Scotia-Glenville board launches reimagining process, hears budget strain and capital-project delays

At a recent Scotia-Glenville Central School District Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Susan Schwartz outlined a volunteer-led "Reimagining Our Schools" process that will use multiple subgroups and public engagement to make recommendations on possible school repurposing or closure, and the board received updates on the district budget and capital projects.

Schwartz said the district will allow anyone who volunteers to join the reimagining subgroups: "anyone who responds and would like to be a part of it, we will make them part of it." She said subgroups will review past enrollment studies, conduct public forums and surveys (including student input), and populate a timeline and agendas on a district website. She told the board the district aims to have any closure and moves occur in 2026 and said staff and families would be informed ahead of the 2026-27 school year so students and staff would know placements by Sept. 1, 2026.

Why it matters: The process could result in repurposing or closing a school building, with effects on attendance boundaries, bus routes and staffing. Schwartz emphasized that reductions in force are governed by contract seniority rules and are districtwide rather than tied to a particular building: "teachers are not granted seniority based on the building they're in. It's their time in the district regardless of their building or their cert and for their certification." That means staff identified for potential reduction would be those lowest on district seniority lists, not necessarily staff at a single building.

Budget pressures and special education

District business staff presented the fiscal report showing reduced fund balance and specific cost pressures. Drew (district business manager) said the district's fund balance has declined since last year: "the surplus and the fund balance related to fund balance is down from 3.98% or 2,700,000 a year ago to 1.7%." He told the board that higher-than-expected special-education placements and unbudgeted students drove much of the change, reducing the district's position by roughly $700,000 compared with the prior year. Drew also said the district's self-funded prescription/drug program experienced a significant loss: "the self funded drug for Scotia lost about $1,000,000 in shares." He said the district is budgeting conservatively and will monitor projections in the fall.

Board member questions focused on whether grant-funded positions are multi-year (Drew said grant support is treated year by year) and on forecasts for students placed out of district; staff said initial projections in November will give a clearer picture.

Capital-project update

Gary Fuentes (district facilities staff) updated the board on the district capital project. He reported supply-chain delays for boiler components and other fixtures but said the district expects most equipment to arrive in time for fall: "we expect to have most of the intake in pretty good. By September, we'll definitely have heat by September 5." Fuentes said work on ventilation/related elements for Lincoln, Glenwarden, Glendale and the middle school will be partially complete by the start of school, but bulletproof glass deliveries are back-ordered and are likely to be installed around Thanksgiving recess. He said a general contractor withdrew during bidding, but value-engineering with the architect and construction manager reduced scope in small ways without compromising what the team viewed as core elements.

Public comment and timing concerns

In public comment, a resident identified as April urged the board to set an earlier firm decision date on repurposing or closure than the tentative January–February 2026 timeline referenced in board discussion, saying: "February is too late. This board needs a date." Teachers' Association President Sarah (last name not specified) raised clerical issues in the agenda regarding stipends and advisor listings and asked the board to correct those items.

Votes at a glance

The board approved a series of routine and policy items during the meeting. Each item below lists the motion text as provided on the record and the recorded outcome.

- Item 6 — "Accept the fiscal report for 24-25." Outcome: approved (motion and second recorded; chair called for "Aye," none opposed).

- Item 7 — "Approve the agreement between Scotia-Glenville Central School District and HMB Consultant." Outcome: approved.

- Item 8 — "Adopt the district code of conduct (elementary, middle school, senior high) with suggested changes." Outcome: approved.

- Item 9 — "Approve classroom rental and ancillary services agreement." Outcome: approved. Board discussion noted facilities include the high school and at least one other school building.

- Item 10 — "Approve distance learning classroom rental agreement with BOCES as submitted." Outcome: approved.

- Item 11 — "Approve new Board of Education policy (first reading) number 9545 for extreme heat conditions." Outcome: approved. Discussion clarified that principals will relocate students to air-conditioned spaces when temperatures reach higher thresholds and that rooms are monitored by classroom temperature sensors.

- Item 12 — "Approve revised Board of Education policy (first reading) 1240, visitors to the school, and 1040R, visitors regulation." Outcome: approved. The board discussed the Raptor visitor-management system that scans ID and checks state registries.

- Item 13 — "Accept the resolution to increase the tax certiorari reserve fund." Outcome: approved. The business manager described recent and historical tax-certiorari challenges by large taxpayers (including a referenced Walmart appeal) and said the reserve is intended to mitigate unexpected reductions.

- Item 14 — "Approve tuition for a nonresident student (relocating student request)." Outcome: approved.

Other routine communications and staffing items (communications a–g, staffing replacements, and an extension of a sports-transportation agreement) were bundled and approved.

What’s next

Schwartz said the district has formed about seven initial subgroups for the reimagining process and has received more than 40 volunteer sign-ups. The subgroups will set their own meeting schedules (generally not more than twice a month unless members decide otherwise), and the district will publish subgroup agendas and minutes on a designated webpage. The board asked staff to return with further fiscal projections in November and to continue providing construction updates in October and before the start of school.

Ending

No formal decisions about closing or repurposing a specific building were made at the meeting; the board approved the fiscal report and a slate of routine contracts and policies while beginning a public, subgroup-driven planning process that staff say is intended to produce recommendations for the board to consider before implementation in 2026.