District overview
North Colonie Central School District
How North Colonie pays for its eight schools, who decides, and what big projects are underway.
Who pays for North Colonie's schools?
North Colonie is an ordinary New York school district in Albany County with about 6,200 students. Its budget is paid mostly by local property taxes and state aid. A state tax cap limits how fast the tax levy (the total collected from property owners) can grow, and voters approve the budget every May on the third Tuesday. When state aid grows slowly and costs jump, the district can use savings (fund balance and reserves) to fill the gap.
Voters approved a $164.6 million budget on May 19, 2026
The vote was 1,103 yes to 355 no. The budget is 6.02% bigger than 2025-26, and the tax levy rises 3.90% (the legal limit was 4.689%). The next vote is scheduled for May 18, 2027.
State aid grew the least since before the pandemic
Foundation aid rises $1,156,382 (3.32%), compared with $2,991,728 the year before, even though enrollment keeps growing. Health insurance rates rose 9.54% to 20% and electricity about 23%.
Savings covered a bigger share of the gap
The budget uses about $3.5 million of fund balance and reserves, up from about $0.9 million last year. The district calls 2026-27 a year of recalibration and says it cannot draw on savings at this level every year.
Who decides: nine unpaid, elected board members
The Board of Education has nine members serving volunteer five-year terms, elected on budget-vote day. It sets policy, adopts the budget and hires the superintendent, Kathleen Skeals. The whole board acts as a committee of the whole on budget, policy, curriculum and other topics, and the regular monthly meeting is on a Monday at 6 p.m., rotating among the schools.
The district reports a State Comptroller fiscal stress score of 15 out of 100 (No Designation) for fiscal year 2025, and it is among the few upstate districts still growing. Higher spending and heavier use of savings do not by themselves show a problem; they show why the next budgets are likely to be tighter.
Where the district stands
Up 6.02% from 2025-26's $155,230,502.
Property tax revenue $102,308,225, up $3,840,251. The cap allowed 4.689%.
A 3.32% rise; the prior year's rise was $2,991,728.
$1.5 million appropriated fund balance, $1,279,262 retirement reserve and $750,000 debt reserve; 2025-26 used $907,642.
Projected 6,219 for 2026-27; about 700 more students than ten years ago.
Plus restricted reserves such as $7.0 million for accrued employee leave.
No Designation; 20 in 2024 and 25 in 2023.
Part of a $182,475,000 master plan; the superintendent said state building aid would cover about 78%.
Calculated: $164,581,354 divided by 6,168 students. It includes transportation, benefits, debt and special education, so it is not what is spent in a classroom.
The district moved agendas and minutes to BoardDocs, which this project could not copy. This is a gap in what was collected, not evidence that minutes do not exist.
Major projects
2024 Capital Project at Shaker High School
Construction under wayA $94.1 million project: a new J-wing with seven classrooms and four science labs, about 50 renovated classrooms, new cafeterias, an enlarged auditorium, art and music space renovations, a turf field on Lower Maloy and new lights on Walker Field. Work began in December 2025 with a temporary cafeteria in the library. Walker Field closed June 1 and the tennis courts June 22, 2026.
- Capital project placed before voters with the 2024-25 budget
- Phases 1 and 2 begin in December 2025 (temporary cafeteria, Taft cafeteria construction)
- May 2026: J-wing excavation and geothermal wells under way
- Tennis courts close for renovation (expected to reopen about July 27)
Funding
Voter-approved project with state building aid (about $73.5 million, 78%, expected per the district; about $20.5 million local)
Cost and aid shares are the district's 2024 estimates.
2027-28 budget vote and board election
Calendar setThe district's 2026-27 calendar shows the regular board meeting on April 20, 2027 for the BOCES budget, the canvass of the vote on May 18 and the next regular meeting May 24. Mary Alber's seat (term ends 2027) is up. The budget committee meetings usually run in March.
- Budget vote and board election (third Tuesday of May)
Funding
Property tax levy and state aid, decided by voters
Bus garage and electric bus planning
Options under studyState rules require zero-emission school buses on a schedule the district describes as a 2027 mandate with a waiver process, and an electric 74-passenger bus costs about $470,000 versus about $176,000 for diesel. The 2026-27 budget buys ten diesel buses for just under $2 million. In January 2026 staff asked the Long Range Planning Committee for direction on appraising five district-owned parcels and exploring land for a new bus garage.
- Long Range Planning Committee reviews options
- Budget meeting presents diesel bus purchase
- Voters approve budget including bus purchases
Funding
Not yet determined; no new garage is funded
Together for Every Learner Plan, 2026-2029
Year oneA three-year plan on family communication, student support systems, technology including artificial intelligence, and graduation pathways under New York's changing graduation rules. For AI it calls for district guidelines, approved tools, staff training and student AI lessons.
- Plan announced to the community
Funding
Not stated in the plan
Fund Balance and Reserve Plan 2026-27
Board reviewA plan presented to the Board in September 2026 recommending $3,046,028 in new reserve funding, mainly $2,000,000 for insurance, $559,561 for workers' compensation and $486,467 for property-tax refund claims.
- Plan posted on the district website
Funding
2025-26 year-end funds and fund balance
Recent news
Figures marked verified come from the district's own budget statement, budget newsletter, budget presentations, reserve plan, long-range planning slides and capital project page. Per-student spending is a calculation and is marked context. Board meeting details come from auto-generated captions of the district's recorded budget meetings, because the board's agenda and minutes site (BoardDocs) could not be copied.
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