Ithaca City School District -

🎉 On August 15, we welcomed family and friends to celebrate the incredible work of our students in Project Innovation, our inclusive, project-based summer program! Throughout the summer, students engaged in dynamic projects and case studies, tackling complex questions and offering innovative solutions to real-world challenges. All classrooms are multi-grade level (K/1st, 2nd/3rd, 4th/5th, 6th-8th) and fully integrated, bringing together general education and special education students.

📝✨ School Supply Lists for the upcoming school year are now available on our website! Head to our Back to School Hub 👉 https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/back-to-school-hub to find everything you'll need! Don't see your school listed? 📬 Mailings were sent home this week, so keep an eye on your mailbox this weekend.

🎒 Students are back in two weeks! 🎒 Check the graphic below to see when your student's first day is. Some Pre-K and kindergarten classes have staggered start dates, so be sure to review the details included in the summer mailings sent out this week. Keep an eye on your mailbox toward the end of the week! Have questions or concerns about the start of school? Reach out directly to your school or icsdcommunications@icsd.k12.ny.us. Don't forget to visit our Back-to-School Hub for all the info you need to start the year off right!: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/back-to-school-hub

We're excited to welcome our students back in just 16 days! 🎒 Are you ready? Be sure to visit our Back-to-School Hub for everything you need to start the year off right: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/.../back-to-school-hub If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at icsdcommunications@icsd.k12.ny.us. We'll keep updating the hub with the latest info as we gear up for another school year! 📚✨

The tennis courts at Ithaca High School will be closed for maintenance from July 22 to August 19 in preparation for fall sports. When the courts re-open, reservations will need to be made using MLSchedules (https://www.ithacacityschools.org/page/facility-use-requests).

🎓✨ The Lehman Alternative Community School (LACS) graduation photos are now live! We are incredibly proud of our Class of 2024 graduates and all their achievements. Check out the full gallery of memorable moments from the ceremony 📸 🎉. You can download each photo individually. If you need any help, please reach out to us at icsdcommunications@icsd.k12.ny.us. LACS Graduation Photos: https://bit.ly/3WqAoQp

🎓✨ The Ithaca High School graduation photos are now available! Congratulations to the Class of 2024. We are so proud of all they have accomplished. Follow the links below to view the full gallery of photos 📸 🎉! All photos can be individually downloaded. If you need further assistance, please email icsdcommunications@icsd.k12.ny.us. 12 p.m. Ceremony: https://bit.ly/4d60Vbe 3 p.m. Ceremony: https://bit.ly/4bIIIiV

Ithaca High School graduation is today! The first ceremony will begin at 12 p.m., and the second will begin at 3 p.m. Both ceremonies will be held outdoors in Moresco Stadium, and no tickets are required. For more information, visit our website: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/highschool/page/2024-graduation-information Can't make it in person? Catch the livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCHWayx2L3A Congratulations to all graduates! 🎉

🎓✨ Across the district, we have been celebrating our graduates! 🎉🌟 Today marks the last day of school for students, and our seniors are ready to graduate! LACS and IHS will both hold their ceremonies today. Congratulations to all of our graduates and their families! We are so incredibly proud of your accomplishments. For those moving on from the district, you will always have a home with your ICSD family. 🌟🎓

Today, Tuesday, June 18, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) community will be presented with a new 2024-2025 budget adopted by the Board of Education. The re-vote budget is $163,012,098, and the proposed levy increase of 2.92 percent is below the state tax cap. We are grateful for the significant community engagement this budget season, and with the valuable input shared, we are presenting a new budget that keeps our community’s needs in mind, while also upholding our commitments to high-quality education for all. Through strategic, priority-based reductions—including articulating a clear focus on ELA, math, and inclusion, decreasing administrative labor costs, and pausing on filling vacant positions—we developed a budget that is $5.9 million less than the one originally proposed on May 21. The re-vote budget will require 50% voter approval. Also on the re-vote ballot will be Proposition 2, which the Board voted to amend on May 28, reducing the original request of $3.2 million by half to $1.6 million. The amended proposition asks voters to authorize the district to purchase up to two electric buses, only with rebates to defray costs, two ultra-low emission propane buses with wheelchair-accessible lifts, and three passenger vehicles. Proposition 2 is not taken from the General Fund but rather from a savings account called “Capital Reserve,” which can only be used for bus purchases. The district has already secured a rebate through the EPA 2023 Clean School Bus (CBS) Rebates in the amount of $800,000, which can be immediately used to defray the cost of the two electric buses. For more information on Proposition 2 visit: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/o/icsd/page/2024-prop-2 Polls will be open on June 18 from 12 noon until 9 p.m. Please continue to reach out directly or provide suggestions and feedback via Let’s Talk: ithacacityschools.org/letstalk. For more details on the June 18 Budget Re-Vote, including propositions and district poll site locations, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote. Together, we can engage, educate, and empower all learners in the ICSD.

The ICSD Board of Education will meet today for a Facilities Committee Work Session at 5:00 p.m. On the agenda: E-Bus Presentation, Sustainability Presentation, and a progress report on the district's capital project work. Following, there will be Finance Committee Work Session at 6:30 p.m. On the agenda: Re-vote revenue and re-vote proposed budgeted expenditures line-by-line. Those who wish to attend may do so in person at IHS York Hall or tune in on Zoom. For more information, please visit ithacacityschools.org/board.

ICSD's Deputy Superintendent, Lily Talcott, and Chief Operations Officer, Amanda Verba, join WSKG to discuss the upcoming budget re-vote. Polls will be open on June 18 from 12 noon until 9 p.m. Please continue to reach out directly or provide suggestions and feedback via Let’s Talk: ithacacityschools.org/letstalk. For more details on the June 18 Budget Re-Vote, including propositions and district poll site locations, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote. Listen here: https://www.wskg.org/2024-06-12/ithacas-school-budget-was-rejected-by-voters-heres-whats-been-cut-in-their-latest-proposal?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1INBzs3M4BZUwtYKEfnCz3P2yzxt-DyC8GknDw4tK35t6l0eYjywwNfJI_aem_AfZCS5GxLeEJVITDCZqyW-DJAE5LbsvtQdJ6iaq38W5jHzQkZLl0vUoGW6GwsItkNpXOiZTXDDSs1l85HVOmFqhM

Fall Creek Elementary students hosted some special visitors this morning to close out their Reading Celebration Week! 🎉🐾 A big thank you to Cornell Companions and Daisy Hallow Farm for bringing an interactive and joyful morning to our students. 📚❤️

Please join us tonight, June 10, at the Southside Community Center at 5:30 p.m. for a community conversation about the new proposed budget. The ICSD will hold the budget re-vote on Tuesday, June 18. Polls will be open from 12-9 p.m. For more information, including district polling locations and absentee and early mail ballot applications, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote.

This morning at Caroline Elementary, families gathered for an inspiring Celebration of Learning! 🎉 Students proudly showcased their "Leaders of Change" books and portraits throughout the hallways, showcasing their incredible talents and creativity. 🌟📚✨

The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) was notified that its application for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Rebates was selected for funding in the amount of $800,000. The reserved funds are for four new electric buses, eligible infrastructure, and other eligible expenses to be used over the course of two years. On June 18, residents of the ICSD will head back to the polls to vote on a new budget and an amended Proposition 2, which will ask voters to authorize the district to purchase up to two electric buses, only with rebates to defray costs, two ultra-low propane buses with wheelchair-accessible lifts, and three passenger vehicles. Notably, Proposition 2 was reduced from $3.2 million to $1.6 million. Proposition 2 is not taken from the General Fund but rather from a savings account called “Capital Reserve,” which can only be used for bus purchases. Every year, the district replaces buses that have aged out of the fleet and need to be taken off of the road as well as other vehicles that support students and facilities. Check out the news story to learn more: https://www.ithacacityschools.org/article/1632589

On Monday, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) Board of Education voted to approve a new budget for the fiscal year 2024-2025 in the amount of $163,012,098, a 2.79% increase over the current year (below the state tax cap of 2.9%). This is $5.9 million reduction to the budget proposed on May 21. Please join us this Friday, June 7, at the Enfield Community Center at 4:30 p.m. for a community conversation about the new proposed budget. The ICSD will hold the budget re-vote on Tuesday, June 18. Polls will be open from 12-9 p.m. For more information, including district polling locations and absentee and early mail ballot applications, visit ithacacityschools.org/vote.

🌟Junior Prom Photos Now Available🌟 On May 18, IHS held their Junior Prom at Celebrations. It was a night to remember! 🕺💃✨ Thank you to everyone who made it so special – friends, teachers, and the incredible organizers. 🎉💖 Full album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mnwERqtFqZHp9v5F7

Yesterday, after many months of advocacy and hard work, the Haudenosaunee (Hood-en-no-sho-nee) flag was raised at Ithaca High School (IHS). Huge shout out to our students Rhianne Rushing '24, Naveena Clark '24, and Brenna Lucio-Belbase '25 for their tireless work and efforts that have come to fruition. Special thanks to Paul Heiland, Social Studies teacher at IHS, and Martha Hardesty, Associate Principal at IHS, for their support of our students. At the end of November, the Ithaca City School District Board of Education unanimously voted to permit the flying of the Haudenosaunee flag on one of the two flagpoles at IHS, in consultation with members of the Haudenosaunee community. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a group of six Native American nations: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. The flag depicts the Hiawatha belt, traditionally created using wampum shells, and is a symbol of unity, peace, and strength among these nations. Displaying the flag at IHS signifies a deep respect for the native people and the land on which the school sits.

In collaboration with Ithaca Murals, AP art students painted a downtown power box to address an essential cause of food security. Their artwork, which includes themes from their AP Art Portfolios 🎨, serves as a powerful call to action. Check out their incredible work or visit the power box on the corner of State and Albany!