Candidates appeal Newburgh school board election results, seek records stay

Public confidence in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District’s election process is now on the line after three losing school board candidates asked New York state to step in, freeze election records and block the winners from taking office until the dispute is resolved.

Deborah Bouley of Newburgh, Victoria Bousche of New Windsor and Jerry Ryan Lamar of New Windsor filed the appeal under Section 310 of New York State Education Law, the route that lets an aggrieved party bring a case to the commissioner of education. In their filing, they say the race was decided by about 21 votes and argue that absentee ballots were the decisive factor. They also say public officials and political organizations improperly became involved in a contest that is supposed to be nonpartisan by law.

The district’s unofficial results show how tight the race was. Philip Howard led with 1,301 votes, followed by Letitia McDaniel Politi with 1,273 and Ray Burgarelli with 1,219. Bouley finished with 1,197 votes and Bousche with 1,195. Newburgh says the top three vote-getters receive three-year terms, which means the outcome determines who sits at the table for budget votes, staffing decisions and other board business that affects families and taxpayers across the district.

The petitioners are asking for an emergency stay that would preserve ballots, voter registration materials, absentee ballot applications and chain-of-custody documents while the commissioner reviews the case. They also want any declared winners held from being sworn in until the matter is settled. If the commissioner grants that request, the fight could remain unresolved long enough to delay the seating of the new board and keep key decisions in limbo.

School board president John Doerre said the district believes the election was conducted according to established procedures and under the supervision of election officials responsible for administering the process. That defense puts the dispute squarely in the realm of process and accountability, not just vote totals.

The election also carried broader stakes for Newburgh residents. The school budget passed 1,355 to 1,046, and the Newburgh Free Library budget passed 1,780 to 613. The district had set the polls for noon to 9 p.m. on May 19, with voter registration open until May 5 and absentee or early-voting ballot requests due by 4 p.m. on May 18.

The challenge lands as the district is already managing other scrutiny. In February, a state audit said Newburgh had overbudgeted, and Doerre said at the time that the district disputed some audit statements and would prepare a corrective action plan. Now the commissioner’s office will decide whether the election records stay locked down, whether the result stands and how quickly Newburgh can move beyond another governance fight.