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Cornwall school board candidates focus on superintendent search, budget and community communication at forum
Summary
At a Cornwall Central School District candidate forum, contenders for board seats highlighted the impending superintendent vacancy, budget and tax-levy choices, rising enrollment and the need for stronger community communication and curriculum review.
Candidates for the Cornwall Central School District Board of Education outlined priorities including replacing the district superintendent, addressing budget and space pressures, and improving communication with families during a candidates forum ahead of the May 20 election.
The forum grew heated when several candidates raised the superintendent vacancy as the most immediate issue. An incumbent board member, who said they are running for a third term, told attendees, "Superintendent Dave has just announced that he will be leaving our district," and said the board will "likely be pursuing another capital project" during the search period. Candidates said experience and stability on the board will help manage the transition.
Why it matters: The superintendent hire and any near-term capital work will shape district operations and spending. Candidates tied those decisions to the larger budget debate and to rising enrollment that is already straining elementary school space.
On the budget and taxes, candidates offered different emphases. One candidate, Beth Chakrab, urged restraint and said she had urged the board to "reshuffle the numbers to come out with 0 tax levy increase" and said she would have been "willing to go up to 1.99" percent rather than the higher levy the board approved. Chakrab also flagged specific line items she questioned, saying board professional development and membership line items totaled about "$28,312" and that a "district meeting contractual" line rose from $13,000 to $46,700.
Other candidates said they backed the budget as presented and prioritized making prekindergarten universal and addressing building repairs and capacity. A candidate who served on facilities committees said Lee Road Elementary is "maxed out in space" after nearby enrollment growth required adding classes and taking on overflow from other elementary schools.
Candidates repeatedly connected fiscal choices to instructional priorities. Several said curriculum is set primarily by the state, and urged that the district "listen to experts" and teachers before changing instructional approaches. One candidate referenced a district presentation by Assistant Superintendent Megan Arginio identifying declines in middle-school math scores and said early-grade curriculum adjustments can be a cost-effective remedy.
Community engagement and transparency were recurring themes. Jamie Cox said parents often struggle to find information and called for the board to "get more out there in the community" through events, surveys and tables at gatherings such as Riverfest. Multiple candidates argued for broader, more frequent outreach—surveys, social media, in-person presence and publishing responses to concerns raised in public comment—to rebuild trust and obtain timely feedback.
On the superintendent hiring process, candidates favored an inclusive search committee drawing teachers, parents, staff, students and community members. Desired qualities for the next superintendent listed by candidates included experience, approachability, strong communication skills and an ability to "hit the ground running" so the district can maintain momentum.
Where candidates differed: Some emphasized protecting taxpayers from levy increases as their top priority; others framed near-term investments in UPK expansion, teacher compensation and facilities repairs as essential to maintain Cornwall's academic standing.
The forum included multiple references to the role of politics in schools. One long-serving board member said they drafted a policy to "keep the politics outside the perimeter of the CCSD" and cited the First Amendment when describing how teachers can present political topics in the classroom without taking sides.
The forum closed with candidates urging voters to participate in the May 20 election and with a reminder of an upcoming budget forum at Cornwall Elementary School. No formal board actions or votes occurred during the forum; the event was a public candidate discussion of issues and positions.
