The teachers were angry and frustrated with the district over several employment situations. They were not happy about the elimination of the four sys-ops positions in the coming school year; the systems operation specialists who work as technology assistants to the teachers at each of the schools, helping students navigate complicated software. But their particular focus was what they characterized as unwarranted, unwanted transfers of longtime teachers to assignments elsewhere in the district, far removed from their field of expertise.

“It feels like a gut punch to not be able to graduate on the field that we’ve been imagining for 12 years,” said senior class president, Evan Holland-Shepler.

An investigation is now in progress.

New Paltz Central School District voters supported a $63,640,000 budget with 782 casting a ballot in favor and 320 opposed. Voters in the Highland Central School District also approved the budget proposed to them, with 629 votes for and 197 opposed to a budget of $44,442,937.

New Paltz voters will be asked to approve a $63.6 million budget; Highland voters a $44.4 million budget. Two candidates are seeking two open seats in each district.

Members of the public gave the board an earful about their decision to eliminate the positions of four “sys-ops” employees; systems operation specialists who work as technology assistants to the teachers and who, according to several of the speakers at last Wednesday’s meeting, are the people who do the real heavy lifting in the schools when it comes to technology issues.

Superintendent Thomas Bongiovi said that after receiving a complaint regarding an employee last week, “the district did a prompt and thorough investigation, and the employee ultimately resigned from the district.” He added that the New York State Department of Education was also notified.

Trustees were asked to notify parents more quickly of threats to their children and to be more proactive about responding to incidents of racism and anti-Semitism, of which there have been 10 reported in all four schools in recent months.

Incumbent Sophia Skiles is running to retain her seat for a second term and Bianca Tanis is a first-time candidate running for the seat of Matthew Williams, whose term ends on June 30.