Jamar Cummings elected board president as Poughkeepsie school board creates deputy superintendent role and approves legal transition

The POUGHKEEPSIE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education reconstituted its leadership at a July 1 reorganizational meeting, electing Jamar Cummings as board president and Stacy McDonald as vice president and approving a series of appointments and administrative actions that set the board’s agenda for the 2026–27 school year.

The board clerk opened the session and administered oaths to newly seated members. After nominations, Jamar Cummings was nominated and approved as board president; he took the oath and assumed the chair. Stacy McDonald won the vice presidency in a roll-call vote that recorded two abstentions and three votes in favor.

The meeting’s central policy action was creation of a 1.0 full-time-equivalent deputy superintendent of schools position, effective July 1, 2026, under resolution 27-38. The board then voted to appoint the named candidate to that post under resolution 27-40; trustees voiced support for the appointee’s district experience prior to the roll call.

Board members also approved a cluster of routine governance items and committee assignments, including finance, audit, capital improvement and facilities, student achievement, student support, parent and community engagement (with Stacy McDonald named chair), a safety committee, and liaisons to the city council, county school board and children’s cabinet. A student liaison was identified as Jamar Baxter.

Several legal-authority items were approved to manage an immediate transition of legal counsel. The board authorized the district to retain a short-term transition arrangement with the departing firm to work with the newly designated lead counsel; the chair said the former counsel would provide up to 20 hours of transition work at a rate of $300 per hour while the district issues an RFP for long-term legal representation. The board also approved payment for one day of legal services that were performed to prepare resolutions walked onto the agenda.

A pulled item, Resolution 19.4 (a contract under review), was discussed and tabled for consideration at the next meeting; a trustee asked that the reason for an abstention be put on the record and the chair explained the item would be reviewed as part of the tabling motion.

Superintendent Mr. Mot closed the business portion of the meeting with remarks thanking board members and staff and led the board in a moment of silence to recognize Monica Macintosh, a district health aide who recently passed away. The board adjourned for an executive session early in the evening to discuss personnel and related matters and reconvened for its regular session later that night.

"Transitions are important," Trustee Dystol said during discussion of the deputy superintendent appointment, adding that the board should plan for continuity as district leadership changes. Superintendent Mr. Mot said the district’s future is bright and welcomed cooperation with the board and the district’s new legal team.

Next steps: the board will issue an RFP for long-term legal counsel and will review the tabled Resolution 19.4 at a future meeting.