Webutuck Business Administrator Robert Farrier said the district received about $658,000 in federal funding in the 2024-'25 school year. That money funded programs like pre-K and disability services.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced on Tuesday, March 11, that 50% of the department’s workforce would be fired by March 21.
This workforce reduction coincides with cuts to the tune of over $1 billion in grant funding to teacher recruitment and training organizations, the Regional Education Laboratory program, Equity Assistance Centers and grants awarded under the Comprehensive Centers Program that provide “capacity-building” training to schools nationwide.
So far, federal funding to public school districts has not been cut. But some education advocates are raising alarm bells about the cuts and how they might impact local public school districts.
In the Webutuck school district, federal funding supports programs for low-income students and families, students with disabilities, and universal pre-K to the tune of about $658,000 in the 2024-’25 school year, representing a little over 2.8% of the revenue that Webutuck schools had available in the budget.
That money is in addition to the money in the $27 million general fund that local voters approved last May, and Webutuck Business Administrator Robert Farrier said they factor it in to the operating budget of the district in specific ways.
“We use most of our Title funding for teacher salaries,” Farrier said. Grants for universal pre-K subsidize preschool teacher salaries at Webutuck schools, so Farrier only has to rely on the general fund for a small portion of preschool teacher salaries. The rest comes directly from federal grants.
“If we were to lose that, that’s where that impact would come,” Farrier said. “That $658,000 would have to be put back into the main budget, which would be obviously a big hurdle.”
The story is largely the same across the Connecticut border at the Region One School District.
Region One, the administrative body which oversees public schools in Northwest Connecticut, including Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury, Falls Village, North Canaan and Kent, received just over $1.36 million in federal grant revenue for the 2024-’25 school year.
That represents 3.1% of the Region One budget, and funds programs like special education and healthcare for students that qualify for Medicare, Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick explained.
“For students with disabilities we receive about $780,000 a year of the $1.36 million,” Herrick said. “So a little more than half of our federal money is related to special education.”
The remainder of the federal money funds student nutrition programs and remedial services, including funding a portion of those teachers’ salaries across the district.
As of Friday, March 14, Region One is going through budget talks under the assumption that federal funding will remain in place for those programs.
“We haven’t received any guidance from the State of Connecticut Department of Education or from the federal government,” Herrick said. “As we all see, things are just happening pretty quickly, but there has not been any information forthcoming with what’s coming next.”
Connecticut Education Association President Kate Dias emphasized the cuts to the federal Department of Education workforce and grant programs will have uneven consequences, mostly affecting low-income students and students with disabilities and schools in poorer communities.
“These are the extra services that are all about giving everybody the same chance of being successful,” Dias said. “When we start to look at where these cuts are going to hit, it’s really the services and the support network we’re building for our students that struggle.”
She said school budgets don’t have extra wiggle room to accommodate sudden cuts to funding, and special education programs already fall short of the established goals. Dias said schools are supposed to be reimbursed at 40% for special education expenses from federal grants, but in reality that reimbursement typically falls in the 14-17% range.
“Then you layer in that the state reimbursement is coming up, I believe, $137 million short in special education funds,” Dias said. “And all of those dollars, particularly in special education, are mandated dollars. Those are bills that have to be paid. When we talk about any net loss in resources, it’s going to impact what we’re able to do for children.”
Until there are more answers and clarity from the federal government, schools will just have to have to manage as best they can.
“We’ve got our public hearing coming up at the beginning of next month,” Herrick said. “Everyone’s working hard to put forward the best and most responsible budget we can, and that’s all I feel like we can do at this point.”
Sloane Oksenhendler, 4, of Clinton Corners, takes advantage of a skating assist as she ventures onto the ice at an open rink event sponsored by the Amenia Recreation Department in collaboration with Silo Ridge on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.
AMENIA — Now being offered for the second year by the Recreation Commission, residents are invited to enjoy community ice skating at the Silo Ridge outdoor rink, scheduled for Feb. 9 and Feb. 23, both Mondays. The hours are 3:30 to 6 p.m.
New this year at the same Silo Ridge location is backyard platform tennis, a form of paddle tennis different from pickleball. The dates and times are the same for both offerings.
There is no charge for skating or tennis, but pre-registration is required. A limited number of ice skates for children and adults are available for use at no charge. No one is permitted on the ice without skates.
To register for skating or tennis, email to recreation@ameniany.gov and indicate names of participants, email and phone number. Or phone 845-373-8800, extension 124. Leave message, if no answer. Registration can also be accomplished on the town website.
The Recreation Commission will also be offering Valentine’s Day activities for children on Saturday, Feb. 14. Details will be available on the town website.
The community swim program that had been offered to residents at the Maplebrook School’s pool in recent years has been discontinued due to the need for major pool repairs.
Gabriella Coons, 14, stands in front of the veterans’ memorial prayer garden she built at Our Lady of Hope parish in Copake Falls, New York, on Monday, Jan. 19. Coons completed the project as part of the requirements to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in Scouting America, the organization formerly known as Boy Scouts of America.
COPAKE — Gabriella Coons, 14, was out to beat her older brother when she became the first girl in Columbia County, New York, to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
Coons said her brother’s merit badge sash hung on the wall at her home. “I would look at it and say ‘I want to do that, and I want to beat my brother,’” she said. “So, I did.”
The Copake native got into Scouting America, the organization formerly known as Boy Scouts of America, immediately after the group opened membership to girls in 2018.
Coons joined the Cub Scouts then, working through the ranks to join Scouts BSA just two years ago at 12 years old. In that time, she’s earned 81 merit badges and reached the top of the ranks with plans to earn all 141 badges.
To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, scouts are required to conceive and direct a community service project. The efforts have to be large-scale, and they usually require a long timeline. Coons said her project fit that trend.
Coons decided to lead the construction of a memorial gazebo in honor of U.S. veterans. Originally, she planned to build the structure on an empty lot in Copake, but she hit an obstacle when town officials said the plan required New York Department of Environmental Conservation review due to its proximity to a nearby stream.
Coons had to seek more money to cover the costs of the environmental review, but that wasn’t the final hurdle.
The approval was further delayed because town zoning code classifies a gazebo as an “auxiliary structure.”
“Someone said ‘There’s no primary structure,’” Coons said. “To have an auxiliary structure you need to have a primary structure.”
So Coons went in search of another location, leading her to Our Lady of Hope parish in Copake Falls on Route 22. She said she’s satisfied with the final result, despite the months of meetings and surprise obstacles.
“It’s a prayer garden for fallen soldiers,” Coons said. “So I feel it’s a good placement.”
Scouting is just one of Coons’s pursuits. She’s also a member of her local FFA chapter and a member of the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian arm of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary that, among other things, teaches leadership and piloting skills to students K-12.
Coons’s mom, Natasha, said her daughter’s enterprising attitude made her proud.
“We sign up for one thing, she signs up for ten,” Natasha said. “She’s very impressive.”
A sign that once marked the location of Daisey Hill stands empty and broken just over a year after the popular destination closed permanently at the end of the 2024 growing season.
MILLERTON — For years, James “Jimmy” Cookingham was a familiar figure at Daisey Hill Farm, where he worked the fields and assisted customers during the growing season. He died Jan. 19 at his home in Millerton at age 51.
Born in Sharon, Cookingham remained closely tied to the region throughout his life. He was drawn to farming at a young age and eventually became a central figure at Daisey Hill, which he operated with his wife, Jessica, for several years.
The farm, which closed at the end of 2024 due to financial hardship, was known for its pumpkins, sweet corn and flowers, and served as a seasonal gathering point during the fall. Many customers returned year after year, and over time the operation developed a loyal following.
Dana Scarpa, owner of Designer Finds on Main Street in Millerton and co-chair of the Millerton Business Alliance, said the farm stood out for both its affordability and the quality of what it offered. Speaking earlier this month, she said, “When you would go there, you’d know five other families — everyone knew everyone, and it brought people together across state lines.”
Cathy Fenn, co-founder of the volunteer-led Townscape organization, said she regularly purchased flowers from the farm and admired the way the Cookingham family ran the operation. “They were diligent, honest and always on time,” she said earlier this month. “And they grew the flowers themselves — they did a great job.”
Away from the fields, Cookingham was known as an outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting, and riding four-wheelers.
The farm itself, however, faced growing challenges in its final years, as financial pressures mounted and uncertainty grew around the property’s future. Although Cookingham and his wife operated Daisey Hill Farm, they did not own the land.
In January 2024, as losses accumulated and before the farm’s lease was formally nonrenewed, Cookingham’s daughter Hailey launched a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to keep the business operating. The fundraiser raised just over $20,000 from approximately 175 donors.
Later in 2024, the family was notified that the lease would not be renewed, setting in motion a wind-down period that ultimately led to the farm’s closure.
In the months following the farm’s closure, a dispute related to the property became the subject of a criminal complaint. In December 2025, Cookingham was arrested on grand and petit larceny charges in connection with the alleged removal and sale of farm equipment belonging to the property owner. He was scheduled to appear in North East Town Court at the time of his death.
Additional reporting provided by Millerton News Staff.
Approximately 100 citizens and representatives of citizen groups for and against the Shepherd’s Run solar project in Copake attended a public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Copake Town Hall where more than 50 people signed up to testify. Online hearings will be on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Matt Murell, chairman of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, was the first speaker among approximately 50 who testified on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at a public hearing on the Shepherd’s Run solar project application that was held in the Copake Town Hall. Approximately 100 residents and citizen groups attended and 50 testified at the first session held by Administrative Law Judges, from left, Dawn MacKillop-Soller and Maureen Leary. At center, Executive Director of New York State’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, Zeryai Hagos, came from Albany to hear testimony. Murell said the project was inconsistent with Copake’s local laws and should not proceed.Photo by John Coston
