Nyack schools superintendent, board face ire amid 'no confidence' vote by unions

NYACK - Tensions continue to brew in the Nyack school district among Superintendent Susan Yom, the district's five unions, and parents and community members.

This month, a statement of no-confidence in Yom was sent to the board of education by leaders of the Nyack Administrators Association, Nyack Teachers Association, School Related Professionals, Nyack Association of Educational Secretaries and Nyack Professional Security Personnel.

While the district and unions are amid contract negotiations, staff and parents say their issues with the district's leader of one year go beyond that. "She lacks the qualities that should be held by a superintendent," Kathy Kearney, president of the Nyack Teachers Association, said of Yom. "We've just decided that Nyack needs better. We deserve better."

Yom on March 20 did not directly respond when asked if she would remain in the district.

“As I stated during my budget presentation on Tuesday night, I value, see and hear our students, staff and families," she said in a statement. "As a school district, we aim to create a desired daily experience where each student is seen, heard, trusted, accepted and respected for who they are and who they will become."

The tension has been front-and-center at the past several school board meetings, even when there was no public portion of the meeting.

At a March 5 board meeting, union members walked out in protest.

During a special meeting's executive session on March 8, the board distributed a statement requesting that the teachers union respect "our desire to cease discussion of negotiations in the public sphere."

Around 150 showed up to a March 19 board meeting, held in the Nyack Middle School gym. Most wore T-shirts that read "Nyack deserves better" on the front and "We stand in solidarity," with the unions' names, across the back. A contingent of the Clarkstown Teachers Union attended; Yom was the Clarkstown school district's assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction before becoming Nyack superintendent on March 1, 2023.

Most in the audience carried signs that read "Nyack Deserves Better."

Signs go up as Yom speaks

Every time Yom spoke during the March 19 meeting, including during a budget presentation, the red-and-black signs that read "Nyack Deserves Better" were held aloft.

Board President Karen Hughes, in a presumptively pre-emptive move, reminded the audience not to interrupt. The sizeable crowd didn't interrupt the meeting at any point.

"We see the signs, and we agree," Hughes said, referring to the "Nyack Deserves Better" message. "We hear you."

Hughes said she and the board were taking concerns seriously, and said she had personally attended a recent NTA bargaining session. "This has never been done," said the 12-year board veteran. "We've never had a board member go into a negotiating session."

A request for comment to NTA about Yom and the ongoing negotiations was declined.

The issues, though, go beyond contract negotiations, several have said.

The district in recent months was also rocked by revelations of sex abuse accusations against an assistant coach decades ago. A lack of communication about the accusations, under past superintendents and during Yom's tenure, was criticized by some community members in recent months. They said they had been unaware of a Child Victims Act settlement reached by the district in 2022 and criticized the district's handling of a recent request to remove a supervising coach's name from sports facilities.

Bryan Burrell, a former school board president, announced at the March 19 meeting that was running again for the Nyack school board, a result of his concerns about Yom.

During the public comment period, Burrell said Nyack's teachers contract offers the lowest salaries in Rockland County, including, he said, East Ramapo school district, which has struggled with financial upheaval for years.

"We're losing staff," Burrell said. "We are losing good and diverse candidates."

Last superintendent left after 1 year

This month marks a year in Yom's tenure at Nyack.

She technically replaced Eudes Budhai, who resigned in June 2022. James Montesano, the district's retired superintendent, was acting superintendent during the interim.

Budhai resigned after one year on the job. He was amid a four-year contract with a base salary of $265,000.

A statement from the school board at the time said the district and Budhai “mutually agreed to separate.”

According to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request, Budhai walked away with a $205,625 lump-sum payment, minus any taxes and deductions, plus a $45,000 contribution from the district into Budhai’s 403(b) retirement annuity. He also received compensation for any unused vacation days.

Violet Merjanian, a Valley Cottage parent of four, pointed out the turnover when she spoke at the March 19 meeting.

"You have proven twice that you or the firm you hired can't make these decisions," said Merjanian, a Nyack grad. She asked for the resignation of Yom and board members.

Yom's contract is for three years, through Feb. 28, 2026. Her base annual salary was set at $255,000, according to district officials.

Hughes reiterated the contract's parameters in comments to lohud.com after the board adjourned the March 8 meeting, which was held in executive session. "We have a superintendent in place," Hughes said as the board departed the Nyack High School library. "She's got a three-year contract and right now that's the situation in place."

Work on equity had been cited

During Yom's tenure in Clarkstown, she led that district’s strategic planning process, implemented a K-12 Social/Emotional Learning program, and managed certain grants and professional development initiatives.

Prior to that, she worked in the New Rochelle school district.

Upon hiring both Budhai and Yom, board officials lauded them for their work on equity.

About 32% of district's 2,737 students in 2022-2023 were considered Hispanic and/or Latino and 14% were Black and African-American; 40% were considered white, according to state Department of Education data. About 32% of students in the district were considered economically disadvantaged in 22-23; 9% were English language learners.

Nancy Cutler writes about People & Policy for lohud.com and the USA Today Network New York. Reach her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her at @nancyrockland on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Threads.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Nyack NY schools superintendent gets 'no confidence' vote by unions