Marathon Superintendent Contract Released to NNToday
Superintendent Jamie Coppola's Contract was released via FOIL Request to NNToday.
Sarena Eaton · 2026-06-12
As previously reported, the Marathon Central School District Board of Education has officially extended the employment agreement of Superintendent Jamie Coppola by an additional year and authorized a 4% salary increase. The move adjusts the administrative leadership timeline for the district as it maneuvers through an ongoing financial crisis.
To provide complete transparency for community members and taxpayers regarding public expenditures, a deep dive into the legal mechanics of the Superintendent's original contract reveals exactly how these contract adjustments operate. NNToday obtained a copy of the contract via a FOIL request.
The Contract Terms: Was the Extension Mandatory?
Superintendent Coppola was originally hired under a strict three (3) year fixed term, commencing July 1, 2025, and scheduled to terminate on June 30, 2028.
The board's decision to add an additional year to this timeline was not mandatory. According to the explicit language of the contract, the Board of Education is under no legal obligation or requirement to offer an extension. It is unclear why an extension was offered when two additional years remained on the contract.
Where the provision is found: This rule is documented on Page 11 under Article VI: Agreement Renewals (Paragraph 1). The text dictates that the Board will consider and notify the Superintendent of its desire to continue employment, but it leaves the ultimate decision completely to the Board's discretion. Any extension must be mutually agreed upon and finalized via a written contract amendment.
The 4% Salary Increase: Was the Raise Mandatory?
For his initial year of employment (July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026), Superintendent Coppola's base salary was set at a fixed rate of $153,000. The newly approved 4% raise will increase his base compensation by $6,120, bringing his new annual salary to $159,120 going forward.
Like the extension, the upward amount of this raise was not mandatory. The board retains full discretionary authority over whether to grant an increase and how much that increase should be. However, the contract does include a strict "salary floor" protecting the Superintendent from taking a pay cut.
Where the provision is found: This mechanism is outlined on Page 5 under Article III: Compensation (Paragraphs 2 and 3). The contract specifies that subsequent salary adjustments must be determined by the Board no later than June 1 of each year after receiving input from the Superintendent. Critically, Paragraph 2 guarantees that "in no event shall the Superintendent's base salary... be less than the amount of base salary received during the preceding twelve-month period."
In short, while the Board was legally barred from reducing Coppola's $153,000 salary, they were under no mandate to increase it. The decision to award a 4% raise and tack a fourth year onto his tenure represents a completely voluntary action by the Board of Education.
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