Month: October 2025
A message from the superintendent regarding potential hardships facing our families
Dear Liberty families,
We know our students are at their best when they feel secure at home. We also know many of our families are suffering hardships from the government shutdown. And with the pending cut to SNAP benefits, the impact will be felt even more.
We do our best to work as partners with our families to ensure that our students can perform their best inside and outside the classroom.
To help ensure our students have enough to eat, we offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. We also operate our Snack Pack program, which provides healthy meals over breaks and weekends to students who face food insecurity. For more information on the program, or to donate, contact Community Schools Coordinator Katlyn Rusin.
Our families can also reach out to our Student Services and or their school’s counseling department for more information about what services may be available.
There are also several organizations in the community that can assist families in need.
Sullivan County Department of Health and Family services offers a list of local food pantries. Scroll down the page to find English and Spanish versions of their brochure.
The regional food bank is also offering a free Thanksgiving food distribution. Locally the distribution will be at 10 a.m. Nov. 22 on a first-come first-served basis at the Government Center in Monticello. Learn more at the regional food bank’s Thanksgiving food distribution page.
New York State has also created a list of resources available to families:
- FAQs regarding SNAP benefit cut
- Find Your Local Food Bank
- The Food Pantries Food Connect Map
- Resources for Working Families
- Find Services that Can Help
- Stay Connected With NY State of Health
- Social Services by County
I also encourage those who can to volunteer at or donate to our community organizations that are working to help our families in need.
We are proud of our Redhawk family and know that working together we can get through this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Superintendent
LHS National Art Honor Society to have photo shoot fundraiser
The Liberty High School National Art Honor Society will offer holiday family photo sessions from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 13 and 14.
For $20, families will get three edited image files in time for holiday greetings sent to their emails. . There will be a choice of black, white or a holiday background shot at the LHS studio.
The fee includes two different settings, so families can choose to use both for the full family or perhaps use one just for the kids. The three images can be mixed and matched from the two settings.
For an additional $5, families can also receive an 8″-by-10″ print of one file, or more of the files edited.
The event is a fundraiser for the group to purchase art kits for Liberty’s Children’s Home.
Sign up can be done on the Holiday Photo Shoot Appointment Page. Click on “Next available booking date” choose a time and date, and input your name, email address and choice of background.
Payments can be made with cash, check or use pay by credit card via the NAHS fundraising donations portal
For more information, contact adviser Kath Johansen at kjohansen@libertyk12.org
Sports schedule, and results, for the week of Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2025
Our student-athletes will be in action this week with football, soccer and volleyball.
Here are the schedule and results, if available. Livestream links are included where available.
The schedule is subject to change. Check the Liberty schedule on the Section IX website for the latest.
Monday, Oct. 27
2 p.m.: Boys Varsity Soccer vs. New Paltz, Section IX semifinals at New Paltz
Result: New Paltz 1, Liberty 0. The Redhawks’ best opportunity came shortly after New Paltz went up one goal but unfortunately the ball hit the post and bounced out. The rest of the game was back and forth but Liberty couldn’t break through. The boys played their hearts out and fought until the final whistle.
4 p.m.: Boys Modified Soccer vs. Fallsburg at Liberty Elementary Field
Tuesday, Oct. 28
4 p.m.: Girls Modified Volleyball vs Rockland at Rockland MS/HS New Gym.
Wednesday, Oct. 29
4 p.m.: Boys Modified Soccer vs. Sullivan West at Sullivan West Lake Huntington Campus Main Field
4:30 p.m.: Girls Modified Soccer vs. Beacon City at Rombout Middle School
4:30 p.m.: Modified Football vs. Valley Central at Valley Central High School Field
Thursday, Oct. 30
4 p.m.: Girls Modified Soccer vs. Sullivan West at Sullivan West Lake Huntington Campus.
Friday, Oct. 31
6 p.m.: Varsity Football vs. Spackenkill High School at Spackenkill High School Field.
Saturday, Nov. 1
No events scheduled
Sunday, Nov. 2
No events scheduled
Sports schedule, and results, for the week of Oct. 20-26, 2025
Our student-athletes will be in action this week with cross country, football, soccer and volleyball.
Here are the schedule and results, if available. Livestream links are included where available.
The schedule is subject to change. Check the Liberty schedule on the Arbiter website for the latest.
Monday, Oct. 20
4 p.m.: Girls Modified Soccer vs. Tri-Valley Secondary School at the Iatauro Sporks Complex, Main Field, Grahamsville
4:30 p.m.: Girls JV Volleyball vs. Sullivan West High School at Liberty High School
6 p.m.: Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Sullivan West High School at Liberty High School
Tuesday, Oct. 21
4 p.m.: Boys Modified Soccer vs. Tri-Valley Secondary School at the Iatauro Sporks Complex, Main Field, Grahamsville
4:30 p.m.: Boys and Girls Modified Cross Country vs. Multiple Schools at Thomas Bull Memorial Park, 211 State Highway 416, Montgomery
4:30 p.m.: Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Beacon City at Beacon High School
4:30 p.m.: Girls Modified Volleyball vs. Fallsburg at Liberty Middle School
4:30 p.m.: Girls JV Soccer vs. Beacon City at Beacon High School Turf Field.
5 p.m.: Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Sullivan West High School at Liberty High School
Result: Liberty 4, Sullivan West 0. Congratulations to the boys varsity soccer team for their 4-0 win on its pink out/senior night against Sullivan West. Goals were scored by Jose, Columbia, Ryan and Raul, with assists by Dylan and Michael Reyes. Great team effort all around as they did not allow a shot on goal either.
Wednesday, Oct. 22
4 p.m.: Girls Modified Soccer vs. Eldred at Liberty Elementary School
4:15 p.m.: Modified Football vs. Ellenville Central at Ellenville High School Field
4:30 p.m.: Girls JV Volleyball vs. Fallsburg at Fallsburg High School gym
4:30 p.m.: Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Monticello at Somerville Filed in Monticello
6 p.m.: Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Fallsburg at Fallsburg High School gym
Thursday, Oct. 23
4 p.m.: Girls Modified Volleyball vs. Fallsburg at Fallsburg High School gym.
4:30 p.m.: Boys and Girls Varsity Cross Country vs. Sullivan West and Fallsburg at Sullivan West High School Lake Huntington Campus XC Track.
4:30 p.m.: Boys and Girls Modified Cross Country vs. Sullivan West at Sullivan West High School Lake Huntington Campus XC Track.
Friday, Oct. 24
No events scheduled.
Saturday, Oct. 25
10 a.m.: Boys and Girls Varsity Cross Country vs. Multiple Schools at Sanfordville Elementary School XC Cross in Warwick
1 p.m.: Varsity Football vs. Marlboro at Marlboro Central High School Field.
2 p.m.: Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Saugerties opening round of Section IX Class A sectional playoffs, 2 p.m., Liberty High School.
Results: Liberty 2, Saugerties, 1. The Redhawks their unbeaten streak to nine games now. Man of the match was Brayan Hernandez Ballen who scored both goals.
Sunday, Oct. 26
No events scheduled
Alum shares information on Science Research Program coming to LCSD
Liberty alumnus Michael Blueglass returned to his alma mater Thursday, Oct. 16, to share more information about the Science Research Program, which will be introduced to the district next school year.
The three-year program provides high school students the chance to conduct STEM research at a college or graduate level.
The course goes beyond core STEM classes, with significant work also conducted during the summer. Successful completion could earn students up to 12 college credits through SUNY Albany.
Mr. Blueglass, who is the founder of the Advancing STEM Research Teaching group, highlighted many benefits of the program, including improving academic and technical skills, growth in professional and personal skills as well as being a major advantage in college admissions.
The program will begin during a student’s sophomore year, but interested ninth-graders must complete a series of prerequisite steps to be accepted. Students are paired with mentors in the field in their area of research to give them direct field work and research opportunities Some students may also work as partners or in groups, as some fields such as environmental, engineering, and behavioral projects are often better suited for teams. However, many lab-based mentors in biological or medical fields are not willing to take on a team of students.
Students who participate don’t necessarily need to be planning to pursue a STEM-based career. “What matters is being 100% dedicated to the project,” Mr. Blueglass said.
First year
During the first year, sophomores will narrow down the focus of their project, with help from the teacher, often choosing a topic based on their interests, knowledge and opportunities.
Research areas include animal science, astronomy, behavioral and social sciences, biochemistry and cellular biology, chemistry, computer science and systems software, engineering, environmental science, mathematics, medicine and health, neuroscience and robotics and intelligent machines.
The initial year will focus on gaining knowledge, including how to use professional scientific databases and research tools, studying on their desired topic and presenting information to the class. Once students gain enough knowledge on their chosen topic, they will find a mentor in their field.
Second and third years
The second and third years of the program is when the work will kick into high gear, with most of the hands-on research taking place during the summers before the junior and senior years, in the mentor’s lab or at home or school with the mentor’s help. During the school year, the teacher will meet with the class daily and with each student to check progress and set goals.
Each student will present their work by creating a poster and slide presentation as well as writing a formal research paper.
That work will prepare the students to enter prestigious science competitions as a requirement of the program, such as the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Junior Science & Humanities Symposium, and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Some major senior-level competitions, like the Regeneron STS, do not allow team projects.
Time and travel
The program requires a significant commitment of time and work ethic, especially during the summer when most of the research is conducted. Depending on the project, it may also require extensive travel.
Medical or lab-based projects often require a five-day-a-week commitment for seven or eight weeks at locations throughout the region.
Environmental projects will typically require a five-day-a-week commitment for four or five weeks, followed by several more weeks of half-days, often at locations throughout the region.
Engineering, physics or psychology projects may offer more flexibility, allowing students to work from home and meet with a mentor one or two days per week.
Students who cannot travel can consider home-based projects (e.g., math, computer science or survey-based psychology), but these still require the same overall time investment.
For more information about the project, see Mr. Blueglass’ presentation, or call the high school office at 845-292-5400, ext. 2000.
A follow-up message from the superintendent on a faculty member’s death
Dear Liberty families,
As a follow up to my earlier message: Middle School Counselor Michelle Behrman, a dedicated member of the Liberty faculty for 24 years, lost her courageous battle with cancer on Tuesday, Oct. 14. She made a profound impact on countless students, faculty, staff and families. Our sincere condolences and thoughts go out to her family and friends.
During this time, as the school community processes the sad news and copes with grief, the school district is offering counseling and bereavement support services to all of our students and staff. We have spoken to students in groups. Counseling spaces and therapy dogs are available in each building for students and staff. The countywide crisis team is available throughout the buildings for additional support.
For many of our students, Mrs. Behrman was someone they turned to in times of difficulty. Losing a trusted adult is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress. If your children are having difficulty coping with this news, we encourage you to talk with them about their thoughts and feelings to help them work through their grief or concerns. For tips, see the Helping Children Cope with Grief Guide by the Child Mind Institute. Please also consider monitoring and discussing your student’s communications (social media, phone, emails, text messages) to further assess their potential needs.
If you feel that your student needs to speak to a counselor or other caring adult, please do not hesitate to call our schools and let us know. Other resources include a 24-Hour Mobile Mental Health line at 845-790-0911 or 800-710-7083, the Sullivan County Department of Community Service at 845-292-8770, and grief support from Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties at 845-561-6111 or 800-294-0157.
More information about the grieving process, courtesy of the Countywide School Critical Incident Stress Management, can be found on our website: https://www.libertyk12.org/department-services/guidance-departments/the-sullivan-county-cism-response-team/
This is a difficult time for everyone, but I know our students and staff will lean on each other as they remember Mrs. Behrman. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me, your building principal or your child’s counselling department.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick Sullivan
Superintendent
Faulty sensor triggers false alarm at LES
Around noon today, Oct. 15, a faulty sensor triggered the fire alarm at Liberty Elementary School, leading to a prompt evacuation. Administration commended the students and staff for following all safety procedures effectively.
Redhawks winter sports signups to open Oct. 17
Signups for the Redhawks’ winter sports season will open Oct. 17 for varsity and junior varsity sports, and Oct. 27 for modified sports.
All student-athletes who are interested in participating in winter 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/2025-2026-jv-varsity-winter-sports-registration.
Modified sports sign ups must be completed at https://students.arbitersports.com/liberty-central-school-district-athletics/2025-2026-modified-winter-sports-registration-7th-and-8th-grade.
Practice/Tryouts for fall Varsity and JV sports will begin Nov. 17, with modified starting Dec. 1.
Varsity sports offered this year are girls and boys basketball, girls and boys wrestling, girls and boys indoor track, alpine ski and cheer.
JV sports will be girls and boys basketball.
Modified sports offered this fall are girls and boys basketball, wrestling and girls and boys indoor track.
For more information, please contact Thomas Zehner, Director of Physical Education, Athletics and Health, at 845-292-5400, ext. 2012, or tzehner@libertyk12.org.
Sports schedule, and results, for the week of Oct. 13-19, 2025
Our student-athletes will be in action this week with cross country, football, soccer and volleyball.
Here are the schedule and results, if available. Livestream links are included where available.
The schedule is subject to change. Check the Liberty schedule on the Arbiter website for the latest.
Monday, Oct. 13
No events scheduled
Tuesday, Oct. 14
4 p.m.: Boys and Girls Modified and Varsity Cross Country vs. Multiple Schools at Monticello High School Field.
4 p.m.: Girls Modified Soccer vs. Sullivan West High School at Liberty Elementary School
4 p.m.: Boys Modified Soccer vs. Fallsburg at Benjamin Cosor Elementary School.
4:30 p.m.: Girls Modified Volleyball vs. Sullivan West High School at Sullivan West Jeffersonville Campus ES Lower Field.
Wednesday, Oct. 15
4 p.m.: Boys Modified Soccer vs. Sullivan West High School at Liberty Elementary School
4:30 p.m.: Girls JV Volleyball vs. Port Jervis High School at Liberty High School gym
4:30 p.m.: Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Fallsburg at Liberty High School
Result: Liberty 5, Fallsburg. This puts the team on a three-game win streak and five-game unbeaten streak as they work toward the end of the regular season. During this span, the team has scored 15 goals and allowed only one. Defense and goal keeper Justin Simon have tallied four clean sheets as well. Keep it up!
4:30 p.m.: Modified Football vs. John S. burke Catholic at Burke Catholic High School Field
6 p.m.: Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Port Jervis High School at Liberty High School gym
Thursday, Oct. 16
4 p.m.: Girls Modified Soccer vs. Rockland Central School District at Liberty Elementary School
Friday, Oct. 17
4:30 p.m.: Boys Varity Soccer vs. James I. O’Neill at James I. O’Neill High School Soccer Field, Montgomery
4:45 p.m.: Girls JV Volleyball vs. S.S. Seward Institute at S.S. Seward Institute Golden Hill Elementary School, Florida
6:15 p.m.: Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. S.S. Seward Institute at S.S. Seward Institute Golden Hill Elementary School, Florida
Saturday, Oct. 18
1 p.m.: Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Chester Academy at Liberty High School
5 p.m.: Varsity Football vs. Red Hook Central School at Dietz Stadium, Kingston
Sunday, Oct. 19
No events scheduled
LCSD issues notice to bidders on maintenance building
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
LIBERTY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
NEW MAINTENANCE BUILDING AT
Liberty Central School District
26 Winthrop Avenue
Liberty, New York 12754
(NYSED #59-09-01-06-3-018-001)
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that sealed bids shall be received by the Board of Education, Liberty Central School District, 115 Buckley Street, Liberty, New York 12754
A detailed description of the work is included in the bid specifications.
Sealed bid proposals shall be received by 1:00 p.m. prevailing time on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, by mail or in person at the Main Entrance at the Liberty Central School District Office, 115 Buckley Street, Liberty, New York 12754. All bids must be received by 1:00 p.m. prevailing time at which time they shall be publicly opened and read aloud. Staff will be available to accept hand delivered bids between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
All envelopes containing bids shall bear on the face of the sealed envelope the words “October 29, 2025, Bid for New Maintenance Building at Liberty Central School District – Bid No. 102925” No Bids shall be accepted after 1:00 p.m. prevailing time on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Please be reminded that USPS, UPS and FedEx delivery schedules may be limited. Please allow enough time for your proposal to arrive on or before the due date and time.
Complete digital sets of Bidding Documents, drawings and specifications, may be obtained online as a download at the following website: LAN.BIDDYHQ.COM under ‘public projects’.
Complete sets of Bidding Documents, Drawings and Specifications, may be obtained from Biddy c/o Lohrius Blueprint, 226 Newtown Road, Plainview, NY 11803, Tel: 516-465-2880, upon depositing the sum of $100 (One Hundred Dollars) for each combined set of documents beginning on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Checks or money orders shall be made payable to Liberty Central School District. Plan deposit is refundable in accordance with the terms in the Instructions to Bidders to all submitting bids. Any bidder requiring documents to be shipped shall make arrangements with the printer and pay for all packaging and shipping costs.
Please note REVplans (revplans.biddyhq.com and lan.biddyhq.com) are the designated location and means for distributing and obtaining all bid package information. Only those Contract Documents obtained in this manner will enable a prospective bidder to be identified as an official plan holder of record. The Provider takes no responsibility for the completeness of Contract Documents obtained from other sources. Contract Documents obtained from other sources may not be accurate or may not contain addenda that may have been issued.
All bid addenda will be transmitted to registered plan holders via email and will be available at revplans.biddyhq.com and lan.biddyhq.com. Plan holders who have paid for hard copies of the bid documents will need to make the determination if hard copies of the addenda are required for their use and coordinate directly with the printer for hard copies of addenda to be issued. There will be no charge for registered plan holders to obtain hard copies of the bid addenda.
Any questions regarding the bid should be directed to LAN (Attention Mr. Peter Manouvelos) in writing by email to peter.manouvelos@lanassociates.com.
A pre-bid conference, including site visit, will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at the Liberty Central School District, 26 Winthrop Avenue, Liberty, New York 12754 at 12:00 p.m. All bidders are strongly encouraged to attend this pre-bid conference. Knowledge of the site is crucial to obtain a proper understanding of the Work. All bidders must be fully familiar with the site.
Each Bidder shall prepare their bid proposal, along with a bid security, in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Bid Specifications. Attention of bidders is particularly called to the minimum wage rates to be paid under the contracts. Wages to workers, laborers and mechanics employed to work on this project shall be paid in accordance with Section 220 of the Labor Law and in accordance with the Prevailing Rate Schedules found in the Project Manual. Submission of certified payroll is required as a condition of this contract. Additional information can be obtained at http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workerprotection/publicwork/PWContents.shtm.
The Contractor must comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations governing the Project, including the “Equal Opportunity for Employment” requirements as promulgated by the Federal and State governments.
Each bid must be accompanied by bid security in the form of a certified check made payable to the Liberty Central School District or by a Bid Bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the bid. Bidders may not withdraw their respective bids for a period of forty-five (45) days after the bid opening date, unless otherwise authorized by law. To the fullest extent allowed by law, the District further reserves the right to reject bids that contain conditions, omissions, exceptions or modifications, or in its sole discretion to waive any irregularities in the bids, or to reject any or all bids or to accept any bid which in the opinion of the District is in its best interest.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
LIBERTY CENTRAL
SCHOOL DISTRICT
115 Buckley Street
Liberty, New York 12754
By: Laurene McKenna
Assist. Superintendent for Business