Richard Schaffner for Cornwall Board of Education

12/05/2025

Thank you, Carl,for the support!

I’m endorsing Richard Schaffner for re-election to the Cornwall Board of Education because I’ve worked with him and I know what he brings to the table.

Richard shows up prepared, and does what he believes is right for students, even when it’s not easy. That’s rare, and it’s exactly what we need more of.

I’ve watched him grow as a board member and seen how seriously he takes the role. He listens, puts in the time, and isn’t afraid to stand alone if it means standing up for kids.

I trust him. I respect him. And I believe this district is better with him on the board.

- Carl Gilpatrick
Cornwall

08/05/2025

SCHAFFNER FOR SCHOOL BOARD

After serving with Richard Schaffner for two years on the Board, it is clear that no one takes his service on the board more seriously than he. In a word, he is “civic,” meaning that he sees his service and make decisions from a standpoint of the whole community. It is a quality that is in painfully short supply in public life these days.

The best advice I ever received about evaluating people running for office was, “Ignore everything they say, just watch what they do.” Those watching him will find him volunteering at concessions during varsity football games, advocating for the families with special needs students (and serving as an officer in the newly formed Special Education PTA), or standing up for families who feel their children were bullied and not treated fairly. Moreover, there are the smaller, mundane things that make the board work: arriving early for board meetings, starting and completing evaluations early and on time, and doing your homework on the issues on the agenda. While these may seem small bore, it is what diligent and committed people like Richard Schaffner do. It is something that we all, regardless of our views, can respect.

Since this is Teacher Appreciation Week, and as a teacher myself, no one has been a more steadfast supporter of our teachers who support our students than Richard. And, as recent graduate in history education, he has a stronger foundation in education than any candidate running for our board this year.

Unlike the other incumbents running, he did not flip-flop and vote against an additional 20 UPK seats or paying our substitutes above minimum wage before voting for it. Schaffner understands that this is your money, well spent.

Most students and their families will never need a personal advocate on the school board. For those that do, they will have a willing and ready ear in Richard Schaffner. I urge everyone to re-elect him to school board.

-Christian Brunelli
Cornwall

18/04/2025

I’m officially running for re-election to the Cornwall School Board.

I’ll be submitting my petitions on Monday, and I just want to thank everyone who signed and supported me so far. I truly appreciate it.

I’m running because I care about our students, our teachers, and our community, and I want to keep showing up and doing the work.

Over the past few years, I’ve voted to expand the Pathway to Universal Pre-K and backed the teachers who show up for our students every day. I’ve tried to be a steady voice for all students, in the classroom, on the field, and everywhere in between.

I’d be honored to earn your vote again this May.

08/02/2025

This Monday at 7 PM, the Board of Education will meet at Cornwall Elementary School to start working on the 2025-26 school budget. This is one of the most important parts of what we do, and I hope you’ll take a look at the attached Budget Calendar to see all the key dates.

If you’ve ever thought about running for the BOE, the calendar also includes the deadlines for submitting your nomination petition. Serving on the Board is a meaningful way to make an impact in our schools, and I’d be happy to answer any questions about the process.

One topic I know many of you care about is polling locations. I supported adding a second polling site on the New Windsor side of the district to make voting more convenient for all of our residents. While the Board chose to stay with one location at Cornwall Middle School for this year, I’m hopeful this is something we’ll revisit in the future.

We want to hear from you about what’s important for our schools. If you have ideas or concerns about the budget—or anything else—please come to one of our meetings. Every meeting has time for public comments at the beginning and end.

Thank you for staying involved and for caring so much about our students and schools. I’m always here to listen and work with you to make things better.

08/11/2024

Tonight, our Cornwall Dragons play Warwick as they look to advance to the Section 9 Championship Game. Come out and support our team!

23/04/2024

Cornwall Community:

The deadline for submission of petitions for candidates for the Cornwall School Board was this evening and we have four candidates running for three open seats:

Peter Violetti
James Creagan
Eleonora Panzanaro
Tiffany Gagliano

20/04/2024

Congratulations to all of Cornwall’s State Champions and All-Americans. They were recognized at last night’s board meeting. I also want to congratulate Sophia Benninger, a CCMS student, who participated in the recent Special Olympics. She too was recognized at last night’s meeting. Well done by all!!!

09/04/2024

Thank you to all who attended the Pasta Dinner Fundraiser for Victoria Vesely on Hospice tonight. We had a fantastic turnout and it was amazing to see the family & community come together for this.

I also want to thank the school board for the discussions had at tonight’s board meeting. While I was not able to attend due to my obligation to attend & help at my family’s fundraiser, the board had a productive meeting and I want to thank all involved.

14/03/2024

Attention CCSD community:

Do you want to make a difference? Run for the Board of Education! I always encourage people to get involved. Gather 36 signatures by April 22 to get on the ballot as a Board of Education candidate for the election on May 21st. Your voice matters—get involved now!

Here’s the link to the nominating petition:

01/03/2024

28/02/2024

Tonight, at 6 PM at the district office, there is a special meeting at the Board of Education. I have attached the agenda below:

26/02/2024

Join Us for Tonight’s Board of Education Meeting

🗓 Date & Time: Today at 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Cornwall Elementary School (CES)💻 Livestream: https://youtube.com/?si=JhXPq4fAIh5FQ44L

Highlights of Tonight’s Meeting:

1. Public Hearing (6:45pm start) We’ll be discussing the Firefighters and Ambulance Workers Tax Exemption.
2. Budget Presentation: Don’t miss our 2nd budget presentation of the season. This will be another important discussion.
3. Public Comment Opportunities: There will be two sessions for public comment. We encourage your participation and look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

Meeting Agenda: Attached below is the agenda for tonight’s meeting. Please take a moment to review it to stay informed about the discussions.

See you there!