Ithaca Teachers Association Pickets Outside Cornell’s Town Gown Awards Ceremony

Principal Martha Hardesty signing the ITA’s petition on the way to the Town Gown Awards Ceremony. Ace Dufresne

On the chilly Saturday morning of November 16, over twenty Ithaca Teachers Association (ITA) members and allies picketed outside Cornell University’s annual Town Gown Awards Ceremony at Cinemapolis. The public event honored campus-community partnerships and presented the ITA with an opportunity to highlight what they believe Cornell owes Ithaca: a 10 million dollar annual donation to ICSD. After all, Cornell University’s tax-exempt status has resulted in higher property taxes for Ithacans and an ICSD budget deficit.

 Cornell donates only 650,000 dollars a year to ICSD, less than it spent on Slope Day 2024. Comparable universities contribute much more to their local government and schools. For over a year, the ITA has been campaigning for Cornell to “be a better neighbor” and use its 10 billion dollar endowment to help fund ICSD schools. They’ve worked with the Make Cornell Pay coalition and other allied organizations, supported Board of Education member Dr. Jill Tripp’s calls for negotiations with Cornell, and hosted a rally. Throughout this campaign, they’ve circulated a petition to Cornell: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/cornell-owes-ithaca-schools-more/.

Outside the Town Gown Awards Ceremony, they continued to collect signatures; many community members attending the event to receive awards from Cornell signed, agreeing with the ITA that Cornell should pay at least ten million dollars annually to ICSD.

 In true teacher fashion, ITA protesters bore signs with “grades” for Cornell: C- for stewardship, D+ for respectfulness, and D- for helpfulness. In the categories generosity, reliability, and gratitude, ICSD teachers gave Cornell Fs. The protestors chanted loudly: “If Cornell’s a real Ivy, pay us like one!” attracting attention from eventgoers and passersby.