The Ramapo Central School Board has experienced some topsy turvy this year with the departure of two board members.

Ramapo Central BOE during 2013 budget meetings. Board President Craig Long sits in the middle of the table.

The recent resignation from the BOE of Suffern Police Chief Clarke Osborn caused some community concerns about the district’s direction, especially coming in conjunction with the recent NY State Comptroller audit report that stated the district   had some $16 million dollars on books in “excess funds,” representing some 13% of the “subsequent school year’s budget.”

Osborn told The Journal News’ Mareesa Nicosia on Monday that he decided to resign his board seat due to “personal disagreements” and other commitments — both personal and professional. Osborn has served on the BOE for some ten years and was just re-elected in May to another term. His resignation was accepted at the Tuesday, December 3, meeting.

“At this time I feel that for personal reasons it’s time for me to move on from the board,” Osborn said in the LoHud article. “I feel I’ve given all I could and I just have different ideas for where the board should be going.”

At the BOE, another recent vacant board position was filled as well. Former board president and vice president Pam Frederick took a new position as Executive Director of the Rockland County School Boards Association, which required her to resign her local school board post. Frederick’s replacement is Suffern resident Dr. Marlyse Haward.

Current School Board President and Suffern Police Detective Craig Long told LoHud that the loss of two experienced board members is a challenge but that the BOE should be back to full strength soon. Long has had his hands full leading the BOE the last several years through a sticky budget process that saw district reductions in programs and personnel. Last May’s budget was unanimously passed by school district residents.

NY State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s recent audit report on Ramapo Central School District caused some public push back as it opened the BOE to questions related to budget cuts. The comptroller’s report that the district left $16 million on the table in excess funds has created a perception in some quarters that some of the program and personnel cuts could have been avoided.

To date, the BOE has not publicly discussed program cuts related to the upcoming budget session (rumors notwithstanding).

Nicosia reported that Ramapo Central Schools’ Superintendent Douglas Adams and staff are hard at work on a “Corrective Action Plan” that will respond to the comptroller’s audit report. The superintendent invited the public to attend the board’s next meeting Tuesday, December 17, to ask questions and weigh in.