BALLSTON SPA — Spa Academy, a unique program that allows Ballston Spa High School students to study in a college environment and earn college credits, is being “paused” for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, according to Superintendent Gianleo Duca.
For the last three years, Hudson Valley Community College’s North campus in Malta hosted the academy. But due to its expansion and increased enrollment, the college can no longer accommodate the program. Duca said he was notified of this in late February.
“The Spa Academy program takes up some pretty prime real estate at a really good time spot for college classes,” Duca said at an April 17 Ballston Spa Central School District Board of Education meeting. Duca said he hoped to restart the program in the Fall of 2025.
The district searched for an alternate site to house the program, but couldn’t secure one in time for the 24-25 school year.
While the district continues its search for a new site, current Spa Academy juniors will be able to finish their high school careers on the Hudson Valley campus, where they can take both high school and college classes. Current freshmen and sophomores (about 30 students total) will come back to Ballston Spa High School until a new academy site can be secured.
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Duca said, “but I do think we’re going to be able to relaunch Spa Academy for Fall 2025.”
Hailed as a “new and innovative high school model” upon its launch in 2021, Spa Academy students can earn a high school Regents diploma while simultaneously enrolling in courses that give them college credits.
