District reports record participation in budget 'thought exchange' and updates capital projects

District officials briefed the board on two administrative topics: the results of a public 'thought exchange' used to inform budget priorities, and the status of capital projects across district campuses.

Budget staff said the thought exchange produced four‑year highs in engagement: 874 participants, 726 posted thoughts and roughly 29,030 ratings, which staff said helps identify community priorities that will feed into the budget-priorities document. The administration will return Jan. 13 with a deeper analysis and a first draft of budget priorities and aims to present final priorities in February to guide budget development.

Construction partners from Turner and King provided a capital-project update: Van Antwerp is substantially complete with limited punch‑list items remaining and phase 2b site work is beginning; the high school gym interior work and wall panels are finished and the project team is moving toward final punch lists. The presenter reported $12,900,000 of referendum funds remaining to carry into 2024 capital projects for phases affecting Van Antwerp and five elementary schools.

Board members and committee chairs noted an auditor's fixed-assets area audit and a corrective-action plan, and a BOCES representative described an approximate 2% increase in BOCES central-services costs to be shared proportionally among districts.

The meeting also handled a routine administrative item to accept and file a list of uncollected school taxes for re-levy by Schenectady and Albany counties, and later approved a motion to convene executive session to discuss legal and negotiation matters.