Debate about where the Warwick Valley School District places legal notices heats up two meetings

Discussion of what publications should be designated the legal paper for publishing Warwick Valley School District announcements generated a lot of discussion at two meetings on July 7.

Six people spoke before the Board of Education arguing against the Warwick Dispatch receiving the designation. They said the ownership and editorial leadership of the Dispatch are now difficult to ascertain and so accountability for coverage would be uncertain. They also complained about bias and tone on the paper’s opinion page.

Some Board of Education members argued for the Warwick Advertiser or the Times Herald Record to receive or share the legal designation.

Superintendent David Leach made clear he plans to make the Dispatch the paper of record for the school district. He argued that in these difficult financial times, it’s too costly to recognize more than one daily and one weekly paper, as it costs the district several thousand dollars to place ads for things like bids, RFPs and notices of elections. He also said legal counsel for the district doesn’t believe the Warwick Advertiser meets the requirements for designation as the district’s legal paper.