Controversy is nothing new in East Ramapo, where the primarily Orthodox Jewish school board is being sued for allegedly favoring private yeshivas in the district.

Now, the board is being scrutinized again as the district's $247 million budget was voted down and members seemingly switch gears to discuss leasing public school buildings to private summer camps, despite a multimillion-dollar budget crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Board members were heard discussing applications during a public meeting streamed online Thursday night and posted to YouTube.

Sources say five religious camps are looking to rent public school buildings and grounds for $16,000 each.

District educators who spoke with News 12 anonymously say these are the same buildings that teachers and students have not yet been allowed back in since March, and that they're concerned taxpayers will foot the bill to once again sanitize for students once camp is complete.

The state monitor expressed similar concerns, saying the board should focus on the budget and not summer camps.

News 12 reached out to the school board for comment but has not heard back. East Ramapo is the only school in the Hudson Valley whose budget did not pass. The district could get another try at approving it on July 31.