Paul Byrne for Red Hook School Board

05/20/2026

Red Hook voters made their voices heard on the future of our district yesterday, and I am deeply humbled by the trust placed in me. Thank you. I take this responsibility seriously and will do my best to live up to it in the years ahead.

I look forward to collaborating with Robert Tynes for Red Hook Central Board of Education and my fellow board members to ensure that Red Hook schools continue to be a source of pride for our entire community.

Troy Haley and Dave Mergendahl, thank you for stepping up to run for our community. I look forward to staying in touch and seeing what you do next.

Red Hook Central School District voters roundly defeated a proposed $14.73 million bus depot renovation and expansion project on Tuesday, as they chose Paul Byrne and Robert Tynes to serve three-year terms on the School Board. The $67.38 million operating budget was easily approved. Red Hook voters....

05/19/2026

Remember to vote for BOE candidates, the school budget, and propositions TODAY!!

I am running because I believe in Red Hook. My goal is to ensure that every student in Red Hook feels seen, every resident feels heard, and that we continue building a district where families - whether they’ve been here for generations or are new to Red Hook - feel proud to belong.

Great race, Troy Haley, Robert Tynes for Red Hook Central Board of Education , and Dave Mergendahl! I appreciate your willingness to step up for our community.

05/18/2026

Tomorrow is the day! Please come out and vote for:
🗳️ next year’s school budget
🗳️ 2 School Board seats
🗳️ several propositions

05/16/2026

Really important context for all Red Hook residents.

As we continue our series of posts addressing questions in advance of the May 19 vote, there are some procedural points, separate from specific propositions, we felt were important to discuss:

-- A proposition is simply a proposal based on the district’s belief of what is needed. The district is not forcing any residents to pay that expense. We leave it up to the taxpayers to determine if it is money that is worth spending, by majority vote. All we try to do is explain why we believe it’s worthwhile.

-- Each proposition can be voted on separately, and are separate from the main annual operating budget proposal.

-- No funding is collected from taxpayers until work begins or, in most cases, is completed. If a project comes in under budget, less is collected from taxpayers. If we find a project would cost more than the maximum permitted by taxpayers, it can be scrapped or put to a future vote at the larger total.

-- We cannot seek bids on projects until after they are approved by voters. The amount proposed in a capital proposition is always a generous estimate due to the uncertainty of several such factors. In general, our projects typically come in under budget because of those generous estimates.

-- Yes, state aid also comes from taxpayers. But it comes from all taxpayers across the state from a pool of funding Red Hook residents would already be contributing to, if we were benefiting from it or not. Accessing state aid is good for our taxpayers.

-- Our enrollment is steady, not declining, and fluctuations of a handful of students enrolled from year to year do not impact the entirety of the expenses of running three school buildings. Our proposed budget for 2026-27 is increasing over this year's budget mostly due to rising fixed costs like salaries, health insurance and pensions.

As always, we encourage you to visit https://redhookcentralschools.org/find-voting-information, which has answers to many of the questions we’ve heard already posted, and to continue reading this series of posts.

If you have specific questions you can always reach out to Public Information Officer Mike Benischek at [email protected], or directly to members of our administration.

05/11/2026

I joined the board of the Red Hook Education Foundation two years ago to help ensure that Red Hook students had access to innovative and experiential learning opportunities that the standard school budget didn't allow for. In the past two years, we have given out almost $50k in grants to teachers, launched a scholarship for two graduating seniors, and expanded our board, ensuring long term organization health.

Our gala is our largest fundraiser of the year, and allows us to support the incredible work of our teachers and school principals. Please join us on June 12th! It would mean a lot to have you there in support of our schools and students.

Get Tickets!
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/spread-joy-rhef-annual-fundraiser

05/08/2026

I'm excited to be running for the Red Hook School Board alongside Troy Haley, Robert Tynes for Red Hook Central Board of Education , and Dave Mergendahl. Learn more about our backgrounds, experience and priorities in The Daily Catch - https://www.thedailycatch.org/articles/red-hook-board-of-ed-candidates-share-their-views-ahead-of-may-19-election/.

School Board Election and Budget Vote:
Tuesday, May 19; noon - 9pm
Mill Road Elementary School's 3-5 cafeteria

Three of four candidates for Red Hook Board of Education detail their backgrounds, reasons for running, and ideas for education.

05/07/2026

Tonight! If you have questions about RHCSD's proposed budget or capital improvement projects, this is your opportunity to learn more before the budget vote next week.
Candidates for the two open BOE seats (Troy Haley, Robert Tynes for Red Hook Central Board of Education , Dave Mergendahl and I) will also be there to share a bit about ourselves and our reasons for running for the school board. Hope to see you there!

05/06/2026

On May 19, vote:
✅ For pro-student, pro-public education school board candidates
✅ YES on your school budget to keep your schools as the center of your community.

Polls are open from 12:00pm to 9:00pm.
Mill Road Primary School 3-5 Cafeteria, 9 Mill Road, Red Hook, NY 12571

05/04/2026

I became a teacher immediately out of college. At 22 years old, I was suddenly teaching Social Studies to six classes of 6th graders at a new middle school in the South Bronx.

I chose that school for a few reasons. I believed it was where positive male role models and strong teachers were needed most. As a new school, it also offered the opportunity - and the challenge - to help build something from the ground up.

Looking back, I was probably a little naive about the challenges, but I felt the weight of responsibility for those 150 students every day. That experience has defined my professional path.

I eventually moved into school leadership and later served as a executive in NYC Public Schools central offices, but my core identity is still very much that of a teacher. I bring an educator's approach to my consulting work, my role as a local youth coach, and my parenting.

Because of my experience as a teacher, I am especially grateful to have received the endorsement of the Red Hook Faculty Association. The trust they are placing in me is a responsibility I take seriously. As a member of the School Board, I want to be a partner and an advocate for all our staff - especially our teachers - ensuring they have the support necessary to help every student thrive.

I’m running to bring my twenty years of experience in education back to the community that first shaped me. Red Hook provided my foundation, and I want to help ensure our schools continue to provide those same strong opportunities for every student today. I hope to earn your vote on May 19.

🗳 Voting Information:
Date: Tuesday, May 19
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Mill Road Primary School, 3-5 Cafeteria

04/29/2026

I am running for the Red Hook School Board because I believe strong public schools are the heart of a strong community. Red Hook shaped who I am; I grew up here, graduated from RHHS, and returned to raise my own children and care for my mother. Since moving back, I’ve dedicated myself to our community - coaching youth sports, serving as Vice President of the Red Hook Education Foundation, and speaking to high school seniors about my family’s experience with a drunk driving tragedy.

My goal is to ensure that every parent feels heard, every teacher feels supported, and every student feels seen. As Red Hook evolves, I want to serve as a bridge between our long-standing traditions and our collective future.