Newburgh schools launch Fake vs. Fact page to combat rumors

Newburgh schools have started a public rebuttal page to counter rumors that have spilled into board meetings, social media and hallway conversation, including claims about litigation expenses and whether air conditioning was working at Newburgh Free Academy.

The Newburgh Enlarged City School District launched the Fake vs. Fact page as a running response board. Each entry identifies a claim, marks it as Fake in red, then follows with a Fact statement in green and a plain-language explanation underneath. District officials said the goal was to give parents, staff and residents a more reliable source than secondhand speculation.

The page had already posted at least two entries. One addressed comments raised during a school board public-comment period about litigation expenses. Another responded to a rumor that the air conditioning at Newburgh Free Academy was not working. In that case, the district said the cooling units were operational but had simply not been turned on for the season.

That explanation mattered because large-scale cooling systems are not meant to be switched on and off casually. The district said turning them on too early could create risks for school infrastructure if freezing temperatures returned. The page also said state law now requires schools to take action when classroom temperatures reach certain thresholds, adding a policy layer to what might otherwise sound like a simple facilities dispute.

Superintendent Jackielyn Manning-Campbell said the district had long dealt with misinformation and disinformation and said she hoped the new page would help build trust. She framed the effort as a way to keep the community focused on students while giving residents a direct source of truth when false or misleading claims begin to circulate.

The format itself signals how seriously the district is treating the problem. By naming the rumor, identifying where it came from and answering in a structured way, the district is not just posting updates. It is trying to get ahead of narratives that can shape public opinion about money, maintenance, staffing and governance before those claims harden into fact.

The district also said residents can submit questions through an online form, suggesting the page is meant to be interactive rather than a one-way defense. For Newburgh schools, the new page is now part of the district’s public face, and it shows how quickly a rumor can force a formal response when trust is already under strain.