MICHELLE WATCH
Name:  Michelle L. Watch

Education/Degrees: 

I completed my Master of Science Education and Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Mount Saint Mary College.  I also hold a degree in Science and a degree in Computer Information Systems. 

Vocation/Employer:

I am currently employed by the City School District of New Rochelle as a Science Teacher.  I have taught a number of science courses in both public and private schools to grades 7 - 12, including the highly recognized International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, as well as Biology, Chemistry, and Forensic Science, I have also taught post-secondary courses at Orange County Community College. In addition to my decades of experience as an educator, I have worked in the corporate world as a computer analyst, writing specific system specifications for major hospital information systems and point of sale (POS) systems for major hospitals and college campuses throughout the United States and abroad.

Years of residency in Tuxedo:

My family and I moved to Tuxedo from Manhattan last year, and my daughter now attends GFB where she is thriving. Although relatively new residents, my husband’s family has deep roots here, with my husband having graduated from GFB. I was born and raised in Orange County, NY and graduated from Minisink Valley High School. We moved from Manhattan to Tuxedo as a conscious choice to be a permanent part of the community and school district we have loved and enjoyed for many years.

Volunteer Work in the Town of Tuxedo:

I have been involved in a number of science programs for children, including outreach programs for Girl Scouts, family fun night for chemistry at Mount Saint Mary College, and the Calvary Hospital Compass Camp, which was a free camp service for children who had a significant caregiver loss in their life, such as the death of a parent.  As part of my involvement with Calvary Hospital, I completed grief counseling training.  I hope to soon be a part of such programs in Tuxedo.  Most recently I participated in the Tuxedo Earth Clean Up Day, which was an incredible experience, and am looking forward to being a part of the potential community garden project.  I am also a congregation member of St. Mary’s in Tuxedo.  

Briefly, why are you running for The Board of Education?

I am running for The Board of Education because I care deeply about the careful management of our shared resources and the education of our children.

As a taxpayer, I recognize the importance and value of being fiscally responsible and making sure every penny is spent wisely.  I believe it is important to select evidence-based programs and curricula that have been proven to provide positive outcomes for students and families. 

As a science educator and parent, I would like to build upon and refocus on our STEM programming activities for our pre-K through 12 grades to ensure they are best prepared to enter today’s workforce, while also developing strong athletic and artistic opportunities.

What are the most important issues currently facing the School District and if elected how would you propose to address them?

In the past, the district’s spending and financial management has brought the district to crisis, most recently leading to a contingency budget.  This is unjust to the students and families of Tuxedo, and all taxpayers.  We are at a critical moment in history with the impending expansion of the district with the arrival of the Tuxedo Reserve.  If elected, as an experienced educator and analyst, I will scrutinize the spending of the Tuxedo school district. I also will demand high quality curricula and programming with measurable results, something which I am very familiar with as a current public-school teacher.  I have served on state-wide curriculum committees and have established curricula and scope and sequences to meet the new science standards and computer-based testing (CBT).  I will remain accountable, accessible and committed to serving our community long after Election Day.  We need a fresh, knowledgeable, and measured perspective.  If elected, my focus will remain on what matters most:  serving the entire Tuxedo community with integrity, transparency, and accountability.

JOE RICKARD
Name:
Joe Rickard

Education/Degrees:
Educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Queens College in New York City, a Master’s degree in Education from St. John’s University, and an MBA from Hofstra University.

Vocation/Employer:
Work experience includes 22 years as a Vice President of Xerox Corporation. He also served as Division President of Sharp Corporation In addition, he currently serves as President of Intellective Solutions, a training and consulting company. After college, he started his career as a High School teacher and coach.

Years of residency in Tuxedo:
23 Years

Volunteer Work in the Town of Tuxedo
Served on the Tuxedo School Board for three years and was the Board President for one year.
Former member of the Town Park and Recreation Committee

Briefly, why are you running for The Board of Education?
I have the unique blend of experience, perspective, and independence our district needs right now.

A successful business executive at major corporations, former high school and college educator, high school coach, and president of Intellective Solutions, I understand both education and fiscal responsibility.

 As a proud Tuxedo father and grandfather - and a former School Board President I have already demonstrated commitment. He has fought to control costs, protect academic quality, and keep the focus where it belongs on our students.

I am ready to step up again to restore fiscal discipline, implement smart strategic planning, and deliver a strong, full academic program that prepares every child for the future - without unnecessary tax increases.

What are the most important issues currently facing the School District and if elected how would you propose to address them?

Right now, new families from the Tuxedo Reserve are on the horizon, bringing growth and the promise of a stronger, more vibrant community. Everyone in Tuxedo wants outstanding schools that prepare our children for success. Closing the District or merging the District with Monroe Woodbury or Suffern is not an option. Those who continue to spread this rumor may be ignorant of the facts or are hoping to mislead our residents. State law requires the BOE and the residents to agree to a merger. That will not happen.
 
Yet, right now, spending is rising faster than enrollment, budgets have faced repeated voter rejection, and financial pressures are mounting. Additionally, school officials have been accused of nepotism and cronyism. We need a change.  I love the schools in our district and want to help them prosper. This year our BOE agreed to a five-year $8 million contract. There was only one bidder who raised the annual cost over $340K. No alternatives or oversight took place. I can assure you that this will not happen if I am on the board.

Here are my priorities:

• Strengthen core academics – with a sharp focus on reading, math, science, and technology – while educating the whole student.
• Improve Reading, Math, and Science scores in grades 3 – 8, building the foundational skills our students need to thrive.
• Create a comprehensive 5-year strategic plan to manage growth from Tuxedo Reserve responsibly and stop the financial bleeding.
• Fully utilize the $50,000 expert study grant received in 2025 to identify real options, deliver independent financial analysis, and guide wise decisions.
• Ensure new tax revenue from Tuxedo Reserve is properly directed into reserves to support incoming students – not absorbed into current operations.
• Maintain zero tolerance for bullying, nepotism, and cronyism to create a safe, fair environment for every child and family.

Joe Rickard has the proven track record, business acumen, and deep community roots to make these priorities a reality. He has done it before – and will do it again. Please contact me at jrickard@intellectives.com and I can share how we can achieve these priorities.

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TUFSD Response to CPR Community Letter

May 7, 2026

Dear Members of the Tuxedo Community,
A newsletter written by CPR, a local group, has been circulating in the community about the Tuxedo School District. We welcome an engaged and informed public; however, several statements in the newsletter lack important context or present an incomplete picture.
Below are selected statements from CPR along with clarifying information to help residents better understand the issues facing the District.
CPR Statement: “Transportation costs are being allowed to climb…yet remarkably there has been no serious effort from the BOE to renegotiate terms, and restructure the transportation sector.”
District Response: The BOE and Superintendent engaged the services of one of the leading school transportation consultants in New York state, who ran a public bidding process after our current transportation provider issued a notice of contract non-renewal. The district had been enjoying years of below market pricing and annual renewals. Unfortunately, Tuxedo, like many other districts throughout the state who have gone out to bid have experienced significant increases in cost. Our consultant fought hard for Tuxedo and successfully negotiated a reduction of over $315,000 for the 2026/27 school year to the proposal submitted by the sole vendor who responded to the district’s call for bids. The reason for the increased costs—and the significant steps the BOE and Superintendent took to bring those costs down—were discussed on numerous occasions at public meetings which are also videotaped and available for public viewing both on the District’s website and on YouTube.
Further, taxpayers may be wondering why busing costs increased so dramatically. The short answer is that between the time we negotiated our last contract and the time we negotiated this contract, there was significant consolidation in the busing industry in Orange and Rockland counties, and indeed nationwide. After COVID, contractors have experienced driver shortages, increased equipment costs (buses), and significantly increased labor costs. With driver shortages, rising equipment and labor contract costs and fewer bus companies bidding for contracts, the incentives for companies to offer competitive bids fell, and the ability to demand higher prices rose. That is the new reality facing many districts, and Tuxedo is no exception.
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CPR Statement: “Spending is rising out of control…[with] projections for the next budget already includ[ing] $380,000 increase in employee benefits, [and] $400,000 increase in special education.”
District Response: While the numbers are correct, they lack important context.
District spending has increased approximately 4.7% in 2026-27, or 2.35% on average over the past two years, and 2.7% over the past five years. This is well below inflation over the same period. The 2026/27 budget is being impacted by some significant costs escalations that are largely out of our control. First, as a public school, TUFSD is legally mandated to provide special education services to any child in our district who needs them. This includes children who attend GGM and GFB, as well as children who live in district but attend a private school
such as TPS or St. Paul’s. Federal and state law do not allow for the cost of a placement for a special education student to be a factor in determining what constitutes an appropriate public education for students with educational disabilities. And those costs can be high: indeed, special education services (that is, services alone, exclusive of special-ed related transportation costs) are projected to account for approximately 17% of the 2026-2027 budget. While the district does its best to control special education expenses, ultimately those expenses are dictated by the needs of the students who live in our community, and not by the BOE, or the Superintendent of Schools.
Second, the cost of health insurance has risen nationwide. TUFSD belongs to the Orange Ulster Health Insurance Plan, a consortium that negotiates with insurance companies to secure the lowest possible rates for its membership. Belonging to a consortium makes good fiscal sense: the bigger the group at the bargaining table, the more leverage they have to bargain. The increase that we are seeing was negotiated by the consortium, and represents their best efforts to secure the lowest possible rates for their membership. Indeed, the health insurance costs the consortium negotiated are actually lower than those negotiated by the New York State Health Insurance Plan (NYSHIP), which covers state employees and many public employees across the state. The rising health insurance costs are thus not attributable to spending decisions made by the BOE or the Superintendent.
Third, transportation costs have risen appreciably as described above.
These three cost categories alone have driven approximately $1.2 million of our increases in expenditures.
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CPR Statement: “[T]here has been no meaningful action by the BOE to address overstaffing, declining enrollment, [and] consolidation or restructuring.”
District Response:
As a preliminary matter, declining enrollment is a regional and nationwide reality, and not one confined to Tuxedo. 90 percent of New York state’s school districts recorded enrollment declines from 2013-14 to 2023-24, and some private schools in our area are likewise experiencing declining enrollment. Tuxedo is in a unique position, however, as the Tuxedo Reserve residential development is projected to increase enrollment by as many as 375 students upon full build out.
Further, the prior BOE and previous Acting Superintendent took meaningful steps in the 2025/26 budget to reduce staffing, including:
· Eliminating the Human Resources position;
· Eliminating the Transportation Director position and shifting those responsibilities to the Building Maintenance Supervisor under the supervision of our School Business Official;
· Paring back teaching staff, including eliminating two Elementary School teachers’ aides; positions and reducing a 0.8 Elementary School art teacher, and a 0.8 High School science teacher, and a 0.6 Special Education;
· Trimming such staff positions, as the vacant cook-manager and custodial positions; and
· Eliminating the BOCES Public Relations service and parceling out those responsibilities to existing staff at a savings.
For the 2026/27 budget, the District is looking to take further steps to right size our staffing, including:
· Reducing a .5 Music Teacher
· Reducing a .6 Physical Education Teacher
· Reducing a 1.0 Elementary Teacher
· Reducing a 0.5 Technology Teacher
· Reducing a 1.0 High School Teacher
The BOE and Superintendent continue to explore further opportunities to consolidate and restructure to ensure our resources are spent responsibly and effectively, and we welcome constructive input from the community on how best to achieve that shared goal.
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CPR Statement: “[S]everal long-serving Board members have close family members employed within the district [which] is a clear conflict of interest.”
District Response: State law defines prohibited conflicts of interest for both teachers and civil service employees, and in neither instance is employment of relatives a violation of the state’s conflict of interest laws. To the extent there are any specific instances in which members of the community believe a BOE member improperly influenced a decision regarding a family member, the BOE and Superintendent welcome that information and will take it seriously.
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CPR Statement: The “Board [is] resist[ing] the feasibility study.”
District Response: The BOE and Superintendent are in communication with the stakeholders regarding the feasibility study and are looking at some key areas of focus to include in the study.
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CPR Statement: “[C]ollege acceptances are less than stellar.”
District Response: We are proud to report that in the past five years our students have been accepted to such institutions as Princeton University, Purdue University, Georgia Tech, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Penn State, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, Northeastern University, Drexel University, Clemson University, multiple State
University of New York campuses, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the University of Connecticut. This is a very strong and well-balanced set of college acceptances.
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CPR Statement: “Tuxedo Reserve will not fix this.”
District Response: While not a panacea, the Tuxedo Reserve will bring a significant number of new families to our community. Indeed, projections suggest that the population of Tuxedo will double when the Reserve is fully built and occupied. This influx of new students will, upon full build-out, dramatically remake TUFSD and the assessment rolls will also roughly double. We recognize that there are other challenges that need to be addressed as well and intend to do so with the help of our administration, legal counsel and architectural firm, as well as demographers. We also understand that the school district cannot be successful without the support of the community and we will work together to find common ground and team-developed solutions.
Tuxedo, you deserve an open and free exchange of ideas based on facts. We welcome an open exchange of ideas with CPR and all of our neighbors. We hope that in the end the entire community will recognize the value of building a Top 100 school district and support that endeavor. Not only will a strong educational program provide a great future for our children, but school quality also accounts for a significant portion of residential housing values. Our highly affordable tax rate is one of the lowest in the county; indeed, taxes for a home in Tuxedo would increase by approximately 70% on average if that same home was located in our neighboring districts. So, a school district that we can all support and be proud of is the most logical choice and one that is in everyone’s interest. The BOE and Superintendent strongly encourage you to be informed and engaged voters and attend our meetings or send us an email with your thoughts or concerns.
We can be reached at: boe@tuxedoufsd.org.
Thank you for your continued support
Tuxedo Union Free School District Board of Education

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Voter Registration 
In order to participate in this year's Budget Vote, residents must be properly registered. Under New York State Law, qualified residents registered with Orange County Board of Elections for general elections are automatically registered for school elections. It is not necessary for such persons to register separately with school election officials. Qualified voters who have NOT voted in a primary, presidential, or school district vote within the past four (4) years, need to register in order to vote.

Where do you register and vote?
You may register with the New York State Board of Elections or with the school district. Registration must be completed by June 10th in order to vote on June 17th. When registering with the school district, you will need to provide identification and proof of residency.

Early Mail Voting

Early Mail Ballot Application

If the application requests the early mail ballot to be mailed, the application must be received by the District Clerk at George F. Baker High School, 1 Tornado Drive, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987, not later than 7 days before the election for which the early mail ballot is sought. Otherwise, the application may be personally delivered to the district clerk not later than the day before the election. Applications may not be submitted more than 30 days prior to the election. If you are qualified for early mail voting and issued an early mail ballot, the ballot itself must be received by the school district clerk by 5 p.m. on the day of the election in order to be canvassed.

Absentee Ballots 
If you are going to be out of town for work or studies, will be having a medical procedure, or are confined to your home due to illness or physical disability you can fill out an absentee ballot application to vote for the proposed 2025/26 school budget and Board of Education members. The application must be received by the District Clerk at George F. Baker High School, 1 Tornado Drive, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987 at least seven days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, if the ballot will be picked up personally by the voter. Absentee ballots can only be picked up by the voter named on the application. The absentee ballot must be received by the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election.