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Author: Aidan Cahill

Absenteeism Continues to Drop at Ballston Spa Schools

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Education.

In the penultimate meeting of the school year, The Ballston Spa Central School District Board of Education heard from three principals regarding their progress on goals set at the beginning of the school year. 

The meeting took place on the night of Jun. 4. Board members heard from the principals of Wood Road Elementary, Malta Avenue Elementary and Ballston Spa High School. A major topic of the meeting was the continued decline in absenteeism in the school system. 

The first to speak was Wood Road Elementary Principal Kelly Cataldo. Cataldo is the shortest tenured principal in the district — having been hired as principal August 2024. In her presentation to the board, Cataldo said she focused her efforts on absenteeism, inclusion, and community engagement among other issues. 

Cataldo said chronic absenteeism —defined by the state as missing 10 percent of school days within one academic year for any reason — at the school has been going down and attendance has remained steady. While this year only saw a 0.4% drop in chronic absenteeism, the number has gone down significantly from 26.5% in the 2021-22 school year. At the same time, the attendance rate remained steady at 93%.

Looking specifically at kindergarten and first grade, where Cataldo said she put much of her focus, chronic absenteeism dropped by about 5%. Cataldo said this change in part was due to efforts by counselors to support students and by teachers to reach out to families at risk of having a student become chronically absent. 

The other major goal Cataldo focused on was inclusion within the school. Cataldo said some of the changes were cosmetic — like a new rug and chairs in the lobby — while others were more student focused. These student focused changes included having classroom teachers nominate a student of the month and highlighting one character trait a month for students to focus on. 

It was a similar story at the high school where principal Matthew Robinson said over the last four years chronic absenteeism has gone down from 32% in 2022 to 26% so far in 2025. Robinson said his strategy to reduce the number was focusing on 40 students (3% of the total) who were on the low end of chronic absenteeism and worked with them specifically. Of these 40 students, Robinson said, 21 are no longer chronically absent while 10 students saw an increase in 10 or more days absent. 

Another major issue that Robinson had focused on this year was the rate of students missing class. According to Robbinson, the total number of skipped classes had gone down from 989 classes skipped in 2022-23 to 700 this year so far. Beyond just the number of total skipped classes, Robinson pointed out the number of students cutting class went from 228 students cutting last year to 184 students cutting class this year. 

Robinson said part of the reason for the decline in skipped classes was due to increased discipline — a strategy Robinson said brought fights down from 54 fights last year to 20 this year. 

To tackle the problem of students cutting classes, the number of warnings was cut by 47%. At the same time, the number of in-school suspensions for cutting class went up by 16% and the number of lunch detentions went up by 21%. Robinson said the increased discipline was specifically focused on repeat offenders. 

“What we do is: if they’re multiple offenders, we increase the punishment,” Robinson said. 

As for why the number of warnings went down, Robinson said this came at the request of teachers in his building. 

“They wanted less warnings,” Robinson said. “The argument was students should know if they’re in high school, they shouldn’t be cutting.” 

Another one of Robinson’s major goals was increasing the number of economically disadvantaged students graduating. Robison’s goal at the beginning of the year was to increase the rate 70% last year to 80% this year.

 Of the 109 economically disadvantaged students who entered the school year this year, 12 dropped out while nine transferred to other schools. Robinson said he won’t know how many of the 88 remaining seniors will graduate. However, his hope is for all of them to graduate and that he is working towards that goal. 

Beyond the reports from the schools, the school boards approved the purchase of several diesel-powered vehicles and one electric school bus. 

Malta Honors Its Vets

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.


58 bricks were unveiled in the ceremony. Proceeds from the sale go to support the efforts of the Malta Veterans Appreciation Program. 

The Town of Malta and the Malta Veterans Appreciation Program honored its veterans and unveiled new additions to its veterans memorial in a recent ceremony outside the town building. 

The ceremony took place at the David T.  Wallingford Veteran Park on Route Nine, outside the Town of Malta town hall. The ceremony featured State Senator James Tedisco (NY-40) and New York Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner who both spoke at the event. 

The program unveiled 58 bricks at the memorial. Each brick was purchased by community members to honor a specific veteran or to support the work of program and show appreciation for veterans in the Malta area. Proceeds from the sale of the bricks help the program continue their work with veterans. 

During the ceremony, Sen. Tedisco awarded the organization the Senate’s Empire Award for their work with veterans. In addition, Assemblywoman Woerner presented a resolution honoring David Wallingford to his widow. Wallingford was a Vietnam War veteran and active member of the Malta community who died in March. 

In his remarks, Tedisco praised the veterans and the work of the Wallingford family for their work in the community. Similar remarks were made by Assemblywoman Woerner who highlighted the work of veterans in the community including the Wallingford family. 


State Senator James Tedisco (left) presents the Empire Award to Rennee Farley (center) and Town Supervisor Cynthia Young (right).
Photos by Aidan Cahill

“When the history of New York is written and people go into the law books to look at who were the leaders of our era, they will find David T Wallingford as one as one of the people who shaped our state and community,” Assemblywoman Woerner said. 

Rennee Farley, Chairperson of the Malta Veterans Appreciation Program said the program started in 2016 as a way to give back to veterans in the community.  They took over the monument in 2017 and have been expanding it ever since. 

Beyond the monument, Farley said the program works to meet veterans needs no matter what they need. 

“In just this year, we’ve already done four roofs, completely replaced two floors, we’ve done a handicap ramp, fixed two vehicles and a lot of groceries,” Farley said. “We don’t just try to fix them temporarily; we try to fix them permanently.” 

Farley said the program works with other organizations to find those permanent solutions while they work on the immediate problems. They also help veterans find homes through their Homes for Hometown Heroes program. 

Farley highlighted the work they do and encouraged others to donate not just money but time as well through volunteering 

“There something for everyone,” Farley said. “If someone says, ‘ I love my country, I love our soldiers, I wish I knew what to do,’ call me because I know what needs to be done.” 

A dog takes shelter from the heat in the shade. Senator Tedisco joked during the ceremony that if the town of Malta doesn’t want it to rain, it doesn’t rain.
Assemblywoman Woerner hugs Helene Wallingford after presenting her a resolution honoring her late husband.

Fire Breaks Out at Ballston Spa Gas Station

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.

A gas station in Ballston Spa has been damaged after a large fire engulfed several pumps and at least two vehicles.

Crews from multiple jurisdictions were dispatched to the scene of USA Gas at the intersection of routes 50 and 67. Ballston Spa Fire Captain Mike Coffey said the call was dispatched at around 10:24 a.m.

The fire caused portions of State Route 50, State Route 67 and Ballston Ave to close for a short time, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. Several people had minor injuries, however no serious injuries were reported.

At least 10 agencies responded to the blaze including Union Fire Company, Eagle Matt Lee Fire Department and Saratoga Springs Department. The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit and the Saratoga County Cause and Origin Team are currently investigating the blaze

While the cause of the fire is under investigation, gas station owner Erin Ozbay said the pumps had received their tri-annual inspection in the last few weeks.

  • Crews were dispatched at 10:24 a.m. (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • Gas station owner Erin Ozbay speaks to the media after the fire ((Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • Over 10 agencies responded to the blaze (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • The Cause of the fire is still under investigation (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)
  • (Aidan Cahill/Saratoga TODAY)

No Drone Zone – FAA Restricts Flights over Saratoga Springs

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.


A map depicting the restricted air space over Saratoga (Created by Aidan Cahill)

It’ll be clear skies over the race track this Saturday. Not because of the weather but due to temporary flight restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

The restrictions were announced Jun. 1 by the FAA in a Notice to Airman. The restrictions are in place during the Belmont on Broadway festival and the race itself and only affect aircraft flying 1,200 feet above the ground or lower. 

During Belmont on Broadway, flight restrictions were imposed on two separate areas in Saratoga Springs. The first area covered was a half-mile radius surrounding the intersection of Broadway and Ellsworth Jones Pl. It was only during effect during the Belmont on Broadway. 

The second area, meanwhile, is a half-mile radius from a point in center of the Saratoga Racecourse. This area will also go into effect from 12 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Jun. 6 and from 11 a.m. Jun. 7 to 3 a.m. Jun. 8. 

According to Saratoga Springs Police, the restriction was requested by police out of an abundance of caution to prevent drones from interfering with the events. Police said this was the first time they had received the restricted airspace and there are no plans to request it for future races.  

In a city council meeting on Jun. 3, Commissioner of Public Safety Tim Coll said commercial operators can get approval from the police and fire departments to fly their drones during the event. According to the FAA, of the over 1 million drones registered in the US, 420,825 are commercial drones. 

A similar restriction was put in place surrounding Super Bowl LIX according to an FAA press release from January. 

The 1,200 feet restriction is less than the height of the Empire State Building at 1,250 feet. It’s well below the cruising altitudes of common aircraft such as the Boeing 737 at around 35,000 feet and Cessna Skyhawk which can fly as high as 14,000 feet. 

In addition to the restrictions of drone flight, Nelson Street from Wright St to Crescent Ave will be closed on Friday and Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. and will reopen at about 8 p.m. The ride share pickup point has been moved from near Siro’s on Lincoln Ave. to East Ave. near Potato Chip Lane. 

Caroline Street Continues Forward

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in News.

Omakase Gets Outdoor Seating and Other Updates From the Design Review Board


A rendering of the proposed condominium on the corner of Park and Cottage Street. The Design Review Board asked for more information before giving information on the matter. 

A rendering of the proposed RISE complex on Finley Street as viewed from the road. This rendering was submitted to the Design Review Board by the architect. (Saratoga Springs Design Review Board) 

Saratoga Spring’s streetscape continues to take shape as nine items went before the Design Review Board in their most recent meeting. 

The meeting took place in the Saratoga Springs City Council room on May 27. The Design Review Board is one of three Saratoga Springs bodies tasked with approving building, demolition and renovations in Saratoga Springs. Its responsibility lays in ensuring new buildings fit the city aesthetically. 

Three projects received approval with no further discussion from the board. The Omakase Sushi & Grill received board approval to set up a sidewalk café at its location on 30 Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs.  Other projects approved were a rooftop solar array on Lake Street and a standby generator on Oakland Drive. 

Several projects received conditional approval to move forward. The first of these was the installation of a retractable sunshade on a condo at 19 Washington Street. The approval came under the condition that the building homeowner’s association declared their sunshade to be the precedent for any subsequent sunshades. The project was approved by the board 6-1. 

The next project was the approval for the replacement of a shed and renovation of a house on Regent Street. The demolition of the existing shed was approved with the board voting 4-2 with one member recusing themself — assuming certain conditions were met. 

Under the conditions of the approval, certain design elements such as the doors and windows, had to be salvaged and incorporated into the new garage. Meanwhile, the removal of a previously made addition to the property and renovations to the façade were approved unanimously by the board. 

It was a similar story with the 30-301/2 Caroline Building Expansion. The project seeks to surround the old site of Sperry’s Restaurant with a five story multi-use complex. Up for discussion during the May 27th meeting was the step-back and offset from the road. 

The board approved one of the options presented by the architect but required him to come back to face concerns regarding materials and window placement on the building. The motion passed on a vote of 5-2. 

Other projects received positive feedback from the board but required more information before decisions could be made. The first of these was the proposed RISE affordable housing complex at 3/26 Finley Street. The board found the existing body shop on the premises — which the project intends on demolishing — had no historic significance. However, they held off voting pending further assessment of the project. 


A map showing the locations of the projects considered by the Design Review Board. Green dots indicate projects that received approval with no further discussion, yellow dots indicate projects with conditional approval and red dots indicate projects that are still under consideration as of
June 6. (Created by Aidan Cahill)

Problems emerged in how the complex would interact with the neighborhood surrounding it. Residents along Spa Drive and Livingston Street expressed concern over the size and scope of the building. 

They argued that the three-story building would tower over the rest of the neighborhood and make it impossible to ignore. In addition, the residents worried that the reduction in tree cover would cause property values to drop by 10-20%, make the neighborhood unsightly and reduce the health of the trees that remained. 

In response to resident concerns, the Design Review Board requested the architect come back with further models which showed how the building would interact with the surrounding neighborhood — primarily looking at sightlines and locations of houses in relation to the building. 

Another project that needed more information was a proposed three-story condominium on Cottage Street. The Design Review Board was asked by the Planning Board to review the project and provide an advisory opinion on it. The board was given a full presentation by the architect on the building and the context it has within the neighborhood. 

During the public comment portion of the meeting, residents expressed multiple concerns. While residents liked the design of the building, there was concern regarding its height and size. Several of them said that it didn’t match the character of the neighborhood, was too big and was too close to other residents. 

Because of these concerns, the Design Review Board asked the architect to come back and provide a height study and multiple pedestrian perspectives on the building. 

The final item considered was a modification to a property on Nelson Ave. The builder was looking to install ductless air conditioning on the exterior of a residence, however, the board asked for a redesign of the system given how much it impacted the historic façade of the building.