At last week’s Marlboro School Board reorganization meeting, Michael Connors was elected as their new President. Connors is going into his third year serving on the board.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said of his new role as President. “I felt it was time, with a new Superintendent, to really kick the school into high gear like with the Academy of Science and the college credit programs. Marlboro is a special place to start with and I think we can really ramp it up and be truly special.”

Connors said the district was very smart in how they allocated the funds to do the Vision 2020 project.

“We knew resources had to go to the elementary school because reading skills nationally have been falling off and if you make the investment there, you reap the rewards for up to 12 years, so that paid off,” he said.

Connors praised Middle School Principal Debra Clinton for pushing to make her school an essential elements school and ultimately a School to Watch, “which is tremendous, and they’re going to be honored in Washington D.C. next May.”

Connors also noted how valuable the planetarium is under the direction of Science Department Chairman Robert DeMarco.

“It’s a jewel in the Hudson Valley; it’s spectacular,” Connors insists.

Connors alluded to the school board’s good fiscal planning, pointing out that in the last two years, “we managed to put $3 million back in the taxpayer’s pockets. Out tax levy today is where it was 12 years ago and we’ve managed to stabilize things. It’s still a premium price but we like to feel it’s a premium district.”

Connors said the district learned a lot from Covid.

“We now have access to courses that 10 years ago you’d never dream of delivering in a small district where those students can draw from virtual classes that gives them a spectacular opportunity.”

Connors said there is so much more to do.

“Hopefully when my term is done and the next person steps in, they’ll have great ideas,” he said. “John Cantone and Frank Milazzo certainly made it better and I hope to do the same with the new team. I’m excited with this new group here; we have some real talent and some feisty ones too and it’s gonna be a fun year and it’s gonna be pretty exciting.”

Connors believes the board will miss retiring Superintendent Mike Brooks.

“I think he was the right guy at the right time and he walked into a financial mess and weathered the storm quite well,” Connors recalled.