The 2026 “Meet the Candidates Night” will be held right after the 6 p.m. public budget hearing on Wednesday, May 6 in the Middle School Cafeteria. Residents can attend in person or watch the livestream through the district’s YouTube channel.
Five candidates are competing for three vacant positions on the Board of Education, currently occupied by Kimberly Boucher Furnish, Karnjit Singh and Pamela Carbone. Ms. Carbone has decided not to seek re-election and we thank her for three decades of service on the Scotia-Glenville Board of Education.
Each seat comes with a three-year term and is unpaid. The candidates will appear on the ballot in the following order, determined by a random drawing: Jason McCord, Karnjit Singh, Kimberly Boucher Furnish, Katie Walters and Amy Marlette.
The school board election will be held on Tuesday, May 19 during the school budget vote from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the B-Wing Gym at the high school.
Clicking here will take you to budget information.
Meet the 2026 BOE Candidates
Jason McCord
Jason McCord brings 20 years of experience in school public relations and is seeking his first term on the Scotia‑Glenville Board of Education. A Glenville resident for the past decade, he and his wife, Heather, are parents to their daughter Maureen, a second grader at Glen‑Worden Elementary who looks forward to becoming a Glendaal Cardinal next school year.
He currently serves as director of communications for the Schalmont Central School District, where he focuses on building community support for public education. His work in writing, social media, budget communications, and educational advocacy has earned several state and national awards. He has also held communications roles with BOCES, supporting school districts across the Capital Region, and contributed to communications efforts at Hudson Valley Community College. Earlier in his career, he worked as a journalist for The Post‑Star and Leader‑Herald.
A graduate of Bethlehem Central School District, McCord earned a bachelor’s degree in writing from SUNY Oswego. He volunteers with the Glen‑Worden PTA and has participated in the district’s Reimagining Our Schools Communications Workgroup.
McCord is seeking a seat on the Board of Education to help guide a future superintendent search and strengthen communication within the district.
Karnjit Singh
Karnjit Singh is seeking re-election to a second term on the Scotia‑Glenville Board of Education, where he has focused on supporting a strong educational environment for students and staff.
A Scotia resident, Singh lives with his wife, Laxmi (Jennifer), and their three children: Annabelle, an eighth grader; Alena, a seventh grader; and Kabir, a fourth grader. He is an active volunteer in district PTA activities, including Fun Fridays and serving as a dance chaperone. His commitment to youth also includes coaching with S‑G Youth Softball, Tartan Football and Little League.
Professionally, Singh brings experience in operations management and resource efficiency. He works as a manufacturing technical specialist at SABIC, where he manages extrusion line production for clients such as Gillette and Harley‑Davidson. He is also a certified New York state emergency medical technician and has completed additional coursework at York College of the City University of New York.
Elected to the Board of Education in 2023, Singh is motivated by gratitude to the community that has welcomed his family for more than a decade. During his first term, he has focused on supporting district staff, ensuring taxpayer funds are used effectively, and advocating for continued improvement in special education services to meet students’ growing needs.
Kimberly Boucher Furnish
Kimberly Boucher Furnish is seeking re-election to a second term on the Scotia‑Glenville Board of Education, where she has focused on transparency, communication and responsible governance.
A Scotia resident, she lives with her husband, Mark, and their son Isaac, a senior at Scotia‑Glenville High School. She is deeply involved in the school community and currently serves as president of the SGHS PTSA and vice president of the Scotia‑Glenville Friends of Music. Her past leadership roles include secretary of the SGCSD PTA Council and co-president of the Sacandaga Elementary PTA. In recognition of her service, she received the Sacandaga Elementary Founders Day Award in 2019.
Professionally, Boucher Furnish brings more than a decade of experience as assistant counsel for a New York state agency. Her work has focused on employment law, union collaboration and relationship‑building within large organizations. She is a graduate of Albany Law School, where she earned her law degree cum laude in 1997.
During her first term on the Board of Education, Boucher Furnish has emphasized fiscal responsibility and clear communication to help the community understand board decisions. She is committed to advancing district goals while ensuring a high‑quality educational experience for all students.
Katie Walters
Katie Walters is seeking her first term on the Scotia‑Glenville Board of Education, bringing a strong commitment to special education and student advocacy.
Walters, a resident of Glenville, lives with her husband, Matthew, and their two children: Adeline, a third grader, and Theodore, who is in kindergarten. Both children attend Glen-Worden Elementary School and will be attending Lincoln Elementary next year. She is actively involved in the school community through the Glen‑Worden PTA and the district’s Reimagining Our Schools Committee, and has served as a field trip co‑coordinator and homeroom parent. She also volunteers as an assistant coach for youth leagues and supports community events such as the annual 5K Walk for Autism.
Professionally, Walters has more than 11 years of experience as a special education teacher in the Schenectady City School District. She currently manages an Intensive Skills NYSAA classroom for students in grades 9–12, with a focus on developing independent living skills. Her work emphasizes strong community partnerships to expand learning opportunities and resources for students.
Walters holds a master of science in education in childhood and special education and a bachelor’s degree in social work from The College of Saint Rose. Through her candidacy, she hopes to bring an educator’s perspective to board decision‑making, advocating for students, families and staff while supporting fiscal responsibility, equitable services and thoughtful, forward‑looking policies.
Amy Marlette
Amy Marlette is seeking her first term on the Scotia‑Glenville Board of Education, bringing a people‑centered approach grounded in financial responsibility and practical decision‑making.
A Scotia resident, Marlette lives with her spouse, Heather, and their child, Riley, a fourth grader at Sacandaga Elementary School. She is actively involved in the local community, serving as an adviser to the Sacandaga Drama Dragons and as an HR consultant for the Schenectady Light Opera Company.
Professionally, Marlette has more than 20 years of experience as a human resources consultant. She works with CapitalCFO+, where she provides strategic HR leadership to organizations, aligning workforce strategies with business and organizational goals. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science from Le Moyne College and a certificate in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. She is also a member of the Capital District HR Leadership Class of 2026.
Through her candidacy, Marlette aims to help the district address budget pressures and evolving student needs with transparency, accountability and common sense. She is committed to offering a steady, informed voice on the board, ensuring decisions remain practical, student‑focused and aligned with the district’s long‑term success.
2026-27 Budget proposal and voting information
On Tuesday, May 19, Scotia-Glenville residents will be asked to consider a $67,155,932 budget for the 2026-27 school year. The proposal complies with state mandates while preserving all existing programs, services and extracurricular activities for our students. Additionally, it maintains funding for two full-time school resource officers. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the high school B-Wing Gym.
The proposed budget reflects a spending increase of less than 1%, or $642,238, from the current year. It also includes a 1.78% increase in the tax levy, totaling $615,267. For a home assessed at $160,000, the estimated tax increase would be approximately $102 per year, or roughly $8.50 per month, before any STAR savings are applied.
In addition to voting on the school budget, residents will consider two additional measures. Both propositions are being presented with no increase to the 2026-27 tax levy.
Proposition 2: Diesel bus purchase
A proposal to purchase a new 57-passenger, wheelchair-accessible diesel bus for $214,000, replacing the 12-year-old wheelchair-accessible Bus 213. The new bus, expected between September and November 2026, offers more seating for efficient routing and matches the capacity of an existing wheelchair bus. The retired bus will be auctioned, with proceeds helping to cover debt service payments, which won’t impact the budget until the 2027-28 school year. The district plans to pay off the bond over five years, resulting in a net annual cost of $14,248 after state transportation aid from 2027 to 2032.
Proposition 3: Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Upgrade Project
The EV Infrastructure Upgrade Project reflects the district’s commitment to sustainability without affecting the 2026-27 tax levy. This project is part of a NYS mandate requiring all school buses purchased to be zero-emission by 2027 and the entire fleet to be electric by 2035. Furthermore, it is anticipated that there will be no tax impact in future years for this $3 million project due to incentives from the New York School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP) and National Grid, as well as transportation aid and building aid.
This investment aims to transition to a zero-emission electric school bus fleet by 2035, involving parking lot reconstruction, conduit installation, and electrical upgrades to support up to 50 electric buses. Additionally, the long vacant Beukendaal Building will be demolished to accommodate buses and chargers. For more information, watch the March 2, 2026 briefing by SEI Design Group on the district’s YouTube Channel.
Summary of Measures
| Measure | Focus | Tax Levy Impact (2026-27) |
| Proposition 1 | $67.1M School Budget | 1.78% increase |
| Proposition 2 | New Diesel Bus ($214k) | No impact |
| Proposition 3 | EV Infrastructure ($3M) | No impact |