Posted on

School District Enrollment & Tuesday’s School Vote

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the Whitehall school district will have the vote for next year’s school budget, a number of spending propositions and to elect members of the school board. It will be held from noon to 8:00 pm in the Large Group Instruction Room in the Jr.-Sr. High School. The district is proposing a $22.3 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year with a proposed 1.25% tax increase.

The school district has set up this beautiful page on their website with information for everyone: https://www.railroaders.net/Page/680

I have been reporting on the enrollment figures of the district for many years. I cannot find the school’s enrollment listed for the 2024-2025 school year. Last year (2023-2024), the Whitehall School District had 644 total students.

To put this number of 644 students into historical context, I have updated my yearly enrollment chart below:

School Year 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13
Students 885 860 858 845 815 779 753 742 755
School Year 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 20-21 21-22 22-23
Students 757 736 736 758 708 699 719 693 731 655
School Year 23-24
Students 644

The Whitehall school district has now reached the lowest enrollment since I have been tracking this.

Here is an equation to ponder. If you take next year’s proposed budget ($22.3 million) and divide by 644 students (the last enrollment figure I can find), the cost per student equals approximately $34,600 per student.

Posted on

Senator Stec: 2025-26 Budget Spends a Lot, Fixes None of State’s Longstanding Problems


NY State Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today issued the following statement concerning the enacted 2025-26 New York State Budget:

“For too many years and in too many areas, New York State has been trending downward. Our communities have become too costly for families and businesses, a spate of pro-criminal policies have made it less safe for law-abiding residents, sanctuary city policies have threatened federal aid and created chaos across all of New York.

“These problems can be traced back to one-party Democrat control of state government in 2019. Since then, we’ve seen out-of-control taxes and spending, and violent crime rise to disturbing new levels. This year’s budget was a chance to take actions to course correct and lay out a better way forward for New York State.

“At the start of the budget process, Governor Hochul stressed affordability. Instead, she and Democrat legislative leaders have opted to spend more than a quarter of a trillion dollars, with little to show for it when it comes to helping those who need it most. The much-ballyhooed inflation rebate checks are a mere pittance that fails to come close to covering the increased costs we’re all experiencing. And while touting these checks, the governor and Democrat leaders saw fit to add new taxes to prop up the failing MTA and New York City infrastructure. The only person to receive any substantive financial support is our attorney general, in the form of a $10 million gift to preemptively pay for legal fees concerning an investigation completely unrelated to state business.

“Public safety continues to go unaddressed. While the federal government has moved strongly to secure our borders, there have been no changes to the sanctuary city policies that have cost the state billions and led to increased crime. Rather than address HALT, prison violence and contraband, they opted for new language allowing for early release for violent and nonviolent incarcerates. On those issues, the governor and Democrats have opted for tepid changes to discovery and the wearing of face masks while committing a crime. This budget just continues the revolving-door policies that have been a hallmark of Democrat policies since the passage of bail and discovery reform.

“A budget is a blueprint for where a state’s priorities are. Once again, it’s clear that the governor and her allies are uninterested in prioritizing what New Yorkers have made clear they want addressed: affordability and public safety. This year’s enacted budget is a wildly expensive misfire that only exacerbates those issues.”

Posted on

Saturday Quote

“Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.”

Thornton Wilder
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927), last lines

Posted on

Happy Easter


The Three Marys at the Tomb by Italian artist Annibale Carracci (1560-1609). Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia.

The three Mary’s find the tomb… empty.

I hope all of our readers will have a happy and blessed Easter today! I would also like to wish our Jewish readers a belated Passover greeting, as this year Passover ends on the evening of Sunday April 20th also.

Hopefully everyone will be back in Huletts soon and the upcoming ‘season’ will be as refreshing as always.

Posted on

School Budget Presentation May 5th, Vote May 20th

The Whitehall Central School District, will hold the presentation on the annual school budget for the public in the Large Group Instruction Room in the Junior-Senior High School Building on Buckley Road in the Town of Whitehall, New York, on May 05, 2025 at 6:00 pm.

The voting on this year’s school budget, as well as for two seats on the school board and the purchase of property to build a new transportation facility will be held at the Large Group Instruction Room in the Junior-Senior High School Building on Buckley Road in the Town of Whitehall, New York, on May 20, 2025 between the hours of 12:00 o’clock noon and 8:00 pm.

The items to be voted on include:

1.) To adopt the annual budget of the School District for the fiscal year 2025-2026 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the school district.

2.) To elect two members of the Board of Education each for a 3-year term commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring on June 30, 2028.

Two propositions will also be submitted to the voters for consideration:

PROPOSITION #1
Shall the Board of Education of the Whitehall Central School District be authorized to purchase one sixty-five (65) passenger school bus for the use of the said School District, the estimated maximum cost thereof, not to exceed a total of $168,986 that such sum or so much thereof as may be necessary be expended from the unencumbered and unappropriated funds now on hand, or shall be raised by the levy of a tax to be levied and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education.

PROPOSITION #2
Shall the Board of Education of the Whitehall Central School District be authorized to utilize the District’s General Fund Balance to purchase approximately 7.32+/- Acres of real property located at 270 Broadway, Whitehall, New York 12887 (Tax Map No. 60.13-1-42), at a cost of $250,000, together with all reasonable and customary fees and closing costs.

The purpose to Proposition # 2 is to purchase real estate to site a new transportation facility for bus maintenance.

Posted on

250 Years Ago


“The Battle of Lexington, 19 April 1775,” Oil on canvas by William Barns Wollen, 1910.

“Lay down your arms, you damned rebels.”
A British officer to American militiamen on Lexington Green in 1775. The site of the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War.

We know how that worked out.

Posted on

Good Friday – 2025


“Christ On The Cross Between Mary And St. John”
Albrecht Altdorfer
Oil on canvas

Albrecht Altdorfer (circa 1480 — February 12, 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg, Bavaria. He is regarded to be one of the main representative of the Danube School, setting biblical and historical subjects against landscape backgrounds of expressive colors. He is remarkable as one of the first artists to take an interest in landscape as an independent subject.

Posted on

Palm Sunday 2025

I am hoping to offer a good message for all Christians today on Palm Sunday. As we enter into Holy Week, it’s always good to reflect on the words “the Master has need of it.”

Luke 19:28-40
Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany
at the place called the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples.
He said, “Go into the village opposite you,
and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered
on which no one has ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here.
And if anyone should ask you,
‘Why are you untying it?’
you will answer,
‘The Master has need of it.’”
So those who had been sent went off
and found everything just as he had told them.
And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,
“Why are you untying this colt?”
They answered,
“The Master has need of it.”
So they brought it to Jesus,
threw their cloaks over the colt,
and helped Jesus to mount.
As he rode along,
the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;
and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy
for all the mighty deeds they had seen.
They proclaimed:
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
He said in reply,
“I tell you, if they keep silent,
the stones will cry out!”

Posted on

Congresswoman Stefanik’s Statement on Appointment as Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership


Rep. Elise Stefanik with President Donald Trump. (Photo Credit: Rep. Elise Stefanik Facebook page.)

April 9, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson as Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership for the 119th Congress. In addition, she was reappointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where she will maintain her seniority. She also resumes her role as a senior Member of the Armed Services Committee and Education and the Workforce Committee.

In addition, Stefanik was appointed by the Speaker to the Boards of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.

“I am honored to be appointed Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership to lead House Republicans in implementing President Donald Trump’s mandate from the American people for an America First agenda that includes securing our borders, strengthening our national security, growing our economy, and combating the scourge of antisemitism across our country,” said Chairwoman Elise Stefanik. “I’m proud to continue my work as a senior Member of the House Intelligence Committee, House Armed Services Committee, and the Education and the Workforce Committee to secure results for my constituents in New York’s 21st Congressional District and the American people. I look forward to the work ahead in enacting President Trump’s historic agenda.”

The House Republican Leadership Chair is a senior leadership appointed position focused on strategy, communications, and executing on the mandate from the American people to pass President Trump’s agenda. This position also serves on the Steering Committee. It has been used by multiple previous Republican leadership teams for longtime senior Members like Bill Paxon, Rob Portman, Greg Walden, and Garret Graves titled as Chair of Committee on Committees or Chair of Elected Leadership Committee or Chair of House Republican Leadership at critical moments to deliver for the American people such as the 1994 Contract with America and the 2010 Tea Party wave election. This role comes with budget, staff, and an expansive strategy, legislative, and communications portfolio.

Posted on

Huletts Golf Course Improvements – Temporary Tee Box Closures


A file photo of the 3rd tee box taken in December 2024 showing the rebuilt tee box.

In connection with improvements made to the golf course since last season, the Huletts Golf Committee respectfully requests that golfers tee-off from the following locations:

Back of the 2nd tee – (the tee has been extended back approximately 15 feet) – please use front tee area
3rd tee – (closed, this tee has been completely rebuilt) – please use area in front of tee
6th upper tee – (closed, reseeded) – please use forward tee
7th back tee – (closed during adjoining building construction) – please use forward tee
8th upper tee – (closed, reseeded) – please use forward tee

It is expected that the aforementioned tee areas will be reopened during the Memorial Day weekend.