BALLSTON SPA VOTERS APPROVE $104M BUDGET, PASS PROPOSITIONS

BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa Central School District residents voted Tuesday to approve the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year, and also voted to approve two propositions.

The proposed budget is $104,232,811, and was approved by an unofficial vote of 941 in favor to 348 against. The school vehicle replacement proposition (Proposition II) passed by an unofficial vote of 970 in favor to 316 against, and the Ballston Spa Public Library proposition (Proposition III) passed by an unofficial vote of 1,043 in favor to 245 against, according to results made available by the district.

The 2023-24 budget contains a 5.7% increase in expenditures from 2022-23, and a tax levy of $58,016,479, a 3.1% increase from 2022-23.

The school vehicle replacement proposition (Proposition II) will allow the district to spend up to $965,000 to purchase and replace school buses and vehicles. The Ballston Spa Public Library proposition (Proposition III) will allow the district to collect and contribute $62,102 to the public library for expenses of operation.

District residents also elected three candidates to three available seats on the BSCSD Board of Education on Tuesday. Matt Dreher (929 votes), Katie Whittemore (893 votes), and Julia Routbort Baskin (826 votes) each were elected to the BSCSD Board of Education.

Each candidate will serve a three-year term.

Whittemore was re-elected to the board for a second term, having first been elected in 2020. She has twice been elected vice president of the board. Whittemore has two children in the district, and has worked as a mathematics teacher at Shenendehowa High School since 2006.

Baskin was elected for her first full term, having been appointed to the board in September 2022 following the resignation of Wayne Evans Jr. She works as Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Health and Wellness at Skidmore College, and has two children who attended the district. She has lived in Ballston Spa for 19 years.

Dreher was re-elected for his second term on the board, having first been elected in 2020. He is a graduate of Ballston Spa, and has two children who attended the district. Dreher works as a Senior Caseworker for Adult Protective Services at the Saratoga County Department of Social Services, and is a board member at the Christian Childhood Center at St. Paul’s.

SCHUYLERVILLE RESIDENTS APPROVE DISTRICT BUDGET FOR 2023-24

SCHUYLERVILLE — Residents of Schuylerville Central School District voted Tuesday to approve the district’s budget for the 2023-24 school year by a vote of 515 in favor and 102 against.

The budget totals $38.4 million, and carries a 0.63% spending decrease with an estimated tax levy increase of 1.98%.

“On behalf of the Board of Education and administration, I’d like to thank the community for their support,” said superintendent Gregg Barthelmas in a statement released by the district. “The 2023-24 budget is one that maintains the district’s strong level of academic opportunities for all students, with a focus on mental health prioritization.

It is our goal to present taxpayers with a fair and balanced budget. Schuylerville CSD has always been known for its high-quality education and the passage of this budget continues to preserve that for our students.”

District residents also elected three candidates to the SCSD Board of Education. Jamie Martin (514 votes) and Michele Renner (426 votes) were each elected to serve five-year terms, while Shaun Cumm (320 votes) was elected to a one-year term.

Martin is a graduate of Schuylerville High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Villanova University and a postgraduate certificate at Russell Sage College, and currently works as a registered dietitian at Hudson Headwaters Health Network.

Renner is a resident of Schuylerville and has a son in the high school, as well as two older sons who graduated from the district. She has worked as an elementary teacher for 28 years, and currently works at Geyser Road Elementary School in the Saratoga Springs City School District.

Cumm is a resident of Gansevoort and graduated from South Glens Falls High School. He works as a physician’s assistant at Glens Falls Hospital for Adirondack Cardiology. Cumm has been a volunteer for the South High Marathon Dance for over 20 years, and has coached a variety of youth sports.