The annual series of budget committee meetings to develop the North Colonie Central School District 2025-26 budget kicked off on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Superintendent Kathleen Skeals shared with those in attendance and viewing on the livestream how the district is committed to putting forth a budget that is student-centered and future-focused, while also planning for the upcoming changes that will be implemented by the New York State Department of Education (NYSED).
“We’re always thinking of the next great thing we can do. We’re constantly thinking about our continuous growth and development,” Superintendent Kathleen Skeals said. “We can’t stand still. If we stand still, we’re really not moving at all, we’re going backward.”
Earlier this school year, NYSED announced “New York Inspires: A Plan to Transform Education in New York State.” It’s a transformation that follows the recommendations of the recent Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures. “New York Inspires” consists of four big transformations: adopting the New York State Portrait of a Graduate, redefining credits and learning experiences, sunsetting diploma assessment requirements, and moving to one NYS high school diploma. Skeals focused on the first two transformations as part of the March 4 meeting. The New York State Portrait of a Graduate requires students to show proficiency in seven areas (critical thinker, innovative problem solver, literate across the content areas, cultural competence, social-emotional competence, effective communicator, and global citizen).
“If you want all students to have all these skills, how will these skills be measured? Through a regents exam?” asked Skeals. “It might not be.”
While the implementation of these changes will be rolled out over a period of five years, Skeals implored members of the Board of Education and others in attendance to start thinking about it now.
“It is not enough for students to just get a diploma and to cross the stage and not know what they can offer,” said Skeals. “The purpose of great public education is to help students find their passion and to give them the skills and opportunities to find their passion.”
Skeals referenced a handful of opportunities currently available to North Colonie students in areas of interest outside of the core academic subjects. They include the Science Research Program, Civic Engagement and Leadership, Capstone Engineering, and the Shaker Writing Center. She wants to see enrollment in these programs and courses expanded.
“How do we scale up?” asked Skeals. “We have the seeds to grow into what the State wants us to. That is such a powerful question about ‘how do we help a kid find their element?’ When you’re really invested in something, you’ll work really hard at it. How do we bring that into schools?”
Skeals used Freshman Seminar and Innovation Labs as examples of new or recently expanded programs that have given all students a taste of different areas of interest.
“The whole goal of Innovation Lab (at Shaker Middle School), with six weeks in six different labs, is to help students get to explore a whole different group of things that prompt curiosity,” Skeals explained. “This is for all of our kids, leveling the playing field.”
Enrollment Projections
NCCSD has undergone a steep increase in enrollment over the past 15 years. The upcoming Capital Project, approved by the voters last May, is slated to begin this summer and is expected to be completed in 2029. Many of the improvements of the project will be focused on Shaker High School to address the enrollment surge scheduled to take place there. This year’s freshman class was the largest in school history and while the high school will see an increase in enrollment over the next few years, as a district NCCSD will start to level off.
The current student enrollment is 2,548 at the elementary level, 1,493 at the middle school, and 2,140 at the high school for a total of 6,181 students. North Colonie’s demographer, Dr. McKibben, expects a decrease of six students between the elementary and middle school and an increase of 48 at the high school, for an increase of 42 students district-wide.
North Colonie CSD Budget Development
The final North Colonie CSD budget for 2025-26 will be significantly impacted by the New York State budget. Governor Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposal includes an increase of $1.46 billion in Foundation Aid to schools, or 5.9%. The proposed budget would mean due minimum increases for all school districts, no consolidation or reductions to any of the expense-based aid categories and a full expansion of the Universal School Meals with incentives for supplying meal programs with food from New York farmers and growers.
Changes in the Foundation Aid formula will use updated poverty census levels and economically disadvantaged data. Both of these factors have increased the Foundation Aid NCCSD will receive as they more appropriately reflect the population in the district. In the executive budget proposal, Foundation Aid to NCCSD is projected to increase by $2,991,728 or 9.39%.
Finally, Skeals discussed two possible propositions to the ballot in May. The first would ask voters to approve the creation of a Reserve Fund, which would be used toward any kind of unexpected improvement such as a major roof repair. The second proposition would ask voters to approve the district using funds from the current Capital Reserve for a project at Boght Hills Elementary School.
“Voters would simply be giving the district authorization to go into the savings account and spend for this purpose,” Skeals explained.
The next in the series of budget meetings is Tuesday, March 11 beginning at 6 p.m Central Office at 91 Fiddlers Lane, Latham, NY. The topic for this meeting is Instructional Support Budget Development which includes Facilities, Custodial, Transportation and Instructional Technology Departments. Join us in-person or via livestream. Visit our Budget and Finance webpage for additional meeting information.