Ballston Spa board hears first FY2026 budget presentation; district flags aid, tax-cap and transportation pressures

Brian Sirianni, a district staff member who presented the budget, told the Ballston Spa Central School District Board of Education on Feb. 3 that the district’s preliminary 2026 revenue picture includes a 2% increase in state foundation aid, about $521,000.

“The minimum foundation increase that she is proposing is under the rate of inflation,” Sirianni said, adding: “For 2026, we're getting a 2% increase, that's $521,000.” He said that the proposed increase is below recent inflation figures and that the board will need to close other gaps in next months’ budget development.

Why it matters: foundation aid and local tax-cap rules drive much of the district’s revenue. Sirianni told the board the district faces a structural shortfall tied to a long-term decline in the assessed value associated with the GlobalFoundries plant and to rising transportation costs and out-of-district special-education transportation.

Sirianni explained the GlobalFoundries assessed value has fallen substantially over the past several years; as a result, the district must identify roughly $780,000 to balance next year's budget. “We've gotta find a way to make up that $780,000,” he said.

On revenue drivers and the tax cap, Sirianni walked the board through the…