With the passage of the New York State budget, the South Colonie Central School District will receive an increase in state aid that will support a range of academic and student service enhancements across the district.

The district is in a position to benefit from this funding due to long-standing local investment decisions made well before the state expanded funding in Universal Prekindergarten (UPK). South Colonie has historically prioritized and funded UPK using local dollars in advance of state reimbursement. As a result, the new state aid will effectively backfill portions of the general fund, creating additional flexibility to reinvest those resources directly into student-centered priorities already underway. 

“These additional resources give us the ability to directly invest in supports that make a difference for students every day,” said Assistant Superintendent for Management Services and Strategic Planning Jacqlene McAllister. “Because we have consistently invested in early childhood programs and intervention services, this aid helps us stabilize and extend those efforts at various levels across literacy, math, and behavioral supports.” 

Among the planned additions is an additional Literacy Interventionist at Sand Creek Middle School, designed to provide targeted reading and writing intervention for students who need extra support in literacy development. The district will also add a Math AIS (Academic Intervention Services) teacher shared between Sand Creek and Lisha Kill Middle School to strengthen math support services.

Behavioral support will also be expanded through the addition of a districtwide Behavior Specialist position up to a full-time role based on student need.

“The additional aid will also help us to have some flexibility to adjust class sizes based on enrollment changes over the summer,” said McAllister.  “This helps ensure balanced learning environments.”

Special education staffing and program needs will also continue to be reviewed to ensure appropriate services are in place for all learners.

“As we plan ahead for the upcoming school year, our focus remains on using these resources thoughtfully to support students where the need is greatest and to strengthen outcomes across all schools.” 

More on the 2026-27 budget here.