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Superintendent: no layoffs in FY2025–26 budget; district adds unified PE and new girls extracurriculars
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Duka said the proposed FY2025–26 budget avoids layoffs, absorbs positions through retirements and adds several extracurriculars including unified PE at the high school and unified bocce. Extended school year (ESY) will be run in district facilities this summer after BOCES capacity issues.
The Ballston Spa Central School District superintendent, Dr. Duka, told the Board of Education May 7 that the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget does not include layoffs and that program offerings will be maintained and in some cases expanded.
Dr. Duka said the district used a retirement incentive negotiated with the teachers’ bargaining unit last year to reduce the budget gap and that the district is “not looking at any layoffs” for the coming year, a point she emphasized when summarizing staffing decisions.
Nut graf: District leaders said they absorbed a number of positions through retirements, will replace some retirees selectively, and are reallocating resources to preserve academic programs while adding extracurricular opportunities for students.
Staffing and program adjustments: Dr. Duka listed positions absorbed through retirement to balance the budget: one administrator, three teaching assistants, five high‑school classroom teachers, two middle‑school classroom teachers and one elementary librarian (12 positions total). She said the district will replace several retirees, including one teaching assistant, three high school classroom teachers, one elementary classroom teacher and one elementary school counselor.
Program additions and changes: The superintendent said the district added girls golf, girls wrestling and girls flag football this school year and will add unified bocce and unified physical education at the high school next fall. She explained that unified PE will partner students with adaptive programs and “is gonna count as PE credit,” mirroring the district’s unified‑sports structure.
Summer and special education services: Summer school was returned to the general budget from prior grant funding; the district will offer K–12 programming though officials said class sizes may be somewhat larger because grant funding is not available this year. Extended School Year (ESY) special education programs will be hosted in‑district this summer after BOCES informed the district late that it could not house two programs. Dr. Duka said ESY will be located at Gordon Creek for grades K–3, at the middle school for grades 4–8 and at the high school for grades 9–12; she said transportation will be provided.
School leaders described these changes as efforts to preserve core programming and equity of opportunity for students while managing fiscal constraints.
Ending: Dr. Duka closed by noting administrators and staff helped shape the plan, and she invited board and community members to upcoming town presentations and the May 20 budget vote.
