Newfield school budget uncertain

The Newfield Board of Education discussed its budget in its first meeting of the year on Jan. 7, not knowing how much money it will have for the current academic year, let alone the next one.

David Shaw, business administrator, said that the federal COVID-19 relief package passing was good news for the district, especially with a component going directly to schools, even if he did not know how much money would reach Newfield or whether the state would make cuts to that money.

“We’re kind of left in this little bit of a pickle here,” Shaw said. “We think we’re getting money coming in, which is great. We also think we’re probably getting cut, which is bad.”

Shaw said that the district was unsure of how much money it would have available this year, even as the time came to draft next year’s budget.

“Typically, this time of year, in January, we’re having conversations about next year’s budget, about ’21 to ’22,” Shaw said. “We certainly are on our end, but we’re worried we’re going to be facing some kind of cut for this budget year, this cycle.”

Shaw said that at this point, the district’s fund balance is just under 3%, below the comptroller’s maximum of 4%. He said that while the amount of revenue the district would receive was uncertain, controlling spending was the most prudent way to balance the budget.

“At the end of the day, our expenses are what we have control over,” Shaw said. “The revenues that are coming in from the federal government and collected from the state, we really don’t have control over. It’ll just come when it comes and will be what it is.”

Shaw said because the district had little savings compared to other districts and that there had been some unforeseen expenses this year, layoffs might need to be considered if a cut comes. He said he and Interim Superintendent Eric Hartz are doing everything they can to make sure that layoffs will not be necessary.

“Our money’s in people,” Shaw said. “We’re a people business — that’s where we should be spending our money. But when tough times come and expenses need to be curtailed, that also makes it very difficult.”

According to Shaw, the Board will discuss the 2021-22 budget at its meeting May 6, in advance of the budget vote and Board elections on May 18. He said he was already speaking with the principals and directors about how to respond to developments in this year’s budget cycle and how to prepare for next year’s cycle. Shaw said he expects to receive initial budget information from the governor by the end of the month.

Hartz said he heard that cuts might be less severe than the district feared and hopes this will come true.

“I’m the guy that walks into Vegas and hopes I walk out with $1 million,” Hartz said.

Shaw said the future is uncertain, based on the news about the budget, but he is cautiously optimistic. He said that because the future is uncertain, he had tried to give the best- and worst-case scenarios in his report.

“We could be in a tough spot expensewise, or we could be OK if things work in our favor,” Shaw said.

Newfield residents discuss racism, Confederate flag

During the privilege of the floor at the start of the Board of Education meeting, local residents Caitlin Howell and Lena Kennell thanked the Board for taking steps to combat racism in Newfield but also spoke about what had yet to be done, including banning hate symbols such as the Confederate flag.

Howell said that while the Confederate flag is banned from being displayed on New York state property, she has heard students report seeing it in the district. One student mentioned seeing students holding up the flag at Newfield High School, while the principal did nothing.

Another mentioned seeing the flag flying on Main Street and on students’ clothing, without anyone being told to remove it.

“Would it be OK for a student to wear a Nazi symbol?” Howell said. “They represent very similar ideals. How do you think a Black or minority student feels when they are already heavily in the minority at Newfield and one of their students walked in with a Confederate flag shirt on and the administration allows him or her to do so? What kind of message is that sending to your students?”

Lena Kennell, who graduated from Newfield last year, said she wanted to see specific language in the student handbook banning the Confederate flag in Newfield. She said that currently, the rules have a ban on displaying hate symbols, but the rules do not specifically identify the Confederate flag as one.

She said that students who display the Confederate flag should be punished appropriately, proposing that their first offense would result in their being asked to remove the flag, their second offense would be punished with detention and their third offense would be treated as an act of racism.

“The Confederate flag, clearly, in the eyes of New York, and I hope, in your eyes, is considered a racist flag,” Kennell said.

Kennell also gave the Board an update on the status of the petition she is circulating. She said that over 882 people have signed the petition, and about 400 to 450 of those signatures are from people in the Newfield area.

“We’re seeing a lot of people in Newfield and in Ithaca and from all the communities around us really pushing and wanting to see this change that you guys are going to go through,” Kennell said. “And I’m excited for what you’ve done already and I’m excited to see new curriculum, new policies, long-term change really being instituted here.”

Later in the meeting, Hartz spoke about the district hiring Dr. Sharroky Hollie to provide diversity training to Newfield faculty and staff. He said that district employees had made good progress on the training and asked them to think about how they could incorporate Hollie’s advice into the way they do their respective jobs.

“All of it can be applied somewhere,” Hartz said. “The piece for me that I think is making this exciting work is that I know it’s going to help every single part of our district and every side, and we’re going to be better for this.”

Hartz said that the diversity training will help change Newfield’s culture and that while the process will take a long time, the district will do its best on a daily basis.

Kennell said that while she was pleased to see the steps the district has taken against racism so far, she wants to learn more about what the district hopes to accomplish in the coming year.

“I understand that these things can take some time, but we are really looking forward to your progress,” Kennell said.