Ballston Spa superintendent outlines district priorities, $61.8 million capital project set for Dec. 9 referendum

Superintendent Dr. Duca told the Ballston Spa Central School District Board of Education on Sept. 17 that the district’s six priorities and a proposed $61,813,000 capital project — to be placed before voters in a Dec. 9 public referendum — would focus on building infrastructure, instructional spaces and athletics.

The proposal covers upgrades at the high school, middle school and elementary buildings, including auditorium and media‑center renovations, expanded career and technical education (CTE) space, new chillers and cooling towers, expanded fitness facilities and athletic‑field improvements. The superintendent said the district is using about $7.8 million from its capital reserve to reduce borrowing and estimated the average $390,000 single‑family home in the district would pay about $87.46 per year after state aid, as presented to the board.

Why it matters: The project would replace aging mechanical systems and address classroom and commons spaces used daily by students and community groups. Officials said the work would also increase capacity for CTE and performing‑arts programs and add turf and lighting at athletic fields that the district said are heavily used by students and outside organizations.

Dr. Duca opened the presentation by framing district work around six priorities: family and community engagement; multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS); reducing chronic absenteeism; curriculum, instruction and assessment; diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; and infrastructure improvements tied to the capital project. “We are committed to maximizing the success of our students,” Dr. Duca said.

On district goals: The superintendent described a districtwide alignment effort so building goals support the district priorities. The MTSS initiative — led by Dr. Sisk and district and building committees — will produce MTSS handbooks for elementary, middle and high school and a web page of intervention resources. The district reported 87% of faculty and staff said they feel a sense of belonging in the district on a recent internal survey; student survey data for grades 3–12 were cited as guiding further work to improve belonging and attendance.

On equity and school climate: Dr. Duca said building administrators received training in restorative practices over the summer and the district plans to expand student circles and related professional development. He showed a new placard design with the slogan “Be here, be you, belong” that the district will place in classrooms.

On the capital project: Officials said stakeholder planning began in June 2024 and a community survey closed July 11 with 518 respondents. Major high‑school elements described included renovating the auditorium (lighting, sound, storage), expanding the media center, enlarging the weight/fitness room from roughly 850 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet, improving CTE storage and adding air conditioning to several labs and large common spaces.

Athletics and site work: The project would relocate tennis courts (from eight to 10 courts), add roughly 150 parking spaces, construct an eight‑lane track with turf infield to support soccer, lacrosse and flag football, add lights and a double‑decker press box, and increase visitor seating and ADA access. Administrators said the turf and lighting would allow evening community use.

Middle and elementary scope: At the middle school the plan includes air conditioning for larger spaces, a new classroom created from the media center footprint, kitchen and freezer upgrades, a renovated health suite and roof work. Elementary items noted for Gordon Creek, Malta Avenue, Wood Road and Milton Terrace included HVAC improvements for gyms and cafeterias, stage and curtain replacement, playground and paved‑area repairs, and soundproofing a computer room above a library.

Operations and transportation: The district said work also targets grounds and maintenance buildings, transportation‑yard pavement, fuel‑island canopy improvements and EV charging infrastructure to meet future vehicle‑charging needs.

Timeline and cost: Project work is divided into phases: Phase 1a (high‑school cooling towers) and 1b (selected sites), Phase 2 (bulk of high‑school/middle‑school work), and Phase 3 (Malta and grounds/maintenance). The superintendent said, if approved, the project would run through summer and school‑year work with targeted completion around August 2031. Financial figures presented to the board: a total project cost of $61,813,000; roughly $7.8 million from capital reserve; borrowing estimated at $54,063,000; estimated interest of about $21,000,191; and total debt of $75,254,195. After anticipated state building aid the superintendent presented a net remaining share of roughly $26,732,733 and an estimated homeowner cost of $87.46 per year on an average assessed single‑family home of $390,000, as shown to the board.

Questions from board members clarified that the tax‑impact estimate includes a 2% projected increase in assessed value but does not include any potential tax base changes from the GlobalFoundries site, the superintendent said.

Next steps: The board scheduled a resolution to set the referendum date at the Oct. 1 meeting and the public vote is set for Dec. 9. District staff said they will continue community outreach and weekly planning meetings with architects and the project manager.

Ending: The board will receive additional building‑level goal presentations and assessment trend data in coming months, and will consider the capital project timeline and final plan at subsequent meetings prior to the Dec. 9 referendum.