April 2024

Dear Holland Patent School District Community,

The Board of Education adopted the spending plan of $40,436,507 for the 2024-2025 school year at the February 29, 2024 meeting. The budget supports a solid curriculum which seeks to prepare students for college and career readiness. We have utilized flexible thinking and planning to produce a budget that maintains programming in the face of multiple challenges. The state aid reductions currently being considered and the rate of inflation in New York State has presented many challenges, and through long term financial planning our district has worked diligently to present a budget that stays within our tax levy limit at 2.90%. This would not have been possible without the efforts of our teachers, staff and students, as well as the support from our community. The spending plan that has been constructed is fiscally responsible to our taxpayers in the long and short term, while continuing to maintain the solid educational programs that are essential to our students’ success today and in the future. We have maintained a hearty offering of extracurricular and athletic offerings to our students. It has been a positive and productive time in our school buildings across the district.

Some highlights, amongst other wonderful opportunities, in our budget are inclusive of the following examples of our programs:

• Languages: Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language
• Arts: Photography, Computer Graphics, Drawing and Painting, Digital Design, Sculpture
• Technology: CAD, DDP, Computer Applications
• Physical Education: Life Saving, Health, PE Pre-K-12
• Music: Guitar 1 & 2, Chorus, Select Chorus, Jazz Band, Vocal Ensemble, String Ensemble, Music Theory, K-8 General Music, Chamber Orchestra
• MVCC: English 101, Government, Economics, CAD, Accounting, Computer Applications, Music Appreciation, French, Spanish, Psychology, Sociology, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Statistics
• Herkimer College: ASL 3, ASL 4
• AP Courses: Calculus, Biology, Language and Composition, US Government, US History and Government, Modern World History, Music Theory
• Sports: Football, Tennis, Swim, Soccer, Field Hockey, Cross Country, Cheerleading, Basketball, Wrestling, Bowling, Volleyball, Alpine and Nordic Ski, Baseball, Softball, Golf, Track and Lacrosse

As a team, we have worked on supporting a strategic plan as a Board of Education, leadership team, faculty, staff and community which aligns our focus on the Mission, Vision and District Goals for the future. As we digested the ideas from this plan, focusing on a commitment to student growth, we are focused on a balanced approach to facilities improvement. The Capital Project that was approved by voters last May will begin implementation this summer and throughout the coming school year.

We are future focused, with students centered at our core. Some of our current points of pride include:• Investment in Early Literacy – Full-day pre-K
• Building Literacy Capacity K-12
• Teacher Center professional learning that supports District initiatives and building capacity
• Differentiated professional learning with technology integration
• Instructional coaching K-12 focused in reading, writing and math
• Connected Community Schools, which are located in every building
• Hubs located in every school with food pantry, clothing closet and school supplies
• LINKS referrals to outside agencies including mental health, housing, family needs, academics, nutrition, medical needs, transportation and behavior management
• Dual Credit Courses – Syracuse University Project Advance, MVCC, Herkimer College, Utica University, Hamilton College
• Career and Technical Education, P-TECH, New Visions, Regional Program for Excellence
• Summer programming for K-6 enrichment at Holland Patent
• Summer camps, including athletics, STEM, art and music
• Accrual of 54 dual-credits available to all students attending our high school
• Best community for music education for five consecutive years
• Mentoring program for new staff
• Updating curriculum to ensure the Next Generation standards are embedded
• Instructional coaches are building small group instruction in the classrooms
• Using student data to drive instruction and fill gaps due to learning loss
• Multiple Extracurricular opportunities including FFA and FBLA

These points of pride are supported through a fiscally responsible proposed budget. The proposed 2024-25 tax levy is a 2.90% increase from the 2023-24 budget. The tax levy limit requires districts in New York State to apply a multistep formula to determine the tax levy increase a district can propose. We will once again stay within this tax levy limit. The Board of Education adopted a spending plan of $40,436,507 for 2024-2025 school year, which results in a levy below the district maximum allowable levy limit.

Many years of financial planning has helped us to build a budget that engages student-centered learning and is fiscally responsible with a tax levy under the allowable levy limit. We would like to thank everyone who put forth a great deal of effort in the development of the budget. We invite all residents to attend the public hearing at Holland Patent High School on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 6 p.m. The budget vote will be Tuesday, May 21, 2024 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sincerely,
Dr. Cheryl J. Venettozzi
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS