Area voters spurned Proposition 2 on Tuesday, rejecting a $70 million consolidation plan by the Onteora Central School District that officials had called crucial as enrollment declines—breathing new life into hopes that Woodstock can retain its elementary school, which has educated generations of children.
The measure failed by a vote of 1,398 to 1,164, according to results released late Tuesday evening by the Board of Education.
The outcome halts, at least for now, plans to redevelop the Boiceville campus—which already houses the middle and high schools and Bennett Elementary—ahead of a potential influx of students from Woodstock. The district had planned to fund the tax-neutral project with $15 million in reserves and borrow the remainder over two decades, with the expectation that the state would reimburse about one-third of the total cost.
Scores of voters waited in line for 30 minutes or more at Woodstock Elementary on Tuesday, while the parking lot at Bennett Elementary—another polling site—filled up shortly after polls opened at 2 p.m. The 300-square-mile district, whose enrollment has dropped by more than half since 2004, serves approximately 45,000 residents across Shandaken, Olive, Woodstock, West Hurley and parts of Marbletown and Lexington.
“We really truly believe that the answer to declining enrollment is to bring new families to the area, and the way to do that is to, in part, use Woodstock Elementary as a calling card,” said Tansy Michaud, a Woodstock resident who moved to the area in 2020 with her husband and has a 19-month-old daughter. Michaud is a member of Keep Woodstock Alive, a group that opposed Prop 2.
Opponents argued that the proposed upgrades in Boiceville amounted to long-overdue maintenance the district should have addressed years ago and said the $15 million in reserves could fund those repairs. They also contended that shuttering Woodstock Elementary would further hollow out the town and lead to longer bus rides for children. Phoenicia lost its school in 2024; West Hurley’s school has been closed for two decades.
The vote may quiet a long-running debate that has divided neighbors throughout the district, even as rising housing costs highlight the need for accessible, high-quality public education that could attract more families with children.
Voters elected Jenny Jared (1,369 votes) and Rory Smith (1,264) to the Board of Education. Daniel Aliberte received 1,115 votes, and Michael Hochman, a write-in candidate, received 679 votes.
Voters also approved Proposition 1, the district’s proposed $63.5 million budget for the 2025–2026 academic year, by a wide margin of 1,936 to 655. The spending plan represents a 2 percent increase over the current year.
Opponents of Proposition 2 have said rejecting the measure should prompt the district to reconsider its plan to close Woodstock Elementary, which the board voted in 2023 to shutter by 2028. Superintendent Victoria McLaren has said repeatedly that a “no” vote on consolidation would not alter that timeline.
Scores of residents waited in line for 30 minutes or more at Woodstock Elementary, while the parking lot at Bennett Elementary, another voting location, filled up soon after polls opened at 2 p.m.
“We really truly believe that the answer to declining enrollment is to bring new families to the area, and the way to do that is to, in part, use Woodstock Elementary as a calling card,” said Tansy Michaud before the results were announced, who moved to Woodstock with her husband in 2020, has a 19-month-old daughter and is a member of Keep Woodstock Alive, a group opposed to Prop 2.
Another couple, Bryan and Yasmit Steiner, have four kids in district schools and also said they opposed consolidation.
“We’re here to support more schools than just one for the whole community, where children can have more choices,” Bryan Steiner said. “We’re a new family in Woodstock, and we feel that it’s important to keep welcoming new families to Woodstock.”
Yet among Tuesday’s voters were plenty of supporters, including Faedra Dagirmanjian, who lives in Olivebridge and has a second-grade daughter. “My friends and I believe that having the students in one location is going to be the best for them,” she said.
Underlying much of the controversy is the challenge of funding public education in rural areas. New York school districts have long operated under a “hold harmless” or “save harmless” policy, which ensures districts receive at least as much foundation aid—the state’s primary operating support—each year, regardless of enrollment changes.
Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed ending the policy in 2023, sparking concern in districts like Onteora that rely heavily on state aid. While Hochul later reversed course, upcoming revisions to the funding formula based on updated census data have reignited fears that districts with shrinking populations could see cuts.
The drop in Onteora’s enrollment—now at 1,041 students, down from more than 2,000 in 2004—may draw state scrutiny. Supporters of Proposition 2 have warned that cuts in aid could ultimately force the district to consolidate students in Boiceville anyway—only without the infrastructure needed to accommodate them.
Amy Wu is a reporter covering Woodstock and Saugerties. Send correspondence to amy@theoverlooknews.com.
Alec D.B. McCabe is a contributing writer and editor. Send correspondence to reporting@theoverlooknews.com.