Home » Our District

Our District

Mission | Vision | Goals | 2023-28 Strategic Plan | Community | Accolades | Superintendent’s Office

Our district operates three elementary schools, a junior high school, and a senior high school. Our instructional buildings are comprised of 110 acres of developed sites that include two complete multi-purpose athletic fields, an all-weather track, a competitive sized swimming pool and a smaller teaching pool.

In 2010, New Hartford Central School District officially dedicated the new Daniel P. Gilligan Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Center in the high school. This opening marked the completion of all major projects of the $25.77 million “Triple A” (Academics, Arts, and Athletics) Capital Project. Other major accomplishments in the project included the installation of a multi-purpose, all-weather field at Don Edick Stadium as well as the opening of the James A. Meyer Community Performing Arts Center.

New Hartford schools have an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students and an instructional staff of 236 teachers and administrators. The New Hartford Teacher Resource and Computer Training Center provides support for professional development.

Mission

The New Hartford Central School Community ensures an engaging, student-focused environment where everyone can learn, succeed and values:

  • Excellence
  • Innovation
  • Citizenship
  • Integrity

Vision

An innovative community of lifelong learners.

Goals

Future-Focused Learning Environment

Reimagine teaching and learning to provide expanded opportunities for student success.

Individualized Student Success

Graduate all students by cultivating a holistic program where each individual is challenged, supported, and reaches their full potential.

Long Term Financial Sustainability

Plan resource and revenue allocation that ensures the long-term financial sustainability of the district.

School Community Engagement & Communication

Foster trust and community with all stakeholders and develop partnerships that will nurture future-focused learning.

2023-28 Strategic Plan

A school district with a strategic plan has a roadmap to guide its school board and administration in making decisions that align with the priorities identified by the district’s many stakeholders. 

In 2022, the New Hartford Central School District embarked on the process of developing a five-year strategic plan. In addition to collecting data to determine where the district is excelling and where it may need to focus more resources, it used ThoughtExchange, an online communications platform, to gather feedback from the district’s many stakeholders:
junior and senior high students, parents and caregivers, district staff and community members, as well as members of the higher education and business communities.

From that feedback, the district was able to identify four topic areas that rose to the top when identifying areas of importance for the district: Academics, Communication and Collaboration, Facilities, and School Environment and Connections.

The administration and board will review the district’s plan progress several times annually, and each summer, identify objectives to work toward throughout the upcoming school year that support the priority areas. 

All activities proposed and underway will support the district’s vision, mission and goals.

Priority Areas

Academics

  • Provide an equity-based educational system that supports the needs of all students.
  • Provide lifelong learning opportunities for the educators who support our students.
  • Provide rigorous and relevant curriculum and instruction to address New York learning standards and frameworks through the Curriculum Cycle and Curriculum Alignment Process.

Communication and Collaboration

  • Be the first and best source of school district information while providing avenues for two-way communication with the district’s many stakeholders.
  • Create an atmosphere of transparency and trust between the district and its students and their families, district staff and the greater New Hartford community.
  • Provide district staff learning opportunities so that staff members may continue to grow their individual communication skill sets.

Facilities

  • Develop improved district safety procedures and facility security.
  • Implement a long-range capital improvement plan for facilities and bus replacement.
  • Integrate energy performance enhancements with facilities maintenance.
  • Implement advancements in technology.

School Environment and Connections

  • Conduct annual student surveys to gauge student perception of school climate.
  • Effectuate increases in the average daily attendance of students in all schools.
  • Provision of an equity-based educational system that supports student voice.
  • Increase the percentage of students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses.

Community

New Hartford is an attractive, popular and academically oriented suburb of Utica, in approximately the center of New York State. It is a delightful place to live, whether you choose an apartment, a home in the village or one of our many residential, areas in the surrounding countryside. Our shopping facilities are excellent, with two major malls in the district and the community is proud of its fine restaurants, movie theaters, specialty shops and our own theater group. All the major faiths are represented in the community.

For more information visit the Town of New Hartford website.

The Mohawk Valley

The Mohawk Valley is rich in history with major contributions by the Indians, the French, the British and the American colonists. It is an excellent location for professional and personal growth, being served by Syracuse University, Hamilton College, Colgate University, Utica College, SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome and Mohawk Valley Community College.

Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, the Utica Symphony Broadway Theatre League, Great Artist Series, the Utica Zoo and the Children’s Museum typify the organizations which add to our cultural life.

There is virtually no limit to the recreational opportunities available: hunting, skiing, fishing, camping, canoeing, hiking, golfing, swimming and boating. The pine covered slopes of the Adirondacks, with their many lakes and streams, are little more than one hour away. Other popular recreational destinations including Lake Moraine, Canaderago Lake, Otsego Lake and Cooperstown are less than one hour’s drive from the district.

Accolades

2022 National Blue Ribbon

seal of US Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools

In September 2022, New Hartford Senior High was awarded the National Blue Ribbon. In 2016, New Hartford Senior High earned recognition as a “Blue Ribbon School” and in 2008 Ralph Perry Junior High received the designation.

The US Department of Education awards “Blue Ribbons” to the nation’s top-performing schools each year. It is the highest honor the federal government can bestow on an individual school or school district.

Named “Best High School” by US News and World Report

Best High Schools - A US News and World Report Ranking

New Hartford Senior High School is honored to be consistently ranked as one of America’s Best High Schools by US News and World Report. Named the top high school in the Utica, NY Metro Area in 2023, New Hartford was granted a Gold Medal in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and earned Silver Medal awards in 2009, 2010 and 2018.

US News and World Report ordinarily creates a “College Readiness Index” for high schools after considering graduation rates, achievement in college preparatory coursework, SAT-ACT scores, and student-guidance counselor ratio.

Named one of “America’s Best Communities for Music Education” by NAAM Foundation

logo for NAAM Best Communities for Music Education

The arts have been at the center of a well-rounded New Hartford education for nearly a century, so it is gratifying that the NAMM Foundation (National Association of Music Merchants) continues to acknowledge New Hartford Central Schools for its role in making New Hartford, NY one of “America’s Best Communities for Music Education.”

Earned “School Safety Excellence Award” in 2023

Recognized for its work to keep students, staff and visitors safe, New Hartford Central School District earned Utica National Insurance Group’s “School Safety Excellence Award” for 2023 at the Titanium with Honors level.

The district has been the recipient of the top safety award for the past 10 years for its efforts to enhance overall safety.

Our District Links

Superintendent’s office

Dr. Cosimo Tangorra, Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Cosimo Tangorra, Jr., Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Cosimo Tangorra, Jr., Superintendent of schools for New Hartford Central School District, has extensive and varied management experience in P-12 Education. He has been a Deputy Commissioner of Education for the State of New York, a principal, academic administrator and teacher. Dr. Tangorra has also served as the superintendent of schools for the Oppenheim-Ephratah, Trumansburg, Ilion, Central Valley and Niskayuna Central School Districts. School District Reorganization is an area of professional interest for Dr. Tangorra and was the topic of his doctoral dissertation. 

An advocate for equity, he is dedicated to strategic planning that focuses on programs that prepare students for “their futures and not our past,” modernizing school facilities, and community partnerships. 

Dr. Tangorra received his associate’s degree from Herkimer County Community College, a bachelor of arts from Siena College, his master’s degree from the College of Saint Rose, Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) from SUNY Cortland, and a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) from the Sage Colleges.

Phone: (315) 624-1218
Email | LinkedIn

Alma mater