Notice of Public Hearing, Budget Vote, and Election

Notice of Public Hearing, Budget Vote, and Election Notice of Public Hearing, Budget Vote, and Election GARRISON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing of the qualified voters of the Garrison Union Free School District, Putnam County, Garrison, New York, will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM prevailing time at the Garrison School located at 1100 Route 9D, Garrison, NY for the presentation of the 2026-2027 budget document for the Garrison Union Free School District. Copies of the budget and the text of any proposition that will be presented to the voters will be available for review by any qualified voter beginning April 29, 2026, upon request by email, to the District Clerk at dcallo@gufs.org. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the annual meeting of the qualified voters of the Garrison Union Free School District will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM, prevailing time, in the Garrison School Gymnasium, 1100 Route 9D, Garrison, Putnam County, New York, at which time the polls will be opened to vote by paper ballot upon the following items: 1. To adopt the annual budget of $15,550,328 for the Garrison Union Free School District for the fiscal year 2026-2027 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District. 2. To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education, each to a three-year term, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, to succeed Jocelyn Apicello and Dan Jasnow, whose terms expire on June 30, 2026. 3. To vote on the following propositions: Authorization to Enter into Term of Instruction Contract - Haldane CSD: "Shall the Board of Education of the Garrison Union Free School District be authorized to contract for a period of not less than two and not more than five years with the Haldane Central School District, for the purpose of educating Garrison students in grades 9 through 12, and to provide the necessary transportation for such students?" Authorization to Enter into Term of Instruction Contract - Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery CSD: "Shall the Board of Education of the Garrison Union Free School District be authorized to contract for a period of not less than two and not more than five years with the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District, for the purpose of educating Garrison students in grades 9 through 12, and to provide the necessary transportation for such students?" 4. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting pursuant to the Education Law of the State of New York. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the election and budget vote shall be by paper ballot or by early mail or absentee ballot. The hours during which the polls shall be kept open shall be from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM prevailing time or for as long thereafter as necessary to enable qualified voters who are in the polling place at 9:00 PM to cast their ballots. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required to fund the School District's budget for the 2026-2027 school year, exclusive of public monies, may be obtained by any taxpayer in the District during business hours beginning May 5, 2026, except Saturday, Sunday or holidays, at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools of the Garrison Union Free School Building, Garrison New York. A report of tax exemptions, showing how much of the total assessed value on the final assessment roll or rolls used in that budgetary process is exempt from taxation, shall be annexed to the budget document. Copies of such documents shall also be available at the Annual District Election. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education to fill two (2) expiring terms, of three (3) years each, shall be filed with the Clerk of said School District at her office at the Garrison School Building, not later than April 20, 2026, by 5:00 PM prevailing time. Vacancies on the Board of Education are not considered separate, specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated; must be directed to the Clerk of the District; must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District; must state the name and residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate. A copy of such petition may be obtained on the district's website at www.gufs.org or at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools of the Garrison Union Free School District between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM prevailing time. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that applications for absentee ballots and applications for early mail voter ballots will be obtainable during school business hours from the District Clerk and available on the District's website. Completed absentee and early mail voter applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or one (1) day before the election, if the ballot is to be issued to the voter in person. Applications for absentee ballots and early mail voter ballots shall not be returned prior to April 19, 2026. Completed absentee ballots and early mail voter ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 PM prevailing time, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. A list of persons to whom absentee ballots and early mail voter ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the office of the District Clerk on and after May 12, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM prevailing time on weekdays prior to the day set for the annual election and on May 19, 2026, the day set for the election, and said list will be posted at the polling place(s) at the election. Any qualified voter present in the polling place may object to the voting of the ballot upon appropriate grounds for making his/her challenge and the reasons therefore known to the Chief Inspector of Election before the close of the polls. A challenge against an early mail voter ballot cannot be based on the reason that the voter should have obtained or applied for an absentee ballot. The Education Law make special provisions for absentee voting by "permanently disabled" voters of the District and any questions regarding these rights should be directed to the Clerk of the Board. The Education Law also makes special provisions for absentee voting for "military" voters of the District. Specifically, the law provides a unique procedure for "military ballots" in school district elections. Whereas early mail voter ballots and absentee ballots must be received by the voter by mail, a military voter may elect to receive his/her absentee ballot application and absentee ballot by mail, email or facsimile. The military voter must, however, return his/her original military ballot application and military ballot by mail or in person. The Clerk of the Board shall transmit the military voter's military ballot in accord with the military voter's preferred method of transmission not later than April 24, 2026. The Clerk of the Board must then receive the military voter's military ballot by mail not later than 5:00 PM on the day of the vote. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that military voters, not currently registered, may apply to register as a qualified voter of the Garrison Union Free School District. An Application to Register as a Military Voter may be requested from the District Clerk; however, the original signed Application must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m. on April 23, 2026. Additionally, the military voter must indicate their preference for receiving the Application to Register as a Military Voter by mail, facsimile transmission or email. If a preference is not indicated, the Application to Register as a Military Voter will be transmitted by mail to the military voter's district residence. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that personal registration of voters is required. Pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law the School District provides personal registration of all voters at school meetings or elections. If a voter has already registered pursuant to the Education Law and has voted at an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar years, he or she is eligible to vote at this election; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he or she is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, until May 14, 2026 that The District Clerk shall be available on any school business day for the purpose of continuous registration of all qualified voters of the District at the Garrison School between the hours 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM prevailing time, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register, provided that at such meeting with the District Clerk he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of said District Clerk to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the register is prepared. Registration for the annual vote may also be made by registering to vote with the Putnam County Board of Elections at the hours designated by that office. The register so prepared pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the Superintendent of Schools at the School District and will be available, upon request to the District Clerk, on May 13, 14 & 15, 2025 from 9AM to 3PM, on Saturday, May 16, 2026 by appointment only, and on May 18, 2026 from 9 AM to 3 PM. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a rule adopted by the Board of Education in accordance with Education Law §§ 2035, 2008, any referenda or propositions to amend the budget, or otherwise to be submitted for voting at said election, must be filed with and directed to the District Clerk at the District Office, on or before April 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., prevailing time; must be typed or printed in the English language; and must be signed by 25 qualified voters and must state the name and residence of each signer. However, the Board of Education will not entertain or place before the voters any petition or any proposition if its purpose is beyond the power of the voters or is illegal, or any proposition requiring the expenditure of monies which fails to include specific appropriations for all such expenditures required by the proposition. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE GARRISON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, COUNTY OF PUTNAM, STATE OF NEW YORK. Dusti Callo, District Clerk Garrison Union Free School District April 9, 2026 April 15 2026 LNYS0496993