Southern Ulster Times Nov. 22 2017

T IMES SOUTHERN ULSTER Vol. 14, No 47 3 NOVEMBER 22 - 28, 2017 Career Fair Hoops preview Page 20 Page 40 3 ONE DOLLAR SERVING HIGHLAND, MARLBOROUGH AND PLATTEKILL Marlboro strengthens anti-bullying effort Local town By MARK REYNOLDS [email protected] Last week a presentation on the handling of harassment and bullying issues was made to the Marlboro School Board by Asistant Superintendant of Technology and Personnel Michael Bakatsias and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction Robin Hecht. Bakatsias gave an overview on how the district “maintains a proper climate” in the work place and in the learning space at school. He said the main thrust of the Dignity for All Students Act [DASA] that passed in 2010 is to create a “safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying on school property, on a school bus or at a school function.” Bakatsias said at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year the district stressed that it is the responsibility of all staff members, who are public employees, to know the district’s safety policies, practices and laws that exist and to know who and where to go to for additional information. “We are all on one big team and we’re here to create the very best possible opportunities for students to succeed and to leave us with the 21st century skills that we know they need,” he said. Bakatsias said it is imperative that everyone has a voice and is treated with dignity and respect “to allow for a proper flow of information and a sharing of ideas Continued on page 4 D iamond J ubilee 2018 budgets stay under tax cap By MARK REYNOLDS [email protected] By law towns have to have their budgets for 2018 approved by late November. All three towns in our readership area – Lloyd, Marlborough, and Plattekill – met the deadline and passed their budgets for next year. PHOTO PROVIDED Third graders at Plattekill Elementary School perform a song at the school’s Diamond Jubilee celebration. Story on page 3. WWW.SOUTHERNULSTERTIMES.COM Town of Lloyd The Town of Lloyd approved a $10,827,147 budget for 2018. After applying expected revenues of $2,787,506 and $483,000 in un-expended funds, and subtracting the fire district taxes of $1,255,011, the amount needed to be raised in taxes is $6,301,630. Supervisor Paul Hansut said salaries are the same as last year for all elected officials. In dollars, Hansut said a taxpayer with a home assessed at $300,000 will see an increase of $30 if they are outside the water/sewer district; $30 if inside the water/sewer district and $6 if inside just the water district compared to this year. Hansut said according to calculations received from the NYS Comptroller’s office, the town is under the state tax cap limit by $33,450. He thanked bookkeeper Karen McPeck and his secretary Kate Continued on page 25