2022 Board Election

May 17, 2022 voting results:

2022 Board Candidates

There were seven candidates running for the Board of Education. The three highest vote getters were each elected to a three-year term. The candidates provided information about themselves, which can be viewed below. Their names appeared on the ballot in the following order:

Charles Benninger Jr. – candidate information
Joseph F. Izzo – candidate information
Allan A. Couser – candidate information
Mary DeSimone – candidate information
Patricia Dushane – candidate information
Lenora I. Freese – candidate information
Henry Haye – candidate information

There were three seats open for election on the Board of Education. Candidates elected to the Board will fill the following vacancies:

• A three-year term running July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2025, seat presently held by Allan Couser
• A three-year term running July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2025, seat presently held by Patricia Dushane
• A three-year term running July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2025, seat presently held by Andre Varone

Who Can Run for the Board?

School board candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, qualified voters in our School District, and able to read and write. They must be residents of the Catskill Central School District continuously for at least one year before the election. They cannot be employed by the Board on which they will serve or live in the same household with a family member who is also a member of the same school board.

Nominating petitions were available from the Board Clerk in the superintendent’s office (8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. business days). The deadline to file completed nominating petitions with the Board Clerk was April 18, 2022.

Considering running? The New York State School Board Association provides a number of great resources for prospective candidates, which can be accessed by following the links below.

• The School Board Member Experience, NYSSBA
• Running for the School Board, NYSSBA
• The School Board Member Experience: Frequently Asked Questions
• New School Board Member Handbook

Questions? Contact CCSD Board Clerk Judy Kusminsky at 518-943-4696 or jkusminsky@catskillcsd.org

Voter Qualifications:

To be eligible to vote you must be:
• A citizen of the United States 18 years of age or older
• A resident of the Catskill Central School District for a period of 30 days or more directly preceding the date of the vote
• Registered to vote with either the School District or the Greene County Board of Elections

Voter Registration

You must be registered with either the County Board of Elections or the Catskill Central School District to vote on the School Budget and Board of Education Election. The voters of the District have approved a system of walk-in voter registration, available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on days when the District Offices at the District Clerk’s Office, 343 West Main Street, Catskill, NY.

Absentee Ballots

In the interest of public safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, absentee ballots are available to any registered voter in the district. Applications for absentee ballots must be applied for at the Office of the Board Clerk, 343 West Main Street, Catskill, New York. Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the Board Clerk at least seven (7) days prior to the election and vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election if the ballot will be picked up personally by the voter at the Office of the Board Clerk. Concerns about contracting COVID-19 are considered an acceptable medical condition for residents to request an absentee ballot.

School Budget Vote

Information on the proposed 2022-23 school budget is available on our Budget Information page.