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Scotia-Glenville Central School District Budget

Making well-informed choices regarding our school district’s budget is essential. The district and Board of Education are committed to working together with our community to thoughtfully navigate these challenges. 

Scotia-Glenville School District approves $67M budget with strong support

On May 19, Scotia-Glenville Central School District successfully passed its $67,155,932 budget with 71% approval, receiving 1,078 votes in favor and 447 against, out of 1,525 total votes. In the school board election, Kimberly Boucher Furnish led with 930 votes, followed by Jason McCord with 828, Katie Walters with 747, Karnjit Singh with 630, and Amy Marlette with 582.

Proposition 2, concerning the replacement of a diesel bus, passed with 1,075 votes for and 450 against, maintaining the same total votes as the budget. Proposition 3, aimed at upgrading EV infrastructure, narrowly passed with 772 votes in favor and 751 opposed, from a slightly lower total of 1,523 votes.

Read the budget night message here.

    • Yes votes: 1,078
    • No votes: 447
    • Total votes: 1,525
    • Approval percentage: 71%
       

    • Jason McCord: 828
    • Karnjit Singh: 630
    • Kimberly Boucher Furnish: 930
    • Katie Walters: 747
    • Amy Marlette: 582
       

    • Yes votes: 1,075
    • No votes: 450
    • Total votes: 1,525
       

    • Yes votes: 772
    • No votes: 751
    • Total votes: 1,523

May 6: Public Budget Hearing and “Meet the Candidates Night”

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, the Scotia-Glenville Board of Education will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2026-27 budget in the Middle School Cafeteria. Immediately following, the community will have an opportunity to hear from the candidates running for the school board in a “Meet the Candidates Night,” where questions will be posed for each candidate to answer. 

The Public Budget Hearing and “Meet the Candidates Night” was open to the public and streamed live on the district’s YouTube Channel.

Click here to watch.

  • Voters will select from five candidates competing for three open positions on the school board. Each position has a three-year, unpaid term. The order in which candidates will appear on the ballot was established through a random drawing. This is the sequence in which the candidates will be listed on the ballot: Jason McCord, Karnjit Singh, Kimberly Boucher Furnish, Katie Walters and Amy Marlette. 

    You can view the candidate bios in this link. 

     

2026-27 Budget Vote and School Board Election

May 19 from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. in the High School B-Wing Gym
On Tuesday, May 19, Scotia-Glenville residents will be asked to consider a $67,155,932 budget for the 2026-27 school year. The proposal complies with state mandates while preserving all existing programs, services, and extracurricular activities for our students. Additionally, it maintains funding for two full-time school resource officers. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the high school B-Wing Gym.

The proposed budget reflects a spending increase of less than 1% or $642,238 from the current year. It also includes a tax levy rise of 1.78%, amounting to $615,267. For a home with an assessed value of $160,000, the estimated tax increase would be approximately $102 per year, or about $8.50 per month, before any STAR savings are applied.

In addition to the proposed budget, there will be two additional propositions included on the May 19 ballot, neither of which impact the tax levy for the 2026-27 budget. 

  • A proposal to purchase a new 57-passenger, wheelchair-accessible diesel bus for $214,000, replacing the 12-year-old wheelchair-accessible Bus 213. The new bus, expected between September and November 2026, offers more seating for efficient routing and matches the capacity of an existing wheelchair bus. The retired bus will be auctioned, with proceeds helping to cover debt service payments, which won’t impact the budget until the 2027-28 school year. The district plans to pay off the bond over five years, resulting in a net annual cost of $14,248 after state transportation aid from 2027 to 2032.

  • The EV Infrastructure Upgrade Project reflects the district’s commitment to sustainability without affecting the 2026-27 tax levy. This project is part of a NYS mandate requiring all school buses purchased to be zero-emission by 2027 and the entire fleet to be electric by 2035. Furthermore, it is anticipated that there will be no tax impact in future years for this $3 million project due to incentives from the New York School Bus Incentive Program (NYSBIP) and National Grid, as well as transportation aid and building aid.

2026-27 Budget Proposal Overview

Balancing fiscal responsibility with educational stability, the 2026-27 budget proposal aims to enhance student support amidst school consolidation and staffing adjustments

During the budget workshop on March 23, Superintendent Susan Swartz and Business Manager Andrew Giaquinto outlined a budget proposal that manages staffing cuts, reducing 19 instructional and 13.61 non-instructional positions, along with administrative changes, while maintaining overall resource balance and student support. Due to attrition, unfilled vacancies, and positions filled by outside agencies, a total of 17.75 staff members are impacted. Among these, 4 have already been reassigned within the district for next year.

  • 19 positions, including 8 teachers, 1 principal, and 1 teaching assistant due to the closure of Glen-Worden Elementary School

  • A total reduction of 13.61 positions, including nurses, custodians, monitors, and secretarial roles

Process calendar for 2026-2027 budget

Make your voice heard with your vote and throughout the budget approval process.

  • Month of January departmental discussions on budgets

    January 26

  • February 9

    • Summary of 2/9 meeting – Important updates on elementary school changes and budget plans
      • Carry-Forward Update
      • First Tax Cap Discussion
      • Bus Proposition & EV Project
      • Proposition Discussion

    February 23

    • Announcement
    • Summary of 2/23 meeting – Announcing transition timeline for elementary consolidation
      • Board Decision on Tax Cap
         

  • March 1

    • Property Tax Cap Reports Due

    March 2

    March 9

    • Petitions for BOE Seats Available in District Office
    • Budget Work Session – Superintendent Swartz (meeting canceled – no quorum)

    March 16

    • Announcement
    • Summary of 3/16 Meeting – Superintendent’s budget plan bridges $2.7 million gap for 2026-27

    March 23

    • Announcement
    • Summary of 3/23 Meeting – 2026-27 Budget proposal and elementary transition
      • Regular Board Meeting -Final Date for Adoption of Budget
      • Property Tax Report Card due w/in 24 hours of budget adoption
      • Appoint Chairperson, Chief Inspector, Inspectors and Assistant Clerks for Annual District Election
      • 3/26 Presentation Slides – budget update  

  • April 2-April 6

    • First Legal Notice

    April 20

    • Deadline for petitions turned into Business Office

    April 21

    • Drawing for ballot positions

    April 24

    • Military Ballots mailed

    April 29

    • Special Board Meeting (BOCES budget vote)

  • May 6

    • 6 p.m. Public Budget Hearing
    • Meet the Candidate Night

    May 9

    • Last day to register to vote with the County

    May 12

    • Last day to request an absentee ballot or early ballot be mailed

    May 13

    • Budget Notice Mailed

    May 18

    • Last day to request an absentee ballot in person

    May 19

    • 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Statewide Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election in the High School B-Wing Gym
    • 5:00 p.m. deadline for receipt of absentee ballots
       

Who can vote?

Community members who are U.S. citizens may vote in the school elections if they:

  • Have been a resident for at least 30 days before the May vote;
  • Are at least 18 years old.

The district uses registration books from the Schenectady County Board of Elections. If you are not registered, you may vote by showing an official proof of residency.

Can I mail my ballot?

Ability to vote by mail or in person

You must fill out an application to vote by early voting or absentee ballot. There are separate applications for voting by early voting or absentee ballot, but the application process and deadlines are the same for both.

  • Applications for absentee and early mail in ballots cannot be accepted more than 30 days before the election.  This year, in 2026, that would be April 19.
  • You can either mail or personally deliver your ballot to District Clerk Cathy Smith at the S-G District Office, located at 900 Preddice Parkway, Scotia, NY 12302.

Absentee ballots

Residents who are disabled, hos­pitalized or out of town on the day of the school budget vote may cast absentee ballots. They are available at the Scotia-Glen­ville business office, 900 Preddice Parkway (end of Lark Street), Scotia. (518) 347-3600, ext. 7102

Early mail ballots

In addition, the Early Mail Voter Act, effective January 1, 2024, allows for early voting via mail without any reasons needed for voting early. 

What if the budget were defeated?

If the school budget were defeated once, it could be amended and a second vote scheduled. If the budget were defeated twice, the Board of Education must adopt a contingency budget – meaning the tax levy would be the same as the current year’s tax levy.

How does the state’s STAR program affect my tax bill?

The New York State School Tax Relief Program (STAR), which applies only to primary residences, is paid by the state to the school district and is not administered by Scotia-Glenville.

There are two STAR programs: an older program reduces the STAR amount directly from school tax bills in September; the newer program sends the STAR amount to homeowners as a rebate check in the fall.

  • Basic STAR
    • The STAR program in 2025-26 would reduce school tax bills in Glenville by an estimated maximum of $502 for Basic STAR recipients. Property owners with incomes below $500,000 are eligible.
  • Enhanced STAR
    • For property owners who receive the Enhanced STAR deduction, the Glenville reduction in 2025-26 would be an estimated maximum of $1,199. Enhanced STAR is for property owners over age 65 with incomes of less than $107,300.

More information

2025-26 Budget Revote Snapshot

** The Property Tax Report Card is available in the school buildings.  Please contact the building to make arrangements to view the file.