Oct. 2, 2008 - Once again, the North Colonie Central School District was named one of the top performing school districts in the Capital Region by The Business Review of Albany.

North Colonie placed second in the newspaper’s annual rankings of the more than 80 school districts in 11 counties around the Capital Region. The 2008 rankings were published in The Business Review’s Sept. 26 – Oct. 2 edition.
 

North Colonie has ranked among the top three school districts every year since 2003 and was ranked as the top district three years in a row, from 2004 to 2006.

In addition to top-notch educational performance, the district’s fiscal prudence was highlighted in the newspaper’s examination of property tax bills for each district. North Colonie ranked 70 on that list, meaning homeowners in 69 other area school districts paid higher property taxes on a home assessed at the same price.

Superintendent Randy Ehrenberg said North Colonie's ranking is an affirmation of the school district’s continuing efforts to provide a high-quality education to students at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.

“We work tirelessly to revise and improve our curriculum and to offer our students programs that will help them succeed in school and throughout life,” Ehrenberg said. “We also have a responsibility to our taxpayers, and therefore we make sure that every dollar we receive is spent as wisely as it can be.”

The newspaper uses data from the New York State Education Department to rank each district. The data include student scores on Regents exams and state assessments in language/reading, social studies and math, as well as graduation statistics, such as the percentage of graduates who earn a Regents diploma with an advanced designation, and the percentage of seniors who plan to attend college or another form of post-secondary school.
 

Shaker High School Principal Richard Murphy said the district has always encouraged students to do more than meet minimum requirements to earn a Regents diploma. High school students are offered a robust curriculum that includes programs such as University in the High School, which allows students to earn college credits in various subjects, he said.
 

For example, 49 percent of the 2008 graduating class took five years of foreign language classes, which enabled them to earn as many as 10 college credits before graduation, said Galina Kats, the high school’s foreign language supervisor.
 

Earning college credits while in high school gives students an advantage when applying to college, saves them money when they get there and exposes them to different cultures, which is becoming more important in today’s increasingly global economy.