Editorial of July 16, 2026
We Can All Do Better
In recent months, several Otsego County school districts have found themselves at the center of attention, and the spotlight has, at times, been harsh.
On April 15, Richfield Springs community members packed a school board meeting to show support for long-time coach Chris Butler, who was let go from his girls softball team coaching position. Residents rallied again on May 6, when Butler supporters showed up in force to oppose the district’s decisions to remove him from coaching roles, first as a volunteer assistant softball coach and several weeks later also as a modified baseball coach. District officials declined to specify the reason for his termination, citing personnel issue confidentiality.
On April 22, decades long Cooperstown Central School teacher and Cooperstown Faculty Association Co-president Rebecca Burk-Sciallo rose to speak during public comment at the CCS board of education meeting, where more than a dozen other faculty members wearing black shirts with orange text reading “Cooperstown Faculty Association” rose beside her. The move reflected a continued escalation arc as, for months, CFA members had taken to public comment to express concerns about district practices. Burk-Sciallo’s speech—which addressed wide-ranging concerns, from the responsiveness of the district when issues are brought forward to long-delayed faculty evaluations—concluded that “the relationship between district leadership and the Faculty Association has become untenable.” On behalf of her union colleagues, Burk-Sciallo asked “urgently for the Board of Education to intervene when the chain of command fails.”
And, most recently, nearly 100 Oneontans crowded into a 100-degree room for the July 1 Oneonta City School District Board of Education meeting. Kaytee Lipari Shue, an Oneonta High School graduate, OCSD parent, 39-year Oneonta resident, district employee, and president of the Oneonta City Schools’ Clerical Association, said the turnout reflected deep concern about how the school district communicates and makes decisions. A central theme of the evening was compliance with New York State’s Open Meetings Law. Lipari Shue, who also serves as City of Oneonta councilmember for the Fourth Ward, emphasized that the OCSD board, as a public body, must meet those standards. Concerns about transparency overlapped with questions about administrative spending, and attendees raised issues about recent hiring decisions and salary increases at a time when the district has described its financial situation as “strained.” Lipari Shue, noting the presence of current and retired faculty, staff, and community members, described it as “an amazing show of solidarity.”
We write this not to beat up on the districts, board members or staff. By and large, we can be proud of the efforts of all our Otsego County schools, particularly in these challenging times. We simply wish to reflect upon what appears to be a general disinterest by the public in school board meetings overall—or at least until some hot-button issue comes to the forefront.
A recent AllOtsego weekly poll question asked, “Do you regularly attend school board meetings?” In albeit a small pool of respondents, 88 percent answered “no.”
The New York Coalition For Open Government Inc.—“a nonpartisan charitable organization comprised of journalists, activists, attorneys, educators, news media organizations, and other concerned citizens who value open government and freedom of information”—believes that, if government is of the people, by the people and for the people, then it should also be open to the people.
In our February 27, 2025 editorial, we said we agree with NYCFOG, and feel that the time has come for New York State to require local governments to livestream their meetings and to post recordings online. We now encourage all of Otsego County’s school districts to do the same.
It is neither expensive nor difficult to livestream meetings and post those recordings online for public viewing. And while people may be unable to physically attend municipal and school board meetings for a variety of reasons, perhaps easy access to such recordings will spark further interest in community members to be proactive rather than reactive when such hot-button issues as those mentioned earlier arise.
Yes, transparency is important. It is, in fact, a must. Our school administrators can do better in that respect. But Otsego County residents can also do better. An informed citizenry is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Only an informed citizenry can fully participate in local government. Only an informed citizenry can make wise electoral choices and hold their elected officials accountable.
Are you one of the 88 percent? If so, that’s on you.
