What the petition to include Tuxedo as part of parental choice requests

GREENWOOD LAKE — Community members presented this petition to the Greenwood Lake Board of Education on Wednesday night. They were hopeful to get 500 signatures; they got 647 people to sign it. Here’s the wording of the petition:
FORMAL PETITION TO THE GREENWOOD LAKE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INCLUDE GEORGE F. BAKER HIGH SCHOOL IN THE THREE SCHOOL CHOICE OPTION

WHEREAS on April 25, 2012, Dr. Brockel introduced the concept of Three School Choice at a meeting of the Greenwood Lake Board of Education and described how well school choice had worked in his regional school district in New Jersey and
WHEREAS Greenwood Lake Board of Education President, Laura Williams stated, at that same meeting, that the Three School Choice option would provide the Greenwood Lake community with an opportunity for healing and
WHEREAS Greenwood Lake Board of Education Vice President, Ron Sommer, proposed the Three School Choice option for a vote with President Williams. Vice President Sommer and Member John Finn all voting in the affirmative and
WHEREAS then Board of Education candidate, Greg Gibel, signed a petition in May, 2012 asking the Greenwood Lake Board of Education to rescind the proposed referendum for a vote on negotiating with Tuxedo only so that voters could learn more about the Three School Choice option and
WHEREAS Candidate Gibel campaigned on a platform of Three School Choice and
WHEREAS members of the Greenwood Lake community have communicated to the Greenwood Lake Board of Education that, when asked to sign the aforementioned petition, they were told that all three schools would be included and
WHEREAS that petition was accepted by the Greenwood Lake Board of Education as a reason to cancel the June 19, 2012, referendum and
WHEREAS Dr. Brockel stated via email to Tuxedo Superintendent Carol Lomascolo on July 12, 2012, that a roll over of Tuxedo’s current tuition of $13,900 would keep Tuxedo as a viable option and allow the long standing relationship between Tuxedo and Greenwood Lake to continue and
WHEREAS Dr. Brockel, after receiving Tuxedo’s revised tuition proposal, the requested rollover of $13,900 stated, “I think Tuxedo has shown good faith discussion and has moved in a positive direction and
WHEREAS It could reasonably have been concluded by Greenwood Lake residents that the Three School Choice Option was what the Greenwood Lake Board of Education would approve and
WHEREAS the Greenwood Lake Board of Education has already established the precedent of receiving a petition from its constituents and using it as a basis for changing a previous decision
THEREFORE We, the undersigned residents of Greenwood Lake, petition the Greenwood Lake Board of Education to reconsider their high school choice decision and vote to include George F. Baker High School as one of the three high school options