Red Hook Central School District

To adopt the annual budget of the Red Hook Central School District for the fiscal year 2025-2026 and to authorize the requisite portion therefore to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District. 

2. To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education to terms of three (3) years each to begin on July 1, 2025 and to expire on June 30, 2028.

3. To adopt the following propositions: 

SHALL the Board of Education of the Red Hook Central School District be hereby authorized to (1) acquire four (4) electric-powered school buses at a total cumulative cost after any grants, subsidies, rebates, or other third-party funding have been applied, not to exceed $1,200,000 which is estimated to be the maximum cost thereof, contingent upon the receipt of any grant, subsidies, rebates, or other third-party funding which once applied would reduce the cost of an individual electric-powered school bus to a maximum cost per bus not to exceed $300,000, (2) expend such sum for such purpose, (3) levy the tax necessary therefor, to be levied and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education, taking into account state aid received, and (4) in anticipation of the collection of such tax, to issue bonds and notes of the District at one time or from time to time in the principal amount not to exceed $1,200,000 and to levy a tax to pay the interest on such obligations when due?

Shall the Board of Education of the Red Hook Central School District be authorized to: (1) construct and improve various District athletic tracks, fields, lighting and sites, including construction of a new grass field currently inside the track, fire rate the kiln room at Linden Avenue Middle School, renovate existing bathrooms at the Red Hook High School, acquire original furnishings, equipment, machinery or apparatus required for the purpose for which such athletic tracks, fields and sites are to be used and pay costs incidental thereto,  at a maximum aggregate cost of $6,085,000; (2) expend such sum for such purpose; (3) levy the necessary tax therefore, to be levied and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education in accordance with Section 416 of the Education Law, taking into account state aid; and (4) in anticipation of the collection of such tax, issue bonds and notes of the School District at one time or from time to time in the principal amount not to exceed $6,085,000 and levy a tax to pay the interest on said obligations when due?

SHALL the annual appropriation to support and maintain the Red Hook Library be increased by $10,000, to the total amount of $234,400, which sum shall be separate and apart from the Red Hook Central School District annual school district budget, and be raised annually by a tax upon the taxable property of the school district, and which appropriation shall be the annual appropriation for the library until changed by further vote of the electors of the school district, and such tax shall be levied and collected yearly as are other general taxes and to pay such monies to the trustees of the Red Hook Library? 

SHALL the annual appropriation to support and maintain the Tivoli Free Library be increased by $2,107, to the total amount of $107,478, which sum shall be separate and apart from the Red Hook Central School District annual school district budget, and be raised annually by a tax upon the taxable property of the school district, and which appropriation shall be the annual appropriation for the library until changed by further vote of the electors of the school district, and such tax shall be levied and collected yearly as are other general taxes and to pay such monies to the trustees of the Tivoli Free Library?

To vote you must be:

• A permanent resident of the district for at least 30 days immediately prior to the vote
• 18 years of age or older
• A U.S. citizen
• Registered with the school district or the Board of Elections in your county
   

Any qualified resident may register to vote at the District Office, 9 Mill Road, Red Hook, NY, 12571, which is open from Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 845-758-2241 ext. 55010 or emaskell@rhcsd.org for more information.

Not sure if you are registered to vote? Check HERE.

You may also register to vote with the Dutchess County Board of Elections at 845-486-2473 or Columbia County Board of Elections at 518-828-3115, depending on your county of residence.

The district will also operate a voter registration table from 2-7 p.m. before and during its budget expo, to be held at Red Hook High School May 8. 

If you are registered to vote in local or national elections, you are automatically registered to vote in school district elections. However, if you have not voted in the past four years, your voter registration may be marked inactive, and you may be required to re-register to vote. Proof of residency may be required, such as a driver’s license, non-driver identification card, or utility bill. 

Absentee ballots are available through the District Clerk. Those who wish to vote and cannot attend during the voting hours are encouraged to utilize the absentee ballots. Applications for absentee ballots can be obtained by filling out an Absentee Ballot Application. Applications are available HERE, or by personally coming in to the District Office from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Applications are available HERE in Spanish.

Please return the application to the District Clerk at the address below. Applications must be filled out in order to receive a ballot. The official absentee ballot will be forwarded to you once the application is received. Completed applications for the May 20, 2025 vote will be accepted by the District Clerk beginning April 22, 2025.

Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than seven days prior to the election (May 13, 2025) in order to mail out the ballot. If the absentee ballot is to be delivered to the voter in-person, applications must be received no later than the day before the election (May 19, 2025). The District Clerk is available Monday through Friday from 8  a.m.-4 p.m. If you need assistance after those hours, please call 845-758-2241 ext. 55010, and the District Clerk may try to accommodate voters by making appointments for times either before or after the normal workday. 

All absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk, no later than 5 p.m. on the date of the vote. Even if a ballot is postmarked before the date of the vote, if it is not received by the District Clerk before 5 p.m. on the day of the vote, the vote will not count. For more information, contact the District Clerk at 845-758-2241 ext. 55010. Please use the following mailing address: 

Red Hook Central School District 
ATTN: District Clerk 
9 Mill Road 
Red Hook, NY  12571  

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the New York Early Mail Voter Act, establishing an early mail voting system for New York elections. 

Qualified voters who provide the proper application can be provided a ballot to cast prior to the school votes, including any special proposition votes. The difference between early mail voting and absentee ballot voting is that early mail voters do not have to provide a reason why they cannot appear in person at the polls. Similar to absentee ballots, people may request delivery of their early mail ballots by designating hand-delivery to themselves or an authorized person or sent via mail to them at a designated address.  

If you are interested in early mail voting, please apply HERE. Applications can be received as of 30 days before the vote (April 22, 2025). Upon applying, an original signature is required to obtain an early mail ballot. Applications may be accepted electronically by emailing the District Clerk: emaskell@rhcsd.org.

Early Mail Applications in Spanish are HERE.
 

PLEASE REMEMBER to follow up by mailing the hard copy original to: Red Hook CSD District Clerk, 9 Mill Road, Red Hook, NY 12571. 

Applications for early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than seven days prior to the election (May 13, 2025) in order to mail out the ballot. If the early mail ballot is to be delivered to the voter in-person, applications must be received no later than the day before the election (May 19, 2025). The District Clerk is available Monday through Friday from 8  a.m.-4 p.m. If you need assistance after those hours, please call 845-758-2241 ext. 55010, and the District Clerk may try to accommodate voters by making appointments for times either before or after the normal workday. 

In order for your vote to be counted, early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk by 5  p.m. on the day of the election. Ballots received after this date/time will not be counted. 

Please contact the District Clerk if you have any questions. 

Email: emaskell@rhcsd.org 
Phone: 845-758-2241 ext. 55010 
Fax: 845-758-3366 
Text: 845-372-1074 

Military voters who are not currently registered to vote in the School District may request an application to register as a qualified voter of the School District and military voters who are registered to vote in the School District may request an application for a military ballot for any individual vote by contacting the District Clerk, at 9 Mill Road, Red Hook, NY 12571 from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8 a.m.-4 p.m., by phone at 845-758-2241 ext. 55010, or email emaskell@rhcsd.org.

A military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the registration application and/or military ballot application by mail, facsimile, or email.  The completed application to register and/or for a military ballot must be received by the District Clerk no later than 26 days before a vote (April 24, 2025). Military ballots will be mailed or otherwise distributed no later than 25 days before the vote (April 25, 2025). Military ballots must be returned by mail or in person and received by the District Clerk by 5 p.m. on the day of the vote.

To run for a seat on the Board of Education you must:

• Be a permanent resident of the district for at least 30 days immediately prior to the vote
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be able to read and write
• Not live in the same house as an existing member of the same Board of Education.

Interested candidates must submit a nominating petition that contains a total of at least 40 valid signatures to the District Clerk's Office at least 30 days prior to an election. In order to be added to the May 20, 2025 ballot, the deadline is 5 p.m. April 21, 2025.

Interested candidates can pick up an informational packet on running for the Board of Education at the District Clerk's Office. The packet includes, among other things, nominating petitions and expenditure and contribution statements that must be submitted to the District Clerk through the campaign process.

The District Clerk's Office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is located at Mill Road Elementary School, 9 Mill Road, Red Hook, NY, 12571.

To learn more about the process, visit the New York State School Boards Association at NYSSBA, and access a presentation made by the NYSSBA regarding running for school board here.

You can also reach out to the District Clerk's Office at 845-758-2241 ext. 55010 or email emaskell@rhcsd.org with questions.

There are two open Board of Education seats on the May 20, 2025 ballot. 

Each board member elected would serve a term of three years to begin on July 1, 2025 and expire on June 30, 2028.