Dear Schenectady City School District Families,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year!
I hope you and your family have enjoyed a restful summer and found time to create special memories together. To our returning families, welcome back. And to those joining the Schenectady City School District for the first time, welcome to our community. We are glad you are here.
There is something special about the beginning of a new school year. It brings renewed energy, new possibilities, and another opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our young people.
Across our district, our administrators, teachers, and staff have been working hard to prepare for the return of our students. Our goal is simple: every student should walk through our doors knowing they are seen, valued, supported, and capable of achieving great things.
This year, our theme is The Year of Impact: Every Moment Matters.
It is grounded in a belief that continues to guide our work in Schenectady:
Everybody Counts. Everybody Learns. Every Moment Matters.
Because the moments matter.
Every day a student is in school matters. Every lesson matters. Every conversation matters. Every opportunity to encourage, challenge, support, and believe in a young person matters. When our schools and families work together, those moments can have an impact that lasts far beyond the classroom.
We cannot wait to welcome our students back on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
Key Information & Daily Schedule
School Hours:
Elementary School: 7:45 a.m. – 2:40 p.m.
Middle School: 8:25 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
High School: 8:25 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Back-to-School Night schedule and additional important dates are included below.
School Supplies for Grades K–8
School supplies will once again be provided for all students in Grades K–8. This helps remove barriers for families while ensuring students have the essential tools they need to be ready to learn from day one.
Please Update Your Contact Information
Please review and update your household and student information through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Accurate contact information is essential to student safety and allows us to reach you quickly with important updates.
Information regarding the Publicity and Media Opt-Out Form is available here.
Every Day Matters
One of the most important things we can do together for our students is make sure they are in school, on time, and ready to learn every day.
Consistent attendance supports achievement, strengthens relationships, and keeps students connected to their school community. Missing even a few days can add up over time, so we are asking every family to make attendance a priority beginning with the first day of school.
When challenges arise that make regular attendance difficult, please reach out. We want to partner with you, identify barriers, and help.
Important Updates for 2026-2027
A few important updates will help strengthen learning and communication this year:
Cell Phone Policy: SCSD will continue a bell-to-bell restriction on personal cell phones and electronic devices during the school day, consistent with New York State requirements. Our goal is to protect instructional time and help students remain present, engaged, and focused on learning.
ParentSquare: We are excited to launch ParentSquare, our new districtwide school-to-family communication platform, bringing announcements, classroom updates, direct messages, and other important information together in one place.
Infinite Campus Parent Backpack: Academic report cards will now be available digitally through Infinite Campus, and registration for district after-school programs and extracurricular activities will also take place through Parent Backpack.
Additional information about these updates is included in the attached packet.
Investing In Our Schools
Our work to improve learning environments across Schenectady continues.
Construction is underway on a new central commissary kitchen at Mont Pleasant Middle School, renovations continue at Schenectady High School, and the Keane Elementary School community will temporarily relocate to the Fulton facility while extensive renovation and expansion work takes place.
These investments are about more than buildings. They are about creating the safe, modern, welcoming learning environments our students deserve.
We are also preparing to launch our 2030 Strategic Plan public dashboard, continuing our commitment to keeping our community informed about our progress and the work still ahead.
Looking Ahead
As Superintendent, there is nothing more important to me than the responsibility our community has entrusted to us: the education, safety, and future of your children.
I do not take that responsibility lightly.
Our students deserve to know that they belong. They deserve to be challenged. They deserve opportunities. And they deserve adults throughout our district who believe in what they can become.
That is what The Year of Impact is about. Because impact does not always happen in one big moment.
Sometimes it is a teacher who refuses to give up on a student. Sometimes it is a parent making sure their child gets to school. Sometimes it is a staff member who notices a student having a difficult day and asks, “Are you okay?” Sometimes it is a student deciding to try one more time.
Those moments matter. And when nearly 10,000 students, their families, our staff, and this community understand the power of those moments, imagine the impact we can have together.
Everybody Counts. Everybody Learns. Every Moment Matters.
Thank you for your continued trust, partnership, and support. I am excited about what lies ahead for Schenectady and look forward to another year of learning, growth, connection, and achievement.
Enjoy these final days of summer.
We will see our students on Tuesday, September 8.
Let’s make an impact, because every moment matters.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Carlos M. Cotto, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR 2026-2027
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Code of Character, Conduct & Support and link to Acknowledgement
ParentSquare Communication Tool