CHENANGO COUNTY – On Thursday New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced 26 school districts in the state are fiscally stressed to varying degrees, including Norwich City School District (NCSD) and Oxford Academy and Central School District (OACSD).

The report finds NCSD to be significantly fiscally stressed, with a fiscal score of 70.0, along with four other districts in the state. OACSD was deemed susceptible to fiscal stress by the comptroller’s office with a fiscal score of 33.3, along with 20 other districts in the state.

According to the comptroller’s office, the scores are calculated based on financial information submitted as part of each district’s ST-3 financial report filed with the State Education Department as of December 28, 2018.

NCSD Superintendent Gerard O’Sullivan said Monday the designation comes as no surprise as the district was deemed moderately fiscally stressed in January 2018.

“In that time the district has undertaken a number of proactive steps to right size the organization including offering recent retirement incentives and cutting overhead costs,” said O’Sullivan. “The board of education has been keenly aware of the fiscal challenges that have and will confront the district, including rising employee healthcare costs, and has been intimately involved in these discussions since late last year.”