2025-26 Budget Priorities

In Niskayuna, the annual school budget is a reflection of the school district’s strategic direction, values and priorities. The district strives to balance needed and desired investments in education with responsiveness to taxpayers.

In December, the district asked students, families and staff what are the most important things our district needs to think about in order to support all students. The responses of the online survey will help the district plan a budget that reflects the priorities of its many groups.

At its Jan. 28, board of education meeting, the Niskayuna Central School District approved the following budget priorities:

Further a strong academic program that supports student growth and exploration

• • Focus on core curriculum consistency, support, resources at the elementary level
  • Refine academic support models at each level (across all tiers)
  • Continue to align Special Education programming with student needs
  • Provide robust support for professional development connected to strategic initiatives
  • Expand Prekindergarten programming to provide more opportunities for four-year old learners – classrooms at multiple sites

Strengthen and expand safety and security measures, protocols and planning

• • Expand District Security Team (greater coverage districtwide) and reinstate School Resource Officer programming
  • Continue to implement 2024 Security Assessment recommendations
  • Year 2 implementation of Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (research-based C-STAG model)

Successfully transition to our reconfigured Middle Schools

• • Provide for staffing needs in all areas for Grade 6 only at VA and Grades 7-8 at Iroquois
  • Year 1 implementation of program recommendations from Middle School Redesign Team

Support student mental health, well-being and social-emotional learning

• • Ensure adequate student mental health support
  • Continue to support and build capacity for Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools
  • Support successful implementation of new cell phone policy/practices

Promote Niskayuna as an “Employer of First Choice” in the Capital Region

• • Continue to evaluate of and invest in salary and wage competitiveness
  • Strategic use of resources to enhance the Employee Experience
  • Perform outreach across the community, region and beyond to build a diverse workforce

2025-26 Budget Development Calendar

The following calendar was adopted by the Board of Education on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. It outlines Board of Education meeting dates, community engagement efforts, legal deadlines, and voting activities leading up to the school budget vote on Tuesday, May 20.

Dec. 2-17: Budget priority ThoughtExchange

Jan. 2025: Executive Budget Proposal released (anticipated mid-Jan.)

Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28 / Feb. 4: Leadership Budget Conferences

Jan. 7: Board of Education Meeting, Budget Development, 2025-26 Budget Priorities

Jan. 17: Board of Education Finance Committee Meeting, review Preliminary Budget Assumptions, State Aid/Executive Budget Proposal (if available), 2025-26 Budget Priorities

Jan. 28: Board of Education Meeting, 2025-26 Budget Development
Maintenance of Effort Budget, State Aid & Executive Budget Proposal (if available)

Feb. 11: Board of Education Meeting, 2025-26 Budget Development, 2024-25 Revenue (including 2025-26 Tax Cap)

Feb. 25: Board of Education Meeting, 2025-26 Budget Development, presentation of First Draft 2025-26 Budget

Feb. 28: Board of Education Finance Committee Meeting, review/discussion of First Draft 2025-26 Budget

March 1: Submit 2025-26 Tax Cap Calculation to the Office of the State Comptroller, Tax & Finance, SED

March 11: Board of Education Meeting, 2025-26 Budget Development

March 21: Board of Education Finance Committee Meeting, review/discuss Proposed 2025-26 Budget, Deadline for Submission of Petitions for Propositions to be placed on the ballot

March 25: Board of Education Meeting, discussion of proposed 2025-26 Budget, Adopt Bus Purchase Resolution

April 4-7: Legal notice of school budget hearing and budget vote. (Must advertise four times within 7 weeks of the vote with first publication at least 45 days before date of budget vote.)

April 8: Board of Education Meeting, 2025-26 Budget Development, Adoption of 2025-26 Budget

April 9: Submit Property Tax Report Card to SED and local newspaper of general circulation (after budget adoption)

April/May: Community & PTO Budget Presentations

April 21: Deadline for Submission of Petitions for Nominations of Board
of Education Candidates, inform candidates of legal requirements for all candidates for election to the Board of Education; first sworn statement of
campaign contributions due to District Clerk.

April 22: Drawing by District Clerk for determination of candidate ballot order

April 25: Budget Newsletter Mailed to all residents, final date for Budget Adoption by the Board of Education (Property Tax Report Card must be submitted to NYSED by the end of the next business day following budget adoption and submitted to newspaper of general circulation), military ballots must be mailed by this date

April 29: Budget Statement and Required Attachments available in
school offices, website, town library, and upon request

May 6: Board of Education Meeting, Public Budget Hearing

May 7: Budget Notice Mailed to all residents

May 13: Last Day for absentee ballots to be requested if ballot is to
be mailed

May 15: Second Sworn Statement of Board of Education candidates
campaign contributions or loans in excess of $1,000 due to
District Clerk

May 15-19: List of residents given absentee ballots available for
inspection

May 19: Last day for absentee ballots to be requested in person

May 20: Statewide Budget Vote and Board of Education Election
Day

June 9: Last Day for Board of Education candidates to file final
campaign finance statement (within 20 days after election)

June 17: Statewide Budget Revote Day

July 1: Implement 2025-26 School Budget

---

2024-25 Budget Information

On Tuesday, May 21 Niskayuna Central School District voters approved the 2024-25 school budget, with 1,021 casting votes in favor of the $110.7 million spending plan and 562 opposed.

Voters also approved the bus purchase proposition by a vote of 1,059 to 524 and the capital reserve proposition by a vote of 1,102 to 472.

The results, announced at Niskayuna High School shortly after polls closed, showed 64% percent of voters supported the budget.

The budget called for a tax levy increase of 2%, which is below the district’s tax cap for next year. The budget continues all current student programs and staff in the General Fund as well as nearly $1.8 million in new investments in education in our school district.

New investments were guided by nine budget priorities that focused broadly on expanding educational access and opportunity, support for students and learning and district operational needs, including facilities upkeep. Investing in student, faculty and staff support in particular were major community budget priorities identified through an online budget dialogue on the ThoughtExchange platform.

Ehaysui Gomes was elected to a first term on the Board of Education, while Howard Schlossberg was elected to a fourth term.