Our District
Departments
Classrooms & Activities
Parent & Student Resources
Skip to content
From the Desk of the Superintendent:
Scott N. Connell
On January 18th, 2024, I will begin my 14th year as your Superintendent. They say time flies, and this is a perfect example of that. It seems like yesterday I was sitting at my desk on my first day in this role, thinking, “What in the world have I got myself into?” Although it is a very challenging job, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I arrived in Copenhagen in the fall of 1982, intending to stay a couple of years and then looking to return to where I grew up. Each year I’ve been here, I have grown to love this school and the community more. The support I have received from the Board of Education, the staff, and the members of this community is humbling. Copenhagen is truly a very special place, and I can’t thank you enough for allowing me the honor of serving you and your children for the past thirteen years.
January / February 2024 Newsletter
Mr. Connell
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER, 2024
I want to share with you a few pieces of news about our district:
Welcome Back!!!:
School will begin for all students on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. I hope everyone had a wonderful summer filled with great memories. It was a busy summer at school, with over 140 students from elementary, middle, and high school participating in various activities. High school students attended Monday through Friday to prepare for the August Regents, while K-8 students were here Tuesday through Thursday mornings. Additionally, we were fortunate to have Cornell Cooperative Extension run a summer program at the school in the afternoons.
Free and Reduced Lunch:
As we approach the new school year, I strongly encourage everyone to review our free and reduced meal program. Information is available in this newsletter, at the school, or during our Open House on August 29. The application process can seem complicated, but we’re here to help. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to call the school. Rest assured, all applications are kept entirely confidential.
Signing up for this program is beneficial not just for students but for our entire school community. A nutritious meal is essential for our students' success, and the number of eligible students directly impacts the amount of state aid we receive. Higher participation also increases our chances of qualifying for additional grants. Plus, qualifying students receive fee waivers for the SAT, ACT, and college applications.
This is truly a win-win situation. If you qualify, I strongly encourage you to complete the application. Let’s work together to ensure our students have the resources they need to succeed.
Staff Leaving CCS:
A few staff members will sadly be leaving us. It's always hard to say goodbye to such outstanding individuals, and we have a few who left us during and at the end of last year. These include Sue Colton (Library Aide), Sarah Shambo (Teacher Aide), Krisha Greene (Librarian), Laura Fitzpatrick (Teaching Assistant), Scott Randall (Physical Education teacher), Jacob Borkovec (Physical Education/Health teacher), and Harley Gaines (Front Office/Registration). Last but not least, Dale Clarke and Nadine O’Shaughnessy have retired after many years of dedicated service. They will all certainly be missed.
New Staff Members:
A few new faces will be around the building starting in September. Sarah Potter, who comes to us from Carthage CSD, will join our staff as our 6-12 principal. Anna Charlebois, a South Jefferson and University of Albany graduate, will be our new PK-12 librarian. Lastly, we want to welcome Kelly Hall, a new member of our cleaning crew.
As always, thank you for your continued support of our district.
Sincerely,
Scott N. Connell
Superintendent of Schools
2024-2025 BUDGET INFORMATION
Dear District Residents,
The purpose of this document is to provide the taxpayers of the Copenhagen Central School District with an overview of the proposed school budget for 2024-2025.
The 2024-2025 proposed school budget is $12,368,425, an increase of $342,001, or 2.84%. We are proposing a tax levy increase of 2.88%, or $53,062. We are able to balance the budget by appropriating $648,191 of fund balance and $150,000 of reserves. Please refer to page 12 of this document to view a comparison of the tax levy trends for the past fifteen years. We would like to use the remainder of this document to explain highlights of the next fiscal year budget.
As many of you are very aware, the majority of the revenue of the district is New York State and Federal aid. As the state and federal aid from the pandemic relief funds comes to an end, school districts across the state are managing the challenging return to pre-pandemic operations. We continue to strategically plan expenditures to maintain a safe, healthy educational environment for our students, staff and community. While those additional funds have been a blessing to our district, students, and community, they have ended, and we must navigate ways to responsibly balance our budget while striving to maintain the influx of services and supports that our district has grown accustomed to. In doing so, many of the supports incorporated into our educational process are now being covered by district monies, thus accounting for a significant portion of the budget increase year over year.
Another budget component that is important to be aware of is New York State’s property tax cap law, which is a calculation that establishes a tax levy limit for each school district. The tax levy limit allows school districts to change their property tax levy from one year to the next by two percent, or the rate of inflation, whichever is less, based on a multi-step formula. In the multi-step formula, school districts must apply inclusions and exclusions into the formula, which may boost the district tax levy limits to more than two percent or the inflation rate. However, such inclusions and exclusions may also reduce the tax cap of the district to figures that are not sustainable or realistic to implement. If a school district’s proposed tax levy increase is within its calculated limit, a simple majority (50% or more) of voters is needed for budget approval. If a school district’s proposed tax levy increase exceeds the tax levy limit, a supermajority of voters (60% or more) would be required for budget approval.
The tax cap this year is 2.88%, which aligns directly to the tax levy increase proposed to support the district budget this year.
The 2024-2025 Annual Budget Review meeting will be held on May 7, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria. There will be an opportunity to ask questions during that time. The budget vote and election will take place at school on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 from 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the gym foyer. If you would like an absentee ballot, please notify the District Clerk.
If you have any questions, or would like additional information, please contact the Superintendent’s office at 315-688-4411.
Sincerely,
BOARD OF EDUCATION
COPENHAGEN CENTRAL SCHOOL