visitation program?’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Potential Family Surveillance
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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Board Commits to Academic Success as Top Priority
The Board is adopting a formal goal to make “Academic Success” its primary responsibility, focusing on measurable outcomes in literacy, math, and graduation rates. The goal document explicitly states that academic achievement is the “central measure of district effectiveness,” pushing back against non-academic distractions.
How to Lock It In
AMPLIFY THIS WIN: Show up to thank the Board for adopting Goal #1. Get this commitment on the public record so it can be used to hold them accountable for focusing on core academics and rejecting ideological curriculum in the future.
✅ Why It Matters: Parental Vigilance Required
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“We do not co-parent with the government.”
We are Moms, Dads, Grands, Aunts, Uncles, Friends. Moms for Liberty welcomes all that have a desire to stand up for parental rights at all levels of government.
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