NEW BERLIN – The Unadilla Valley Board of Education unanimously appointed recently-retired Superintendent of Sidney Central Schools Sandra M. Cooper to fill a vacant board seat Tuesday.
Cooper’s appointment came after Vice President Brian H. Burchill announced her recommendation on behalf of the advisory committee assigned to screen possible candidates.
The board appointed Cooper, of South New Berlin, as an interim board member to fill a vacancy left by Stanley Foulds. Foulds resigned his seat Aug. 16 so he could accept a position as the school’s head varsity football coach.
Burchill said Foulds was elected in 2010 to a three-year term, but explained Copper would only serve on the board for the next four months and could run for the open seat during the next regular election in May.
Burchill said the committee searched for candidates with prior experience in school finance and management so they could quickly adapt to an increasingly hectic budget planning period in the next few months.
“We were looking for someone who could get running with the budget right out of the gate,” he said.
Cooper said the committee initially asked her if she had an interest in accepting the seat and cited her 38 years in education as the most compelling reasons she was qualified for the position.
“When you look at what a board member has to do today, given New York State’s economic troubles, drastic decreases in state provided aid and increased deficits, it is incumbent on us to be well informed on how the process works,” she said.
Cooper retired from the Sidney School District Aug. 1 after serving as superintendent since 2006. She was the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction at Pine Bush Central Schools between 2001 and 2006. Before that, she was also a principal at Tioga Hills Elementary School in the Vestal School District for nine years. Cooper began her career at Oxford Academy Central Schools and taught first and second grade in the district for 17 years. She’s lived in the Oxford area since 1972 and moved to South New Berlin 8 years ago.
Cooper said she is looking forward to continuing her involvement in education.
“It’s all about the students and I wanted to give something back to the community,” she said.
Cooper declined to comment on whether she would run for the seat in March, saying the focus of her efforts would be on developing UV’s 2011-2012 budget. In the most immediate issues before the board, Copper will take part in evaluating UV’s ongoing five-year plan and a building and grounds review of the district’s structures.
Through she’s worked with a number of school boards during her career, Cooper said this will be her first time serving as a school board member.
“It will be an interesting experience, seeing how things work from the other end of the table,” she said.