Education

Corning Incorporated has committed $1.8 million to support the Corning-Painted Post School District’s 2025–26 budget. The grant aims to boost educational programs and student support services across the district. The donation follows the district’s recent ... more

Tompkins Cortland Community College is now offering free associate degrees in key career fields through New York’s SUNY Reconnect program, according to the college. The initiative targets adults ages 25 to 55 and removes financial ... more

Starting next school year, New York will ban smartphones in all public and charter schools from arrival to dismissal. Officials tell Spectrum News the “bell-to-bell” restriction is meant to boost safety and student focus—not to ... more

The Gananda Central School Board has cut $210,000 from its proposed budget after voters rejected the original plan, according to WHAM. The revised budget eliminates two new staff positions and now falls under the district’s ... more

A payroll system failure left many Ithaca City School District employees without pay ahead of Memorial Day weekend, sparking union outrage. According to The Ithaca Voice, the issue was blamed on a system crash tied ... more

A state judge has dismissed a legal bid to ban five books from Clyde-Savannah’s school library, according to the Finger Lakes Times. The court sided with state education officials and upheld the school board’s decision ... more

Gananda Central School District is heading back to the polls after voters rejected its proposed 2025–2026 budget earlier this week. On May 20, residents voted 326–224 against the district’s $28 million budget, which included a ... more

Ithaca College is working toward eliminating its annual budget deficit by Fiscal Year 2028, according to updates shared at the May 20 State of the College gathering. President La Jerne Terry Cornish and top administrators ... more

Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing and Health Sciences marked a milestone on May 18, graduating its fifteenth class in a heartfelt ceremony at The Smith Opera House in Geneva. Thirty students received their degrees ... more

Construction has begun on Newfield Central School District’s $21 million capital project, aimed at boosting safety and infrastructure, according to Tompkins Weekly. Work includes major renovations to the bus garage, security upgrades at both schools, ... more

Voters across the Finger Lakes and Central New York took to the polls on Tuesday for local school board and budget elections. We'll be updating this post with more results throughout the day. Seneca Falls ... more

Lawmakers, educators, parents, and students gathered at the New York State Capitol on Monday to call for stronger protections and more consistent access to recess in elementary schools statewide. Led by New York State United ... more

Northeast College of Health Sciences has announced a new graduate program aimed at preparing students for one of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare. The college is now accepting applications for its Master of Science in ... more

Residents in two Schuyler County school districts head to the polls today to decide on multimillion-dollar budgets and select new Board of Education members, according to local officials. Odessa-Montour voters will weigh in on a ... more

New York can now temporarily suspend educators accused of sexual misconduct thanks to a new regulation spurred by Gannett's reporting on a former teacher’s controversial rehiring. The Board of Regents approved the rule in May, ... more

New York school districts struggling to meet the state’s zero-emission bus mandate by 2027 may now qualify for a second 24-month extension. The catch? Districts must show they’ve worked in good faith with NYSERDA to ... more

New York legislators are backing new bills that could significantly improve services for residents with speech and reading challenges, according to Spectrum News. Advocates, including ex-NBA player Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, rallied in Albany to support a ... more

A new GOP-backed federal tax break for private school scholarships is drawing backlash in New York, according to Spectrum News. Part of a broader Trump-aligned budget bill, the proposal rewards donors with a dollar-for-dollar tax ... more

New York school districts are planning to spend an average of $35,012 per student in the 2025–26 school year, according to new data released by the Empire Center for Public Policy. This figure marks a ... more