Satmar Group To Buy Shuttered Otisville School

Mount Hope, NY - The former Otisville Elementary School at School St., will soon be sold to the Satmar group.

Record Online report  that Congregation Rechovos Hanohor gave an offer to purchase the school in August.

At the Nov. 25 Town Board meeting the board entered into a sale contract for $325,000 with the Satmar congregation.

The sale comes with a permissive referendum, meaning residents have the right to vote on the sale if five percent or more of town voters registered in the last gubernatorial election petition the town for a referendum, Supervisor Bil Novak said.

The school is located less than seven miles from the Village of Bloomingburg, where a 396-unit townhouse development has caused controversy. The townhouse is being advertised in Yiddish newspapers with a planned future Hasidic girls’ school to serve the community.

The Village of Bloomingburg is located in the Pine Bush School District, where numerous residents have strongly objected to the school proposal.

Unless a voter petition for a referendum is filed within 30 days of the Nov. 25 Town Board resolution to sell the school, contracts will be signed.