Ithaca City School District -

🗳️ ICSD Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election is Tuesday, May 20! 🏫 📍 To find your polling place, visit: ithacacityschools.org/vote 📬 Still need an early mail ballot? You can apply in person at the District Office (400 Lake Street) until Monday, May 19. 📮 Return your completed ballot to the ICSD Board Clerk by 5 p.m. on Election Day (May 20) for it to count! 📌 Drop off or mail applications/ballots to: ICSD Board Clerk 400 Lake Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Let your voice be heard—make a plan to vote! 🗳️

Up Next: Girls Flag Football Senior Night 🏈 On May 8, we celebrated our girls flag football seniors! Thank you for your leadership, dedication, and everything you've brought to the team. 📸 Check out the highlights from senior night below.

🎾✨ Boys Tennis Senior Night! A heartfelt thank you to our seniors for their leadership and to all players for their hard work and sportsmanship.

The ICSD Board of Education will hold a public budget hearing on Tuesday, May 13, at 5:30 p.m. in York Hall at IHS. The hearing will also be streamed via Zoom. Visit ithacacityschools.org/vote for details.

📚📝 Shoutout to our amazing first graders at Belle Sherman for sharing their original poems during the Poem in Your Pocket celebration on April 28! About 60 students rotated through stations, reading their work to staff across the Annex library. Such a joyful celebration of creativity and confidence! 🌟

📢 Meet the Candidates for the ICSD School Board! 🗳️ There are four open seats on the Ithaca City School District Board of Education. The candidates, in the order they will appear on the ballot, are: 1. Scott Jahnke 2. Madeline Cardona 3. David McMurry 4. Erin Croyle 5. Jacob Shiffrin 6. Karen Yearwood 7. Jill K. Tripp 🔜 Candidate bios will be available soon! For more information on the Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election, visit: ithacacityschools.org/vote

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! To all our incredible ICSD educators — thank you for your dedication, passion, and the countless ways you inspire our students every day. You make a difference, and we are grateful for you! 💛📚🍎

🗳️ The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, May 6! If you're a qualified voter who has previously registered with the district or the County Board of Elections and have voted within the last four calendar years, you're eligible to vote in the May 20 election. Learn more and find out where you can register at ithacacityschools.org/vote!

🎬 Free Movie Night: Screenagers Join the ICSD for a special free screening of Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age — a powerful film exploring how screen time impacts youth. 📍 Ithaca High School (Lower York) 📅 Wednesday, May 14 🕔 Doors open at 5:00 PM 🎥 Film screening: 6:30–7:30 PM 💬 Panel discussion: 7:30–8:00 PM This event is open to all families and community members (recommended for ages 11+). 🎟️ Space is limited — please register to attend! 🔗 https://www.ithacacityschools.org/page/cell-phones-in-school

🎷 Celebrating Young People and Jazz! 🎶 Earlier this week, students from Boynton Middle School, DeWitt Middle School, and Ithaca High School lit up the stage for our Annual Guest Artist Jazz Concert—a beautiful celebration of talent, collaboration, and the joy of jazz. 🎥 Missed the performance? Catch the full concert recording here: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/live/gNMgAiGjda0?si=OqeZGj4xqGxTgkr2

On Tuesday, the ICSD Board of Education adopted a proposed budget of $169,031,619 for the 2025-26 school year. The 3.76% proposed tax levy increase is within the New York State tax cap. 🗳️The Budget Vote and School Board Election will take place on Tuesday, May 20, from 12 noon to 9 p.m. For more information and to check your polling location, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote. Have a question not addressed on our website or in the FAQs, please reach out through Let's Talk.

Before spring break, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade instrumental students 🎷🎻 at Enfield gave a great performance for families and caregivers. Band and strings students shared a bit of what they've been working on in their lessons, and it was a great chance to hear their progress. Thanks to everyone who came out to support our young musicians! 🎶

🎭 Project 4 Plays at Belle Sherman! 🎭 This week 4th graders at Belle Sherman showcased their incredible Project 4 plays! Thank you to everyone who came out to support our talented performers. Since 1995, Project 4 has been using theatre as an educational tool in fourth grade classrooms across Tompkins County. With the help of Hangar Theatre's teaching artists, students collaborate with their teachers to explore a curriculum-based topic—then bring it to life through original plays and music they create themselves.

This week, our pre-k students had a special visit from John Simon and Cal Walker! They brought stories to life through song, sharing their love of books and music with our young learners. Thank you, John and Cal, for such a fun and engaging experience! 📚🎶

🎭 This past weekend, the Ithaca High School Drama Club lit up the stage with their vibrant and heartfelt production of The Prom! 🌟 Bravo to the cast, crew, and everyone behind the scenes who brought this unforgettable show to life.👏💐

📣 The Ithaca City School District is launching a search for the next principal of Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS)! Our goal is to confirm an appointment by June 1, 2025. In partnership with LACS students, staff, families, and community members, this inclusive process will reflect the school’s core values: alternative education approaches, community involvement, and democratic governance. 📝 Share your thoughts by completing the survey by April 18, 2025: https://forms.gle/vbtXyQGuRmb2HRL16 🔗 Learn more about the search process here: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/lacs/article/2133826 Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses!

🎻✨ The IHS String and Chamber Orchestra kicked off April with an incredible performance! Swipe through to see a few moments from the evening! 🎶

This past week, the Lily Silly Puppet Show brought laughter and creativity to Fall Creek Elementary! 🎭 Students enjoyed a fantastic performance full of fun and imagination—then got to design and create their own puppets! 🧵🎨 Check out the photos of our young puppeteers in action! 📸👇

✨Sweet Dreams at the 10th Annual IHS Choral Theme Concert!✨ Our talented IHS choir students took the stage for an evening of music at the 10th Annual Choral Theme Concert – Sweet Dreams! 🎶 Many prepared their own pieces, with some even composing and arranging their own work. Check out some highlights from the night, and if you missed it, you can watch the full performance here: https://www.youtube.com/live/XFhh3pmCX6s?si=aRUGDDgID426U_cl

📚✨ Reading Celebration at South Hill! ✨📚 To close out National Reading Month, South Hill Elementary held a special celebration during South Hill Shines on March 28! Students, staff, and families came together to celebrate a month filled with stories, imagination, and learning.