Month: July 2025
Leadership Week offers chance for administrators to reflect, plan
School may be out for summer, but that doesn’t mean work has slowed down for Liberty Central School District administrators.
The administration team spent this week preparing for the 2025-26 school year.
The annual summer professional development and planning retreat was held Tuesday through Friday, using LCSD’s five-year Strategic Plan and the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan as a focus and guide for the sessions.
Administrators reflected on progress during the 2024-25 school year, heard from speakers, participated in activities, took part in professional development sessions and worked on plans for the upcoming school year.
Teacher facilitators joined sessions on Thursday to learn more about LinkIt, the new data warehouse system designed to help more efficiently analyze and support students’ academic, social and emotional growth. They also worked with administrators on the building and Student Services school comprehensive education and priority plans, which were finalized on Friday.
The week ended with a session for administrators on Leader in Me with Robin Sampson.
“It is important to reflect on our past work while planning for our future,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “This week was very successful in doing that. I thank our speakers, administrators and teacher facilitators for their dedication to making Liberty a great place to learn.”
LES invites first responders to 9/11 ceremony
Liberty Elementary School’s annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony: Honoring the Past, Present and Future, will take place at 8:45 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11.
All past and present firefighters, police officers and EMTs are invited to the ceremony. Those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP to Samantha Davis at SDavis1@libertyk12.org by Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The ceremony will take place at LES at 201 N. Main St. in Liberty.
Community Health Needs Assessment survey underway
Sullivan County Public Health and Garnet Health are leading the Community Health Needs Assessment process. As part of this process, a survey is available seeking input from those 18 and older. The feedback will help guide local programs, services and policies to better meet the real health needs of the community. All answers are anonymous, and those who don’t feel comfortable answering a particular question may leave it blank. The survey is open through July 31 at https://www.gnyhasurveys.org/CHNA
Redhawks sports signups to open July 21
Signups for the Redhawks’ fall sports season will open July 21 for varsity and junior varsity sports, and Aug. 4 for modified sports.
All student-athletes who are interested in participating in fall athletics must be registered and approved on Arbiter Sports before they can participate.
Those who wish to sign up for Varsity or JV sports must do so at https://students.arbitersports.com/liberty-central-school-district-athletics/jv-varsity-fall-sports-registration-2025-2
Modified sports sign ups must be completed at https://students.arbitersports.com/liberty-central-school-district-athletics/modified-fall-sports-registration-2025-2
Practice/Tryouts for fall Varsity and JV sports will begin Aug. 18, with modified starting Sept. 4.
Varsity sports offered this year are girls and boys soccer, girls tennis, girls volleyball, girls and boys cross country, cheerleading and football.
JV sports will be girls and boys soccer, girls volleyball and football for seventh through ninth grades.
Modified sports offered this fall are girls and boys soccer, girls and boys cross country, football for seventh through ninth grades and girls volleyball.
For more information, please contact Thomas Zehner, Director of Physical Education, Athletics and Health, at 845-292-5400, ext. 2012, or tzehner@libertyk12.org.
Liberty superintendent visits D.C. to advocate for schools
Liberty Central School District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan recently spent time in Washington, D.C., to advocate for funding and programs that would help provide a quality education for all students at Liberty and beyond.
He took part in the Legislative Advocacy Conference, sponsored by the AASA The School Superintendents Association and the Association of School Business Officials International, to learn more about and discuss key issues impacting school districts, as well as meet with federal elected officials
Dr. Sullivan and Dr. Dwight Bonk from the Wappingers Central School District advocated for the Hudson Valley schools to ensure that they receive Title funding, IDEA funding, and other federal funding sources to support their students.
High on the list of proprieties for the conference was communicating the impact the federal government delaying Title funding of more than $6 billion has had on finalizing district budgets for the 2025-26 school year.
The funding cuts and changes in the president’s 2026 budget proposal were also a concern.
The “K-12 Simplified Funding Program” would consolidate 18 formula and competitive grant programs (worth $6.5 billion at fiscal year 2024 levels) into one block grant of $2 billion. It would also eliminate other programs, most notably Title III (English Acquisition) and Title I, Part C (Migrant Education State Grants).
“While I appreciate the intent behind the proposal to provide more flexibility for local decision making, the overall cut in funding would ultimately take away much needed resources for our schools,” Dr. Sullivan said.
The group also advocated for fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is vital to ensuring students with disabilities are provided a quality, robust education. IDEA would also be consolidated under the president’s proposal, with an increase in grants to states, but numerous programs inside IDEA losing all funding.
When IDEA was founded 50 years ago, Congress committed to funding 40% of the additional cost of educating student needs, which it has never done. The federal funding is now around 10%.
“Fully funding IDEA would be a worthwhile investment in our students and their future,” Dr. Sullivan said.
Conference attendees also advocated for the passage of updated student data and privacy legislation as well as reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program
“It is important to let our elected officials know how their decisions will impact our schools, our staff and our students,” Dr. Sullivan said. “I am happy to be able to advocate for our students to meet our mission to empower each student to contribute and thrive in a diverse community by pursuing their potential.
Athletic director joins Liberty CSD
Thomas Zehner joined Liberty Central School District as its athletic director on July 1.
Mr. Zehner earned his bachelor’s degree from Sage College of Albany in K-12 physical education, a master’s degree in health, recreation and physical education from Emporia State University and a Certification of Advanced Study in School Leadership from SUNY New Paltz
Before coming to Liberty, Mr. Zehner was an elementary physical education teacher in Beacon City School District since September 2017. While at Beacon he was also the Adapted Physical Education Curriculum coordinator for four years and hosted 10 student teachers at the elementary level as a cooperating teacher for student teachers for six years. He also served as a coach for soccer, basketball, tennis, softball and lacrosse at Beacon.
He said he wants to build upon past successes at Liberty and hopes to increase participation in the Redhawks sports programs.
To do this he said he wants to help support existing youth sports programs in the community, as well as build programs to introduce younger students to sports in the schools, in accordance with the Redhawks Champion Plan introduced last year.
Expanding the Athletes Helping Athletes can be a big part of that, he said.
“Mentoring is great,” Mr. Zehner said, “but if we can get our older athletes to assist more in the elementary and middle schools, we can better build that sense of Redhawk community and Liberty pride.”
He said he could see students helping lead lessons in their sports, or volunteering with sports programs in the community.
“The district as a whole will benefit from promoting the culture of school spirit,” he said.
In his free time, Mr. Zehner, a resident of Wappingers Falls, enjoys golfing, hiking, playing sports and spending time with his family and dog.
LCSD District-wide Safety Plan available for review
The Liberty Central School District’s District-wide Safety Plan is available for review on our website and at the district office at 115 Buckley St. in Liberty. It will be available for public comment through Aug. 18, 2025.
Comments may be submitted to questions@libertyk12.org or to the Liberty Central School Office, 115 Buckley St, Liberty NY 12754.
Liberty High School graduates 141
One of the, if not the, largest class in Liberty High School history crossed the stage Friday, June 27, during the 128th annual commencement exercises.
The musical talents of the senior class were on display during the ceremony with several seniors singing the national anthem, and Luis Molina Gonzalez playing the alma mater.
With a theme of resilience, perseverance and shaping the future, 141 graduates officially became members of the Liberty alumni following graduation ceremonies held in the Liberty High School gymnasium.
“My good friend once told me that ‘It doesn’t have to be good, it just has to get done,’ and my gosh we have done it, and we deserve to celebrate that,” Class President and Salutatorian Sophia Ferguson said in her welcome.
Now that it is done, it is time to look forward, several speakers said. But the path will lead the class in several different directions.
“As we walk up this stage, we welcome a new chapter in our lives. Each of us stands on a threshold of endless possibilities,” Valedictorian Kaitlyn Bodolosky said. “Each of us has unique talents and dreams that will shape our paths ahead.”
And each individual’s path will probably not be a straight one.
“Most of us don’t know what we want to be when we graduate high school,” Liberty Board of Education Vice President Pamela Teed Fisk said. “Don’t be afraid to change direction.”
But when you choose your path, “choose it boldly,” High School Principal Dr. Derek Adams said.
“Own your direction. Take initiative in your life,” he said. “And when things get hard—and they will—remember that responsibility isn’t a burden; it’s your launchpad.”
It’s a launchpad that started at Liberty.
“Take what you’ve learned here, not just the facts and formulas, but the friendships, the lessons, the challenges, and let it guide you as you step forward,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan said. “You are capable. You are needed. And you are just getting started.”
