April 17, 2024
At its April 16 meeting, the New Hartford Board of Education voted to adopt a $64,443,792 proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year. The proposal carries a 2.24 percent tax levy increase. New Hartford Central School District residents will vote on the proposed spending plan on Tuesday, May 21.
The proposed budget would maintain all student programs, learning opportunities for both students and staff, support for students’ social, emotional and mental health, and the district’s educational technology.
The proposed budget includes:
- Resources to support innovative instructional programs and opportunities for students. The 2024-25 education plan continues the excellent course offerings and extracurricular activities that have helped to make New Hartford one of the leading districts in the state and nation.
- Maintaining class sizes at traditional levels to promote quality instruction.
- The continued support of the district’s character education programs along with social, emotional and mental health services for students.
- Maintained partnership with Connected Community Schools at the elementary level.
- Participation with regional summer school for grades 7-12.
- Continuation of the school safety officer contract with the Town of New Hartford.
- Resources to continue participation in several BOCES services to support the following: 1:1 technology devices for students, students with special needs, enhanced vocational technical education, communications, safety, and student support and bullying prevention programs.
- Continued instructional support for technology integration at all grade levels.
- Support for the district’s long-range plan to implement advancements in technology.
- Resources to support and enhance curriculum to ensure classroom instruction meets the needs of all students, remains innovative and relevant, and aligns with best practices. Resources include enhanced professional learning opportunities and materials, NYS Education Department initiatives and Curriculum Review and Development Cycle for each academic area in K-12.
- Funding to maintain literacy and mathematics assessments in K-8 to assist in meeting the individual needs of students with targeted interventions. Basic early literacy skills programs will also continue to be implemented in K-3.
- A $100,000 capital outlay project, for sidewalk and miscellaneous door replacement, is planned to begin at the high school during the 2024-25 school year.
District administration and the New Hartford Board of Education worked diligently to develop a budget that supports the district’s strategic plan and provides for the needs of all students while maintaining the fiscal responsibility owed to the community at large.
The proposed budget was developed to minimize the impact on the tax levy and remain within the tax levy limit. This budget will allow the district to continue to provide exceptional educational programs that will enable students to excel as lifelong learners and leaders.
Bus Purchasing Proposal
Voters will decide on a school bus purchasing proposition at a total cost not to exceed $671,016. The proposal includes the purchase of:
- Two 66-passenger buses
- One 37-passenger bus
- One 30-passenger bus
The proposed new bus purchases would replace four of the district’s current buses that have reached the end of their useful life.
The state will reimburse the school up to 76 percent of the cost of the new buses. The district plans to sell/trade in four buses with an expected total trade-in value of $15,000. The local share for the remainder of the cost would be approximately $157,000.
Cost Saving Initiatives
Participation in consortiums of school districts will continue to help minimize energy costs, workers’ compensation, transportation and technology costs.
The district continues to successfully participate in innovative models for organizational sharing that result in reduced costs of school operations. It also readily explores grant monies to fund initiatives.
The district participates in regional contracts for the purchase of energy supplies, which have provided savings of several hundred thousand dollars to the district over the past several years.