The Norwich City School District will be holding their 2023-24 school year budget vote from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16 in the District Office conference room, located at 89 Midland Drive in Norwich. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Norwich City School District (NCSD) will be holding their budget vote and Board of Education election for the 2023-24 school year from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16 in the District Office conference room, located at 89 Midland Drive in Norwich.

This year's total budget is $46,146,296, which is at the tax cap of 1.98 percent, meaning the district only needs a traditional or simple vote of 51 percent to pass the budget.

Voters must be 18 years or older, a United States citizen, and a resident of the Norwich City School District for at least 30 days in order to vote.

The budget has allocated $7,830,712 to administrative costs, which includes district and building oversight as well as instructional support services; $33,225,659 to programming, which includes teachers and classroom support, student support services, co-curricular activities, athletics, and the cost of transporting students; and $5,089,925 to capital expenditures, which includes expenses to operate and maintain district facilities.

For revenue, the district anticipates $32,328,195 from state aid, $12,493,183 from the tax levy, $599,133 from the appropriated fund balance, and $725,785 in other revenues, such as BOCES refunds or tuition from out-of-district students.

NCSD Superintendent Scott Ryan said the budget focuses on the district's "three P's": people, program, and place.

"Our budget currently represents that investment of people, program, and place, and it’s just really the start to what this leadership team and our entire organization is committed to within our mission and vision," he said. "We are looking to significantly impact the type of person that’s working with our children, and with any new hires, as well as expanded programming to meet the need of jobs we haven’t even seen yet or heard of yet."

Past and future program expansions include an overhaul of the Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Arts, and Math (STEAM) program in the middle and high school; an agricultural science program and space that includes greenhouses and the ability to bring in farm animals such as chickens; establish a Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter; increase dual enrollment courses; partner with the Manufacturers Alliance of Central New York (MACNY) to create a workforce shadowing and preparation program for high school juniors and seniors; and more.

"How can we create programming that creates a student that is, whether they’re college bound or career bound, but certainly more equipped to handle what the market or the current job market is demanding?" said Ryan.

Also on the ballot for this year's vote is the proposed capital reserve project, which will provide upgrades to the athletic stadium, update the current multipurpose field, and create a secondary multipurpose field.

"Our existing field, it was installed in 2007. We have to invest money in it anyway. What we’re looking to do is increase greater access for all, including our community use on the secondary multipurpose field as part of that, and really create this regional sort of campus feel on the back of our facility," Ryan explained.

Upgrades include new drainage, new turf, expanding the 6-lane track to an 8-lane that includes a steeplechase, a future regional hosting site, improvements to the home/away team locker rooms, new ADA-compliant bathrooms, new concession stand, and expanded storage.

The estimated total project cost is $9.1 million, with 88 percent of the project being funded by capital reserve funds and 12 percent being funded by bond. Ryan said the project will have no additional tax impact, as old debt is falling off and the new debt taken on for this project would balance out the difference.

The project needs at least a 60 percent vote of approval to move forward. Ryan explained taxpayers had voted to approve the establishment of capital reserve funds in 2021 and 2022, and now must vote to approve the use of those funds.

Eligible voters can visit the District Office conference room at 89 Midland Drive to vote between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16. For information on absentee ballots or more information on voting, contact the district clerk at 607-334-1600.

More information on the 2023-24 NCSD budget can be found at NorwichCSD.org/documents/business-services/fy-2023-2024-budget-documents/440420.