NCS Community Update 3-20-26

NCS Community,

I hope this message finds you well.  Though it still looks a feels a great deal like winter, we are rapidly approaching spring.  This is always an incredibly busy time and before we know it, the final weeks of the 25-26 school year will be upon us.  As a reminder, school will be closed from March 30th through April 3rd for spring break.  Safe travels for those who may plan to get away.

I always want to commend our Winter sports teams; NCS saw some notable successes, both from an individual and team perspective during the recent season.  Hopefully some warmer weather will soon be on the way, enabling our spring athletic teams more time on the court and the fields.

Congratulations as well to our entire cast of The Addams Family.  Over 1000 tickets were sold for the musical and guests continue to rave about the outstanding performance given by our talented cast members.  I am certain this will be the first of many notable shows performed in the newly remodeled auditorium.

Last month, I shared some preliminary information regarding the NCS 26-27 school budget and I would like to take this opportunity to update our community and staff on our budget planning process.  Like all regional districts, budget challenges have become a constant in an era where state/local populations continue to decline and NYS Foundation Aid increases continue to be incredibly sparse.  To compound these realities, healthcare costs and utility costs continue to rise sharply.  Fortunately, careful and strategic budget planning has and continues to serve the district and community well, and it is our hope to remain on this path in order to balance fiscal responsibility with providing the best programming & experiences possible for our students.  Below please find some key information as it relates to the 26-27 budget process:

-The 2026-27 budget represents a 2.04% increase from the 25-26 budget.  This figure remains consistent in comparison the last several years.

-The projected tax cap for Naples CSD is 2.69% for the 26-27 budget year.  This is in alignment with tax caps from previous years, and it is a goal to ensure as much consistency as possible with this cap from year to year.

-The district does not anticipate any layoffs.  We are grateful for our incredible staff and they work they do to support students and families each and every day.

-As we have in previous years, attrition may be used to reduce expenditures.  Each time a vacancy occurs, the district will carefully examine that position and determine if it should be replaced, re-imagined, or absorbed.   

-A key priority is to maintain academic programming and experiences for NCS students.  We will need to be creative and flexible in terms of how we might deliver certain programming to students in order to maximize our budget resources to their fullest potential.  I appreciate the outstanding work our staff has engaged in over the past few years, seeking innovative ways to deliver instruction and enhance experiences with both budget as well as evolving NYS graduation standards in mind.

-Further 26-27 Budget information can be found on our website link below (Budget Presentation #2):

https://www.naplescsd.org/tfiles/folder1217/Naples%20Central%20School%20Budget%20Workshop%20%232%20%2D%203%2D11%2D26.pdf

Please note the following dates regarding the NCS 26-27 School Budget:

April 8th:  Budget Workshop #3 at NCS Board Meeting High School Library Conference Room

May 6th: Budget Hearing 6:00 PM High School Library Conference Room

May 19th: NCS Budget Vote 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM High School Library

As always, please do not reach out should you have any questions or concerns and have an enjoyable weekend.

Kevin Swartz

NCS Superintendent