News & Opinion About Huletts Landing, N.Y.
The Whitehall Central School District Board of Education appointed Queensbury Elementary School principal Jessica Rossetti as its next superintendent effective July 1st. Ms. Rossetti was appointed to a one-year term by a unanimous voice vote of the school board at the May 4th board of education meeting. Ms. Rossetti stated that she “was excited to join this community and become a railroader.”
Congratulations to Ms. Rossetti on her appointment.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Whitehall school district will have the vote for next year’s school budget, a number of spending propositions and to elect four members to the school board. It will be held from noon to 8:00 pm in the Large Group Instruction Room in the Jr.-Sr. High School. The district is proposing a $22.558 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year with a proposed 2.00 % property tax increase. The proposal to buy land was voted down last year but is again on the ballot this year.
The school district has a link to the budget newsletter on their website with information for everyone: 2026 Budget Newsletter
I have been reporting on the enrollment figures of the district for many years. I cannot find the school’s enrollment listed for the 2025-2026 school year. Last year (2024-2025), the Whitehall School District had 636 total students.
To put this number of 636 students into historical context, I have updated my yearly enrollment chart below:
| School Year | 04-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | |
| Students | 885 | 860 | 858 | 845 | 815 | 779 | 753 | 742 | 755 | |
| School Year | 13-14 | 14-15 | 15-16 | 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 | 19-20 | 20-21 | 21-22 | 22-23 |
| Students | 757 | 736 | 736 | 758 | 708 | 699 | 719 | 693 | 731 | 655 |
| School Year | 23-24 | 24-25 | ||||||||
| Students | 644 | 636 |
To put this in perspective, the Whitehall school district has now reached the lowest enrollment while simultaneously having the largest budget ($22.558 million) since I have been tracking this.
2025-26 School Budget & School Board Vote Results
2025-2026 Budget (PASS)
Yes – 251
No – 102
Bus Purchase Proposition (PASS)
Yes – 223
No – 132
Land Purchase for the Site of a Future Transportation Facility (FAIL)
Yes – 125
No – 231
The results of the Board of Education election are as follows. (The top two vote-getters will be seated in July.)
Christine Diekel – 207 – WINS SEAT
Louis Pratt – 175 – WINS SEAT
Robert Putorti – 112
Roxanne Waters – 111
James Foote – 75
*Congratulations to Dresden Town Board member Christine Diekel who received the most votes.
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the Whitehall school district will have the vote for next year’s school budget, a number of spending propositions and to elect members of the school board. It will be held from noon to 8:00 pm in the Large Group Instruction Room in the Jr.-Sr. High School. The district is proposing a $22.3 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year with a proposed 1.25% tax increase.
The school district has set up this beautiful page on their website with information for everyone: https://www.railroaders.net/Page/680
I have been reporting on the enrollment figures of the district for many years. I cannot find the school’s enrollment listed for the 2024-2025 school year. Last year (2023-2024), the Whitehall School District had 644 total students.
To put this number of 644 students into historical context, I have updated my yearly enrollment chart below:
| School Year | 04-05 | 05-06 | 06-07 | 07-08 | 08-09 | 09-10 | 10-11 | 11-12 | 12-13 | |
| Students | 885 | 860 | 858 | 845 | 815 | 779 | 753 | 742 | 755 | |
| School Year | 13-14 | 14-15 | 15-16 | 16-17 | 17-18 | 18-19 | 19-20 | 20-21 | 21-22 | 22-23 |
| Students | 757 | 736 | 736 | 758 | 708 | 699 | 719 | 693 | 731 | 655 |
| School Year | 23-24 | |||||||||
| Students | 644 |
The Whitehall school district has now reached the lowest enrollment since I have been tracking this.
Here is an equation to ponder. If you take next year’s proposed budget ($22.3 million) and divide by 644 students (the last enrollment figure I can find), the cost per student equals approximately $34,600 per student.
The Whitehall Central School District, will hold the presentation on the annual school budget for the public in the Large Group Instruction Room in the Junior-Senior High School Building on Buckley Road in the Town of Whitehall, New York, on May 05, 2025 at 6:00 pm.
The voting on this year’s school budget, as well as for two seats on the school board and the purchase of property to build a new transportation facility will be held at the Large Group Instruction Room in the Junior-Senior High School Building on Buckley Road in the Town of Whitehall, New York, on May 20, 2025 between the hours of 12:00 o’clock noon and 8:00 pm.
The items to be voted on include:
1.) To adopt the annual budget of the School District for the fiscal year 2025-2026 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the school district.
2.) To elect two members of the Board of Education each for a 3-year term commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring on June 30, 2028.
Two propositions will also be submitted to the voters for consideration:
PROPOSITION #1
Shall the Board of Education of the Whitehall Central School District be authorized to purchase one sixty-five (65) passenger school bus for the use of the said School District, the estimated maximum cost thereof, not to exceed a total of $168,986 that such sum or so much thereof as may be necessary be expended from the unencumbered and unappropriated funds now on hand, or shall be raised by the levy of a tax to be levied and collected in annual installments in such years and in such amounts as may be determined by the Board of Education.
PROPOSITION #2
Shall the Board of Education of the Whitehall Central School District be authorized to utilize the District’s General Fund Balance to purchase approximately 7.32+/- Acres of real property located at 270 Broadway, Whitehall, New York 12887 (Tax Map No. 60.13-1-42), at a cost of $250,000, together with all reasonable and customary fees and closing costs.
The purpose to Proposition # 2 is to purchase real estate to site a new transportation facility for bus maintenance.
Town of Dresden
Washington County
Wilderness Recovery: On Dec. 21 at 6:45 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a mother concerned about her son after not hearing from him for three days. Seven Forest Rangers responded to coordinate search efforts with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. The family indicated they often hiked Sugarloaf Mountain together, so search efforts focused on that area. At 10:20 p.m., Rangers found the 20-year-old from Whitehall deceased at the bottom of a cliff. Rangers conducted a carry-out operation back to the trailhead to turn the subject over to the County Coroner. The Washington County Sheriff’s Department is working with the DEC Division of Law Enforcement’s Bureau of Environmental Crime Investigations to investigate the incident.
As we complete another circle around our sun, it’s my habit to reflect on our past year. I’ve always believed that it’s good to reflect on what happened over the last year and what might shape the future. I also like to move into the new year by taking one last look back at what I consider the top “news” story of Huletts Landing from the past year.
I have been posting and writing here on the Huletts Current since November 2007. I have done this annually since then and I usually get feedback one way or another.
So here it is for 2023. While it may have happened on the other side of the mountain, I am naming the actual installation of the Champlain Hudson Power Express cable down Route 22, through our beautiful Town of Dresden, as the Top News Story of Huletts for 2023. My rationale is below.
Seen here in June 2023, the cable bringing power from Canada to New York city was actually installed along state Route 22 in Dresden during 2023.
The project has been in the works for many years, but during 2023 the actual cable was installed along state Route 22 here in Dresden. It will carry electricity that will be generated almost exclusively in hydroelectric plants in Canada down to the New York city metropolitan area. It will not carry gas, oil or other hazardous materials. It will carry a lot of power though. The CHPE is expected to be fully operational in the spring of 2026, delivering 1,250 MW of renewable power directly into the New York Metro area. This $6B project ensures that generations of New Yorkers will benefit. Wide support exists from communities up and down the line, as well as labor and environmental groups. The buried line also ensures reliable power delivery in extreme weather.
It will have an an enormous future impact on Huletts in that it will bring revenue to Dresden, the Whitehall school district and Washington county for many years. The developers of the project estimate that it will bring $1.4 billion in tax revenue to communities throughout New York State over 30 years. The payments to local jurisdictions are expected to start in 2025 in the form of payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements. The early estimates are that the Whitehall Central school district will receive combined payments of $750,000 for the first year, growing to about $2 million in the 30th and final year. The Town of Dresden is estimated to receive $3.27 million in total PILOT funds over 30 years. Our locally elected office holders will decide how these funds will be appropriated. Every voter should ask; “how is this money going to benefit us?”
There will be much more on this in the years to come, making the installation of the Champlain Hudson Power Express cable down Route 22, through our beautiful Town of Dresden, as the Top News Story of Huletts for 2023. Happy New Year!
Architectural renderings of what a new STEM space would look like if the current area where the school’s pool is located is replaced with numerous new facilities.
The Whitehall School Board voted unanimously in March 2023 to repurpose the space currently occupied by the pool located inside the Whitehall School.
Ultimately it will be up to the voters who will decide by vote on February 6, 2024.
There is a big difference in the total cost and the percentage to be borne by the taxpayers between Option #1 (repurposing the space) and Option # 2 (refurbishing the pool).
Here is the entire capital project described by the school system on Railroaders.net.
Recently, the Whitehall Central School District sent out postcards regarding a proposed capital project.
It listed three dates for public hearings. Wednesday November 8th, Wednesday November 29th, and Wednesday December 13th.
It directed people to the school website at www.railroaders.net.
The November 8th meeting was canceled. The page on the schools website is here.
The Whitehall School Budget of $20.1 million was approved by the voters recently by a vote of 140 to 27.
The tax levy will only increase about $28,000 because state aid sees an increase also from this year’s budget.
The proposal to decrease the size of the school board ultimately failed because of an 86-86 tie vote.
All five candidates who filed petitions were elected to terms of varying length.
Next year’s school spending will be $20.1 million dollars for our district, which had a total enrollment of 672 K-12 students for the 2022-2023 school year.
Stiling Ferguson (Ty) Knight, 96, resident of Huletts Landing, NY, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2023, surrounded by family.
Ty was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on August 28, 1926. As a boy, he attended the one-room Red Schoolhouse in Huletts Landing, NY, and was always an avid reader. He graduated from Whitehall High School in 1943. At seventeen years old, Ty enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in Europe, as a Browning Automatic Rifle specialist, with the 4th Infantry Division. He was awarded medals and citations, including Bronze Service Stars for campaigns in Germany and Central Europe, the Combat Infantry Badge, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Belgian Fourragère and Presidential Unit Citation for his unit’s action in the Battle of the Bulge demonstrating exceptional heroism in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions. After serving in World War II, Ty graduated from Columbia University, School of General Studies, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He had a successful career as a research chemist for Best Foods, a division of CPC International. Ty was an organic chemist and held several patents on edible oils that were essential to the development of Best Foods’ products such as Mazola® corn oil.
Ty met his beloved wife of 66 years, Delphine (Del) Wagner Knight, in Huletts Landing, when they were teenagers. After Ty returned from serving in World War II, Del and Ty married on June 4, 1955. They raised their family in Forest Hills, NY, and Huletts Landing. Ty was a devoted, loving and supportive son, husband, father and grandfather. He was a protector and champion of his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends listening, advising and encouraging them to succeed in their endeavors and try new adventures. Ty loved reading books, especially on military history and politics, researching, writing, sharing ideas, playing golf, swimming and boating on Lake George, walking in the woods and gazing out at the Lake, as well as visiting with friends and neighbors.
Ty was predeceased by his beloved wife, Del, his parents, Winthrop Proctor and Edith Babb Knight, his brother, David Winthrop Knight, and his sister, Molly Knight Minon. He is survived by his children Delphine Knight (Sean) Brown of Darien, CT, and Dr. William Stiling Gerard (Emia) Knight of Port Washington, NY; his grandchildren Derek William Chan Knight, Ian Wagner Brown, Caitlin Chan Knight and Delphine Marie Brown; as well as many treasured nieces and nephews.
Calling hours: Friday, April 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Jillson Funeral Home, 46 Williams Street, Whitehall, NY.
Funeral Mass: Saturday, April 29, at 10:00 am at Our Lady of Hope Church, 9 Wheeler Avenue, Whitehall, NY.
Interment: Friday, May 26, at 1:00 pm at Clemons Cemetery, in Clemons, NY.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Skenesborough Emergency Squad or the Wounded Warrior Project, in memory of Ty Knight.
The link below outlines the Whitehall Central School’s Notice of Budget Hearing and Notice of Annual Meeting, Budget Vote and Election.
To learn more about what this election is about please look here.
Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) announced on Friday, March 10, 2023, that Amtrak has committed to fully reopening the Adirondack Line by April 3. Closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Adirondack Line provides a crucial service to North Country residents and runs from Albany to Montreal, including stops in Plattsburgh, Whitehall, Ticonderoga, Rensselaer, Port Henry, and Rouses Point.
Earlier this year, Stec called officials from the state Department of Transportation to highlight the importance of the Adirondack Line to our region and to advocate for service to resume. He hailed the announcement that service will soon resume as welcome news for residents and businesses alike.
“The Adirondack Line is a crucial resource for the North Country. It’s a transportation service for our residents and with its ability to connect visitors from Canada and across out state to this region, a major economic driver,” said Stec. “Its closure had a major impact on our ability to move forward from the pandemic and get our economy back on track.
“Given the importance of the Adirondack Line on our communities, reopening service was a major priority,” he continued. “I’m glad to see the efforts made by me and other officials to lobby for service to resume has paid off. The reopening of the Adirondack Line on April 3 is a major victory for the North Country.”