Officials seek status of Devine BOCES use
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. » School district officials want more information about whether Ulster County BOCES will be using the Kingston school district’s former Anna Devine Elementary School in Rifton.
The concern was raised during a Board of Education meeting last week, with Superintendent Seth Turner saying parents need to be updated on changes in transportation schedules.
“There’s apparently an intention to move some of (Ulster BOCES) career tech programs to that location,” he said. “I’m not sure if students and their parents and guardians who are enrolling in the programs this year are aware that there could be a change in location in the future.
“Furthermore I want to be sure that instructional time is not lost due an increased time on the buses.”
Trustee Krista Barringer, who is also on the Ulster BOCES board, said the move is being considered but a decision has not been made.
“BOCES has been exploring the movement of some of their career and tech programs to Anna Devine,” she said.
“We already have students going to the Kingston center ... (at) Mary’s Avenue,” Barringer said. “We have kids who are going to other locations ... so the time is going to be the same for many of them.”
Ulster County BOCES Superintendent Charles Khoury was not immediately available for comment on Monday.
Kingston officials said negotiations are still being conducted for either full or partial use of Anna Devine Elementary School but the sides have not agreed to terms.
Trustees in November 2015 district agreed to sell the Anna Devine building for $900,000 to developer Kerry Danenberg, who planned to convert it into apartments. However, Danenberg dropped his plan when he couldn’t get the zoning changes he needed from the town of Esopus.
District officials had attempted to sell the Anna Devine building in January 2015, but it was the only one of four former elementary school not to receive any offers.
The Anna Devine building, which was vacated at the end of the 201213 school year, measures 49,000 square feet and sits on 12.7 acres at 1372 Old Post Road in Rifton.