February 5, 2025 - American Public News

ITHACA, N.Y. — Preliminary state data shows the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) is likely to see an increase in state aid next year. The move comes after a year in which state education funding remained virtually stagnant for many districts, including all six in Tompkins County.New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the increase in funding to schools during her Jan. 21 state budget presentation. Preliminary state aid projections from Hochul’s office show a net 6.5% increase in aid for ICSD. In total the district could receive some $40.9 million next year, compared to the $38.4 million it currently receives.Of all the school districts in Tompkins County, ICSD currently is set to see the largest increase in state aid, though not by much.The district’s newly minted assistant superintendent for business, Dominick Lisi, said the total figure is expected to increase slightly as the state budget process moves forward and preliminary numbers are updated to reflect current data. The deadline to finalize the state budget is April 1, but has often been extended in years past.“This information is quite encouraging,” Lisi told ICSD Board of Education members. “[It’s] not a final figure, but certainly quite an increase over last year.”Currently, about 22.7% of ICSD’s funding comes from the state, the lowest share of any school district in the county. Local property taxes make up the lion’s share of the district’s funding, at 68%.While school district spending will likely rise next year due to contractually obligated wage increases and inflation, the additional state aid could soften the blow to local taxpayers. Many school board members have also said they feel it is critical to minimize the impact to property owners — a particularly galvanizing factor in last May’s school district elections.In her budget presentation, Hochul announced plans to reform the formula used to allocate a major portion of state education funding known as Foundation Aid. She said most school districts should see an increase in Foundation Aid under the updated formula.“We’re replacing 20-year-old poverty metrics with current census data to more accurately determine student need,” Hochul said. “This will ensure state dollars reach the children who need them most. […] the vast majority of schools will receive more money than they would have without these slight adjustments to the formula.”Behind local property taxes, Foundation Aid makes up the second-largest share of revenue for ICSD. It is also the largest source of state funding for virtually all school districts in the state, including ICSD.Last spring, ICSD saw a 0.4% decrease to its Foundation Aid award — $89,595 less than the prior school year. Current projections for next school year show a 12.2% increase in ICSD’s Foundation Aid.Ithaca is currently set to receive the largest increase in Foundation Aid of any district in the county. All other school districts will receive a flat 2% increase in their Foundation Aid.The formula distributes money to districts based on a myriad of factors, including poverty levels, the number of children who are learning English as a second language, economic factors within the community and broader region and academic performance.Hochul also introduced a proposal to make school lunches free for all children statewide, regardless of income. Ithaca implemented a similar program at the start of the current school year.tompkins aid runDownloadThe post Ithaca schools likely to see more state aid next year appeared first on The Ithaca Voice.First published by The Ithaca Voice.

Daily Archives: February 5, 2025

Ithaca schools likely to see more state aid next year

Obituary: Evelyn A. Capobianco

Ithaca College reveals plans for new donor-funded outdoor athletic field