June 24, 2009 - For the sixth time in nine years, The Business Review of Albany has ranked North Colonie as the Capital Region's top performing school district.

The Business Review uses report card data from the New York State Education Department to produce an annual rank of the region's 85 school districts. North Colonie has ranked among the top three districts each year since 2001 and was ranked as the top district three years in a row, from 2004 to 2006. The district was ranked second twice (2002-03 and 2007-08) and third once (2006-07) during the nine-year stretch.

The most recent rankings were published in The Business Review's June 19-25 edition.

In addition to top-notch educational performance, the district's fiscal prudence was highlighted in the newspaper's examination of spending per pupil for each district. North Colonie ranked 67 on that list, which means 66 school districts (including eight of the top ten) spend more per pupil than North Colonie. Further, homeowners in other districts generally pay higher property tax bills on homes assessed at the same price. Of the top five ranked districts, North Colonie's tax bill was the lowest by more than $1,300 for a home assessed at $300,000. Of the top 10 ranked districts, North Colonie's tax bill on a home assessed at $300,000 was the second lowest.

Superintendent Randy Ehrenberg thanked parents for their support and administrators, teachers and staff for their fine work.

"This honor is the result of the district's top-to-bottom efforts to provide students with exceptional educational opportunities at a reasonable cost to our taxpayers," she said.

The Business Review 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, math, science and social studies, 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 encourages students to exceed the 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. 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.