Community OKs Newfield school district’s revised budget

Superintendent Eric Hartz and the Newfield Central School District (CSD) sent out a message to the community in a “clear and concise” way, Hartz said, that voting on the budget is for the students.

After Newfield CSD’s first proposed 2024-25 budget fell short, the community approved the school’s revised budget by a 387-to-261 margin on June 18.

“I’m very happy for our community and our kids that the budget passed,” Hartz said. “The budget is for the kids and the schools. It alleviated some stress of some cuts we would have had to make and just going through that whole routine of a contingency budget.”

Newfield’s revised budget went from a total of $25,482,411 (4% increase over the previous year) to $25,411,093 (3.71% increase). The district was also able to bring down the tax levy from 3.5% ($7,432,413) to 2.5% ($7,360,602).

The approval of the revised budget avoided the potential of Newfield CSD entering into a contingency budget. If the district had been forced into a third possible budget scenario, the total would have been at $25,231,073 (2.98%), which would have included a 0% tax levy.

“Every little bit helps [to avoid the contingency budget],” Hartz said.

Hartz said that the district would have had to charge the Newfield Town Recreation Department and the annual Old Home Days in July more money to use its facilities. The town’s rec department holds its camp on Newfield’s school grounds every summer.

“Now, we don’t have to worry about that either,” Hartz said, noting he believed that voters were motivated to not pay extra for their children to go to camp.

Hartz noted some key components that the district was able to keep in the revised budget. Two open music program positions, chorus director and band director, are still available. Hartz added that the positions help the district’s music program “flourish and grow.”

The band director position became vacant when Sharon Powell retired after 30 years of service. The chorus director position recently opened, Hartz said.

Programs for grade-level reading and math, Hartz said, were implemented into the budget. The district had to cut a woodworking technology teacher position, but Hartz noted that the person who had previously held the role now works in the special education department.

Hartz said Newfield CSD “doesn’t have a ton” to offer in terms of programs. However, he added, a “good number” of students still participate.

“There’s some really good things we’re leaving in the budget for the kids,” Hartz said. “They’re all really important to them.”

Hartz thanked the 600-plus voters who came out to vote.

“It really shows that when more people come out and vote, it makes a difference,” Hartz said. “We appreciate everyone coming out for a second vote.”

Looking ahead to the 2025-26 budget, Hartz is hopeful that Newfield CSD will receive its usual amount of foundation aid from New York state.

Hartz said that the district received $10.3 million in state aid, but got just under that amount last year. Now that Gov. Kathy Hochul has introduced a formula on how much foundation aid each school district will receive, Hartz is unsure how much Newfield will bring in.

Hartz added that the state will factor enrollment into the formula. Newfield’s enrollment declined by just over 40 students for the 2023-24 school year, Hartz said.

“It’ll be interesting to see if that formula helps us or hurts us as a rural school,” Hartz said.

If Newfield receives word of foundation aid by December, Hartz said the district will have about four months to lay out the 2025-26 budget. Also, Hartz added that if Newfield gets less than its typical amount of foundation aid, the district will have to “figure out how to do some different things.”

“We’ll see how things go,” Hartz said.

Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Lineup announced for Mill Park music series

The lineup for the eighth year of the Newfield Music Series at Mill Park has been announced.

This year’s series kicks off with The Yardvarks today, June 26, at 6 p.m. The rest of the lineup is as follows, with each show beginning at 6 p.m.:

• July 10: Cast Iron Cowboys
• July 24: Tim Ball and Mark Bickford
• Aug. 14: Square dancing with caller Marc Faris
• Aug. 28: Rev Ezra

Today’s opening show will include a cake auction. People attending the event will have an opportunity to buy raffle tickets for a variety of cakes, pies and more. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Newfield Food Pantry.

The series will have a variety of food available for purchase. The Covered Bridge Market & Pizzeria in Newfield will provide food. Stop, Pop and Roll Boba — a pop-up vendor in the Finger Lakes area — will handle drinks. Newfield Travel Club, through a connection with the Cornell Dairy Bar, will serve ice cream.

Further information on the Newfield Music Series at Mill Park can be found either on its Facebook or Instagram pages.