ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca City School District’s (ICSD) chief operations officer Amanda Verba will resign her post in the coming weeks. Verba oversaw district finances, including the formulation of the school district’s annual budget.
A spokesperson for the district confirmed Verba had “notified the Board of Education of her intent to transition out of the Ithaca City School District.” Sources within the district said news of Verba’s planned departure had been circulating in the past few days.
Verba did not respond to an emailed request for comment. She worked for the district for 11 years and is the district’s second highest-paid employee.
“Verba has served as the District’s Chief Financial Officer since 2013, shaping the district’s financial and operational strategies with exceptional skill and dedication,” a district spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement.
While Board of Education members set the general direction and define broad goals for the district, Verba and other ICSD business office employees are responsible for translating those goals into a functional spending plan.
Verba is at least the third of the district’s seven-member central leadership team to announce plans to leave the district. Former ICSD Deputy Superintendent Lily Talcott resigned in June for a job heading regional public education cooperative, Tompkins Seneca Tioga BOCES. Earlier that month, Superintendent Luvelle Brown said he planned to step down when his contract expires in 2028.
The ICSD Board of Education will vote to confirm Verba’s resignation at their next voting meeting on Aug 13.
The school district came under fire earlier this year for a spending plan that included a 6.5% in overall spending. That budget failed by record margins. The initial budget, combined with significant growth in property assessment values, would have resulted in likely tax increases for many property owners.
A second budget, which increased spending by 2.8%, was overwhelmingly approved by voters in a June re-vote election. The smaller budget has resulted in staffing and program cuts, drawing criticism from some students, families and teachers.
While the budget for the upcoming school year is set, Verba’s departure may affect the financial planning process for the 2025-2026 school year. The district’s annual budget process often begins about 16 months ahead of the start of the school year.
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