Mission | Vision | Goals | 2023-28 Strategic Plan | Portrait of a Spartan | Community | Accolades | Superintendent’s Office
Our district operates three elementary schools, a junior high school, and a senior high school. Our instructional buildings are comprised of 110 acres of developed sites that include two complete multi-purpose athletic fields, an all-weather track, a competitive sized swimming pool and a smaller teaching pool.
In 2010, New Hartford Central School District officially dedicated the new Daniel P. Gilligan Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Center in the high school. This opening marked the completion of all major projects of the $25.77 million “Triple A” (Academics, Arts, and Athletics) Capital Project. Other major accomplishments in the project included the installation of a multi-purpose, all-weather field at Don Edick Stadium as well as the opening of the James A. Meyer Community Performing Arts Center.
New Hartford schools have an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students and an instructional staff of 236 teachers and administrators. The New Hartford Teacher Resource and Computer Training Center provides support for professional development.
Mission
The New Hartford Central School Community ensures an engaging, student-focused environment where everyone can learn, succeed and values:
- Excellence
- Innovation
- Citizenship
- Integrity
Vision
An innovative community of lifelong learners.
Goals
Future-Focused Learning Environment
Reimagine teaching and learning to provide expanded opportunities for student success.
Individualized Student Success
Graduate all students by cultivating a holistic program where each individual is challenged, supported, and reaches their full potential.
Long Term Financial Sustainability
Plan resource and revenue allocation that ensures the long-term financial sustainability of the district.
School Community Engagement & Communication
Foster trust and community with all stakeholders and develop partnerships that will nurture future-focused learning.
2023-28 Strategic Plan
A school district with a strategic plan has a roadmap to guide its school board and administration in making decisions that align with the priorities identified by the district’s many stakeholders.
In 2022, the New Hartford Central School District embarked on the process of developing a five-year strategic plan. In addition to collecting data to determine where the district is excelling and where it may need to focus more resources, it used ThoughtExchange, an online communications platform, to gather feedback from the district’s many stakeholders:
junior and senior high students, parents and caregivers, district staff and community members, as well as members of the higher education and business communities.
From that feedback, the district was able to identify four topic areas that rose to the top when identifying areas of importance for the district: Academics, Communication and Collaboration, Facilities, and School Environment and Connections.
The administration and board will review the district’s plan progress several times annually, and each summer, identify objectives to work toward throughout the upcoming school year that support the priority areas.
All activities proposed and underway will support the district’s vision, mission and goals.
Priority Areas
Academics
- Provide an equity-based educational system that supports the needs of all students.
- Provide lifelong learning opportunities for the educators who support our students.
- Provide rigorous and relevant curriculum and instruction to address New York learning standards and frameworks through the Curriculum Cycle and Curriculum Alignment Process.
Communication and Collaboration
- Be the first and best source of school district information while providing avenues for two-way communication with the district’s many stakeholders.
- Create an atmosphere of transparency and trust between the district and its students and their families, district staff and the greater New Hartford community.
- Provide district staff learning opportunities so that staff members may continue to grow their individual communication skill sets.
Facilities
- Develop improved district safety procedures and facility security.
- Implement a long-range capital improvement plan for facilities and bus replacement.
- Integrate energy performance enhancements with facilities maintenance.
- Implement advancements in technology.
School Environment and Connections
- Conduct annual student surveys to gauge student perception of school climate.
- Effectuate increases in the average daily attendance of students in all schools.
- Provision of an equity-based educational system that supports student voice.
- Increase the percentage of students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses.
Portrait of a Spartan
During the 2023-24 school year, the New Hartford Central School District set out to define what it means to be a New Hartford student and a lifelong learner. The district developed its Portrait of a Spartan, a collective vision that articulates the district’s and community’s aspirations for every student in the district. It provides strategic direction for the overall educational experience of students and includes a defined set of skills and competencies that students should possess upon graduation in order to achieve success.
Portrait of a Spartan is comprised of six competencies:
Adaptability
Creative, curious, entrepreneurial thinkers who exhibit flexibility and a growth mindset.
Empathy
Show kindness while understanding and respecting the feelings and perspectives of others.
Communication
Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills for authentic purposes.
Critical thinking
Challenge themselves to think differently and identify, evaluate, and prioritize solutions to complex situations.
Integrity
Take responsibility, honor their commitments, and are accountable for their actions.
Global citizenship
Value and embrace diverse cultures and personally engage in civic, social, and global action.
The development process began in October 2023. A Portrait Design Team, consisting of school and district leaders, board members, educators, students, families and community members, attended four collaborative work sessions to identify and define each competency, and discuss implementation.
Community
New Hartford is an attractive, popular and academically oriented suburb of Utica, in approximately the center of New York State. It is a delightful place to live, whether you choose an apartment, a home in the village or one of our many residential, areas in the surrounding countryside. Our shopping facilities are excellent, with two major malls in the district and the community is proud of its fine restaurants, movie theaters, specialty shops and our own theater group. All the major faiths are represented in the community.
For more information visit the Town of New Hartford website.
The Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley is rich in history with major contributions by the Indians, the French, the British and the American colonists. It is an excellent location for professional and personal growth, being served by Syracuse University, Hamilton College, Colgate University, Utica College, SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome and Mohawk Valley Community College.
Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, the Utica Symphony Broadway Theatre League, Great Artist Series, the Utica Zoo and the Children’s Museum typify the organizations which add to our cultural life.
There is virtually no limit to the recreational opportunities available: hunting, skiing, fishing, camping, canoeing, hiking, golfing, swimming and boating. The pine covered slopes of the Adirondacks, with their many lakes and streams, are little more than one hour away. Other popular recreational destinations including Lake Moraine, Canaderago Lake, Otsego Lake and Cooperstown are less than one hour’s drive from the district.
Accolades
2022 National Blue Ribbon
In September 2022, New Hartford Senior High was awarded the National Blue Ribbon. In 2016, New Hartford Senior High earned recognition as a “Blue Ribbon School” and in 2008 Ralph Perry Junior High received the designation.
The US Department of Education awards “Blue Ribbons” to the nation’s top-performing schools each year. It is the highest honor the federal government can bestow on an individual school or school district.
Named “Best High School” by US News and World Report
New Hartford Senior High School is honored to be consistently ranked as one of America’s Best High Schools by US News and World Report. Named the top high school in the Utica, NY Metro Area in 2023, New Hartford was granted a Gold Medal in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and earned Silver Medal awards in 2009, 2010 and 2018.
US News and World Report ordinarily creates a “College Readiness Index” for high schools after considering graduation rates, achievement in college preparatory coursework, SAT-ACT scores, and student-guidance counselor ratio.
Named one of “America’s Best Communities for Music Education” by NAAM Foundation
The arts have been at the center of a well-rounded New Hartford education for nearly a century, so it is gratifying that the NAMM Foundation (National Association of Music Merchants) continues to acknowledge New Hartford Central Schools for its role in making New Hartford, NY one of “America’s Best Communities for Music Education.”
Earned “School Safety Excellence Award” in 2024
Recognized for its work to keep students, staff and visitors safe, New Hartford Central School District earned Utica National Insurance Group’s “School Safety Excellence Award” for 2024 at the Titanium with Honors level.
The district has been the recipient of the top safety award for 12 consecutive years for its efforts to enhance overall safety.
Our District Links
Superintendent’s office
Dr. Cosimo Tangorra, Jr., Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Cosimo Tangorra, Jr., Superintendent of schools for New Hartford Central School District, has extensive and varied management experience in P-12 Education. He has been a Deputy Commissioner of Education for the State of New York, a principal, academic administrator and teacher. Dr. Tangorra has also served as the superintendent of schools for the Oppenheim-Ephratah, Trumansburg, Ilion, Central Valley and Niskayuna Central School Districts. School District Reorganization is an area of professional interest for Dr. Tangorra and was the topic of his doctoral dissertation.
An advocate for equity, he is dedicated to strategic planning that focuses on programs that prepare students for “their futures and not our past,” modernizing school facilities, and community partnerships.
Dr. Tangorra received his associate’s degree from Herkimer County Community College, a bachelor of arts from Siena College, his master’s degree from the College of Saint Rose, Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) from SUNY Cortland, and a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) from the Sage Colleges.
Alma mater
To thee our dear New Hartford High,
We pledge our hearts and hands,
Our loyal sons are gathered here,
The finest in the land.
Though years may part us far and wide,
Our hearts will ere be true.
All hail to thee New Hartford High
The mighty red and blue.