District residents approve 2013-14 budget

North Colonie residents approved the district’s $98.2 million budget for 2013-14 on Tuesday, May 21, by a tally of 1,445 yes votes to 688 no votes. » LEARN MORE

Instructional coaches get to the Core of the matter

North Colonie took an innovative approach to implementing the Common Core Learning Standards in the classroom. As part of the 2012-13 budget, six instructional coaches – all of them North Colonie teachers – have had the opportunity to go on “special assignment” for the year to serve as Common Core specialists in math and ELA in grades K-6. » LEARN MORE 

Flipped Learning turns traditional classroom upside down

Since the beginning of the school year, more than 60 North Colonie teachers, districtwide, have adopted this style of teaching, where instead of students taking notes in class and doing homework outside of class, teachers make instructional videos for kids to watch at home and then spend classroom instruction time doing activities based on the videos. » LEARN MORE  » WATCH ACCOMPANYING VIDEO

District gets additional $290,000 in state aid

The district-by-district breakdown of aid distributions in the state budget that is making its way toward final approval is now available. Under the plan, North Colonie would receive an additional $290,000 in state aid over what Governor Cuomo’s initial budget proposed in January. » READ MORE

Understanding New York's tax levy cap

With year one of New York’s property tax “cap” now behind
us, details about the law’s provisions and impact continue
to evolve. This publication answers some questions that
parents, taxpayers and school staff members might still have,
based on lessons learned during the implementation of the law in 2012. » LEARN MORE

North Colonie to lose additional $105,000 due to sequestration cuts

With state aid remaining virtually flat in 2013-14 and the district's annexation aid decreasing over the next few years, North Colonie was notified this week that it will lose $105,000 in sequestration cuts. » LEARN MORE ON THE IMPACT OF CUTS (Education Speaks)

What the GEA really means for our schools

Have you been hearing about the Gap Elimination Adjustment, or GEA, but are not really sure what it is and how it's impacting school districts? You are not alone. » READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEO

Recap: Running Out of Time and Options - A Call to Action

Monday night's regional advocacy workshop at Niskayuna High School brought hundreds of school district stakeholders together to learn how to effectively advocate for their schools. Robert Lowry and Kyle Belokopitsky from the New York State Council of School Superintendents were the featured presenters and offered “how-to” strategies and techniques for helping parents, teachers and taxpayers reach out to lawmakers and take that important step in advocating for educational change. » FULL RECAP

Thousands turn out for regional advocacy event at Columbia HS

North Colonie thanks everyone who attended or watched online the “Your Public Schools in Fiscal Peril: Running Out of Time and Options” event at Columbia High School on Thursday night. The evening served as an unprecedented gathering of more than 1,000 public education stakeholders, representing the 47 Capital Region component school districts of Capital Region BOCES and Questar III BOCES. » READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEO

January 14 Budget Forum materials

The district held a Community Budget Forum on sustainability on January 14. Click on the links below for the materials shared that night.

» WATCH FORUM

» POWERPOINT PRESENTATION [PDF]

» CURRENT BUDGET OVERVIEW AND DETAILED OPTIONS [PDF]

» SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS [PDF]

» FACT SHEETS [PDF]

Governor outlines education in 2013 State of the State address

Forecasting his agenda for 2013, Governor Cuomo presented his State of the State address on Wednesday. The governor indicated that he plans to expand New York Open for Business efforts with a "one - two punch" of jobs and education. » READ MORE

New York gets a “D” in school funding distribution

A new report published by the Education Law Center and Rutgers University Graduate School of Education argues that inequities at the district level may be exacerbated by the formulas states use to allocate funds to school districts. » LEARN MORE (VIA EDUCATION SPEAKS) | » HOW NYS DISTRIBUTES AID

Analysis details sharp decline in state support for public school funding since 2007

The Statewide School Finance Consortium (SSFC), a New York coalition representing over half of the state's public school systems, has issued a report that addresses long-standing disparities in state education aid funding. » READ MORE |

» DOWNLOAD REPORT