CHARLTON — This spring, neighbors, families, artists, and first-time makers are gathering at Main Street Studio to build a cast of giant parade puppets celebrating the history and spirit of Harmony Corners, a historic hamlet in the northeastern corner of Charlton.
The puppets—which include four large square-dancing backpack figures, a fiddle player, giant strawberries, and a two-person cardboard buffalo—will march in the 2026 Charlton Founders’ Day Parade on Sunday, June 7.
The project is organized by Main Street Studio, a member-supported community craft studio located at 786 Charlton Road in Charlton, right on the parade route.
Unlike floats built behind closed doors, every puppet and prop in Main Street Studio’s procession is constructed by volunteers in open-community build sessions. Participants need no prior experience, just a willingness to cut, glue, sew, or paint alongside their neighbors.
“Whether you have two hours or the whole spring, there’s a place for you in this project,” said Jason Nemec, co-founder of Main Street Studio. “We’ve had kids, grandparents, experienced artists, and total beginners, all working side by side. That’s what makes it special.”
The build sessions are led by local artists Matt Paul, Maria DeAngelo, and Renee Johnson, who are guiding volunteers through papier-mâché sculpting, foam construction, fabric printing, and costume making. The puppets are constructed from recycled materials like newspaper, cardboard and foam, PVC pipe, fabric, and paper-mâché.
The parade entry’s centerpiece—a two-person cardboard buffalo—is a nod to one of Harmony Corners’ most cherished stories.
When the Harmony Corners Volunteer Fire Department purchased a 1929 Buffalo fire truck, completely overhauled it, and entered firematic competitions, that small farming community went on to win first place at the Central New York State Firematic Drill Team Association championship. The buffalo has been painted on Harmony Corners fire trucks ever since. This year, the department celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“How many people drive past the Harmony Corners firehouse and wonder why there’s a buffalo on the truck?” asked Nemec. “Creating these puppets is our way of making sure those stories don’t get lost.”
Remaining community build sessions are free and open to all ages; no experience needed. Saturday sessions continue on May 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on May 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. A Tuesday evening costume-making session with Renee Johnson is scheduled for May 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. All sessions are held at Main Street Studio at 786 Charlton Road.
The remains of 44 people who died in a continental Army Hospital in 1776 will pass through Saratoga County on May 20th.
Town of Lake George officials announced recently that the skeletal remains of 44 people believed to have been associated with the Continental Army when they died 250 years ago will be transported in historic U.S. military vehicles on Wednesday, May 20 from the New York State Museum in Albany, where scientists have spent seven years identifying and reconstructing the remains, to Lake George, where they’ll be interred in a new memorial being dedicated Friday, May 22.
On the morning of May 20 at the State Museum, there will be a dignified transfer of wooden caskets to the three vehicles that will transport the remains 60 miles north via Route 9 to Lake George Battlefield Park, site of the nearly $700,000 memorial.
The motorcade for the “Repose of the Fallen” project will include New York State Police leading nine Korean War and Vietnam-era military trucks operated by members of the NY-Penn Military Vehicle Collectors Club. The convoy will include an escort provided by New York members of the Patriot Guard Riders.
The motorcade will depart from the back of the State Museum at approximately 10 a.m. The route north will take it through downtown Albany, the Albany County town of Colonie, the Saratoga County towns of Halfmoon and Clifton Park, Village of Round Lake, Town of Malta, to the city of Saratoga Springs, where the motorcade will halt for a brief patriotic observance in front of City Hall at 474 Broadway.
The procession then will continue north through the Saratoga County towns of Wilton and Moreau and village of South Glens Falls, into Warren County and the city of Glens Falls, where there will be a brief halt at the intersection of Route 9 and Bacon Street for an observance.
From Glens Falls, the motorcade will travel through the town of Queensbury to the town of Lake George. Upon entering the village of Lake George, the motorcade will turn north onto Elizabeth O’Connor Little Boulevard, then head east on Beach Road for a short distance before turning onto Fort George Road and stopping at the memorial site. The estimated time of arrival is noon to 1 p.m.
Upon arrival, most of the caskets will be immediately interred in the memorial. The remaining four caskets will be taken to a nearby church to be safeguarded until the ceremony on May 22. Volunteers will serve as round-the-clock honor sentinels at the church until the morning of the 22nd, when the four caskets will be placed upon a horse-drawn wagon and transported to the memorial site for the formal reinterment ceremony with Federal, State and local officials.
Lisa Anderson, New York State Museum Curator of Bioarcheology, said “We have spent the past seven years painstakingly working to piece together the story of the individuals whose unmarked graves were destroyed. As we close this chapter, it’s hard to put into words the gratitude my team and I have for being part of this project. It has been a privilege to help uncover the story of these veterans and we look forward to them finally having the dignified burial they deserve.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “We pay our deepest honor and respect as 44 Patriots embark on their final resting place, standing as a permanent tribute to their bravery and sacrifice. May we honor their memories with our actions and always be mindful of the heroes that walk among us. Their names and stories will never be forgotten; they forever inspire us to carry on with integrity and courage.”
“We would like to thank the NY-Penn Military Vehicle Collectors Club and the Patriot Guard Riders for providing the transportation of the remains of these early American Patriots to their final resting place at the Lake George Battlefield State Park in an honorable and respectful manner,” said Larry Arnold, a member of the board of trustees of the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance. “Also, we would like to thank the New York State Police for their cooperation and support during this project.”
The remains were discovered during a construction project on private property on Courtland Street in Lake George in February 2019. Subsequent recovery and scientific analyses led by the New York State Museum and the Department of Environmental Conservation determined that they are American soldiers or associated personnel who likely died in 1776, when a large Continental Army hospital was located near the lake’s southern end. Ultimately, 44 distinct people were determined to be among the remains, though current methodology to ascertain their individual identities has not been available for this effort to date.
Hundreds of Continental Army soldiers who fought in the failed invasion of Canada launched in late 1775 are known to have died from smallpox in 1776 at Lake George. They were buried in unmarked cemeteries in and near what is now the village of Lake George. Although the identities of those uncovered at the Courtland Street site are unknown, several uniform buttons found with the remains indicate that at least one of them served in the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion, known to have fought in the Quebec campaign.
Construction of the reinterment memorial began last October on a knoll along the east side of Fort George Road in Lake George Battlefield State Park. The design includes several secured columbaria for the final resting place of these early patriots, seating, interpretive signage and a new memorial plaza.
The “Repose of the Fallen” project, funded through the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative and private donations, will be formally dedicated on May 22, beginning at 11 a.m.
Mayor John Safford addresses a community meeting regarding proposed changes the Saratoga Spring’s UDO (Aidan Cahill)
It was a packed house on May 11 as members of the community gathered at the Spring Street Gallery to go over proposed changes to Saratoga Springs’ Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
The changes were proposed by Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford and primarily focus on the city’s Design Review Board (DRB) which reviews exterior designs in the historic and architectural review districts.
The meeting was organized by Patty Morrison, a former member of the Planning Board and a self-described concerned citizen. It was originally set to be held at the Saratoga Springs Library but was moved to the Gallery due to space concerns.
Over 100 people packed into the room to discuss the proposed changes. It was the second of two meetings, the first being held May 5.
During the meeting Safford defended the proposed changes to the DRB, saying they were part of a larger effort to improve the planning office and make things easier for builders and homeowners. During this process, Safford said he’s heard multiple complaints from people regarding the DRB, prompting the proposed changes.
Many of the proposed changes specifically deal with the architectural review district, one of the two areas covered by the DRB. The area covers the downtown core of Saratoga Springs and approaches the city — such as the ones along Union Ave, Route 50, Washington Street, Route 9 and West Ave, among others. Safford described homes along some of these streets as “bargains” for people to buy and fix up. The problem, according to Safford, is that when they buy the homes they run into issues getting approvals to make repairs.
Safford cited a specific example where a couple bought a house with a leaky roof and were told by the DRB that they had to use slate in order to repair the roof due to historic significance, something that was cost prohibitive.
“They asked, they begged, and there was no recourse to that,” Safford said. “Now they have a leaky roof that they can’t replace because they can’t afford a slate roof.”
The proposal is not without controversy. During the meeting, members of the community brought up several concerns about the proposed changes including mandating that historic significance not be a factor in demolition decisions in the architectural review district, limiting the ability of the DRB to control mass and scale and creating an appeals process that would grant applicants the ability to appeal decisions to the Zoning Board of appeals.
Samantha Bosshart, Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, spoke at the meeting and laid out some of the possible issues seen by the organization. While she agreed with Safford that there was room for improvement, specifically in the appeals process and in how historic standards are applied, she argued that removing the ability of the DRB to deny demolition on historic grounds could ruin the gateways to the city as the only protected buildings would be those with landmark status.
“That is a significant change that could dramatically change how our gateways feel,” Bosshart said. “We have the gateways with a sign that says, health history and horses. Well, if all those lovely older homes are demolished with new construction, it’s not going to be much of an introduction to our downtown historic core.”
It’s unclear when the new changes will be voted on by city council. While Safford had been aiming for a June passage of the reforms, due to community feedback, it’s now expected to go to a vote sometime in July or August.
SPAC President Christopher Shiley leads a hardhat tour of the Spa Little Theater, which is currently in the midst of a year-long renovation and restoration project. A massive, floor-to-ceiling scaffolding system fills the theater space.
Photos by Super Source Media for Saratoga TODAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Spa Little Theater looked a little different on Tuesday.
Where there had once been 500 90-year-old seats now stood a massive scaffolding system that reached all the way to the chandeliered ceiling.
It took a month just to build the scaffolds, which were necessary because it was too difficult to use lifts on the theater’s uneven floor.
The radical change in the theater’s appearance is part of an ongoing $12 million renovation project that began in January. The theater, originally built in 1935 and designed to be a lecture hall, was taken over by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in 2022.
“Would you like to see the ceiling?,” asked SPAC President Christopher Shiley when Saratoga TODAY took a hardhat tour of the theater. “This may be the only time you’ll get to [be this close to] the ceiling of the Spa Little Theater.”
The answer was “yes.”
Roughly five flights of scaffold stairs up, a team of plasterers were patching and recoating the ceiling’s many cracks accrued over nearly a century. The chandeliers, original to the building, will be cleaned and restored.
The construction team will start with the ceiling and work their way down, eliminating layers of scaffolding as they descend to the floor. At the floor level, new seats will be installed. Those seats will be “more comfortable” replicas of the 90-year-old originals, Shiley said.
The theater will also get a major color overhaul, with the current weathered walls receiving a coat of deep red burgundy. The walls will also be partly covered with large, newly-created, Spa State Park-inspired woodland murals. Underneath the murals will be cove lighting that will “add a little bit of elegance,” Shiley said.
But the theater itself isn’t the only space undergoing big changes. A family restroom, patio, bar/cafe, and community room are all being created. The men’s room is also being expanded.
The cafe, formerly an artists’ room, will include windows overlooking the park, a bar, seating for about 50 people, and a total standing capacity of around 75 or 80.
“It’ll be a place where you can come in, get a drink, have a bite to eat, get ready for the show, and have more of a reason to get here early and experience the park and experience the theater,” Shiley said.
The community room will be a flex space, potentially used for artist meet and greets, special events, and overflow when additional concession space is needed. It’ll also lead out to the new patio.
The cafe and community room will allow community members to rent out space at the theater for events and meetings. Both rooms will be A/V equipped with speakers and monitors.
The greenroom and backstage space is being dramatically expanded, thanks in part to SPAC obtaining an area that used to be a breakroom for state park employees. The new greenroom will include a kitchenette, restroom and shower, an office, washer-dryer (no more midnight laundry runs), and two large dressing rooms that will have a total of 20 makeup stations ideal for theater and dance companies. A new loading entrance is also being created to make it easier for artists to bring their gear in and out.
All of this means that Spa Little Theater will be able to host larger and more frequent productions.
“When we presented dance companies in the past, I would spend a lot of time with them talking them through the space, getting them to think about how to adapt their shows, which is tricky [because] not every company is willing to do that,” Shiley said. “Their show is their show and not every company is able to take it and customize it for a space… Now, we’re much more readily available to accommodate their existing show as it is. That helps us do more programming as well because we can go from one show to the next much easier.”
The exterior entrance of the Spa Little Theater is also getting a facelift, though that project is being handled by the park, not SPAC. Work is expected to begin in June. Cracked infrastructure will be repaired and a permanent ADA ramp will be added. The ramp is one of several changes that will make the theater more ADA friendly to both guests and artists.
“The whole project is equal parts restoration and renovation,” Shiley said. “Everywhere we can, inside and out, [we’ll] keep original architecture, original fixtures, and elements. There are some places, as you can imagine with a 90-year-old building, where that just simply wasn’t possible. But certainly and particularly on the outside, our goal was to keep it as true to the original design and aesthetic as possible.”
The theater is on schedule for a planned December 2026 ribbon cutting.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — From May 26 to 30, Musicians of Ma’alwyck will present “Under Four Flags” across New York State. The experience blends silent film with music shaped by World War I in honor of those lost in the conflict.
The film “Under Four Flags” (the flags represent America, France, Great Britain, and Canada) was shot in the summer of 1918, when Allied victory was far from assured. A new score by Max Caplan enhances the emotional progression of the film for today’s audience.
The concert opens with a work by Mihail Jora, written while he was recovering in a hospital after being wounded on the Eastern Front. His music is a personal response to the devastation of war.
The major work is Samuel Gardner’s piano quintet, composed after the death of violinist David Hochstein, who was killed on the Western Front in France in October 1918. Deeply heartfelt, the quintet serves as a musical memorial to Hochstein’s life. Gardner, an important violinist and recipient of the first Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1918, was also the grandfather of longtime Musicians of Ma’alwyck board member Eric Weiner.
“Under Four Flags” will be performed at Saratoga Arts on May 26. Tickets are available at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/concertticketing/event/underfourflags/.
Additional venues include: Temple Gates of Heaven in Schenectady (May 27), Star Theater in Cherry Valley (May 28), and Village Hall in Wyoming (May 30).
Five men associated with the Red Devil’s Motorcycle Club have been arrested and charged in connection with an assault on two individuals that took place near Pavilion Row on April 11.
Jamal J. Bridges, 28, of Castleton on Hudson, Nolan G. Empringham, 25 of Bowmanville, ON, Jerome Akers, 31, of Hampton ON, Charles J. Collins, 47, of Gansevoort and Jordan X. Prendergast, 31 of Hampton ON all face felony charges related to the assault.
Akers, Prendergast and Collins were charged with felony 2nd degree attempted gang assault, Empringham was charged with felony tempering with physical evidence, and Bridges was charged with felony 3rd degree criminal possession of a weapon and felony attempted gang assault.
According to Saratoga Springs Police, the assault began after two men walking between bars on Caroline Street walked by a group wearing clothes identifying the men as members of the Red Devil’s Motorcycle Club. One of the victims asked the alleged gang members what they rode and were told to move along.
The victims were then allegedly followed to their destination and assaulted by members resulting in injury. Immediately after the attack, several members of the group attempted to conceal clothing which would have identified them as members of the gang. In addition, one of the men was found in possession of brass knuckles, resulting in additional charges.
“Our officers are the enforcers of law and order on Caroline Street,” Saratoga Springs Police said in a statement. “This community will not tolerate violent, senseless behavior in our bar district or anywhere else in our city. Those coming to enjoy the nightlife Saratoga Springs has to offer should not have to fear being violently attacked. This arrest should serve as a reminder to all who visit our vibrant downtown that you are on camera and will be held accountable for your actions when you break the law.”
The inaugural United Airlines flight between Albany International Airport and Denver Airport goes under a water cannon salute. (Aidan Cahill)
A new daily United Airlines flight between Albany International Airport and Denver International Airport has had its inaugural trip on April 30.
The flight took off at 8:00 a.m. and marked the first time the two airports would be connected by year-round daily service. It’s one of now three airports with non-stop service to Albany through United.
“This is an exciting day; we’re thrilled to expand our presence in Albany and provide the community with direct service between Albany and Denver,” Kevin Keado, Managing Director, Regional Line Stations at United Airlines, said. “From family vacations, business trips and all the moments in between – this new route makes it easier for our customers in Albany to travel wherever they want to go. Whether that’s to United’s hubs in Denver, Chicago, Washington D.C., to one of the hundreds of destinations that is easily accessible across the U.S. or around the world with convenient one-stop connections from these hubs.”
The flight took off from the newly renovated Concourse A. Passengers were offered donuts and refreshments before getting on the inaugural flight (Aidan Cahill)
The new flight took off from the recently renovated concourse A which has six gates and primarily serves United flights. For the inaugural flight, passengers were treated with donuts and other refreshments. During taxiing, the flight was given a water cannon salute by the airport fire department.
This is not the first time Albany and Denver will be connected. Currently Southwest Airlines offers seasonal service between the two cities.
“Today’s inaugural flight to Denver is an exciting milestone for Albany International Airport and for travelers across the Capital Region,” said Peter Stuto, Chief Executive Officer of Albany International Airport. “This new year-round route strengthens our connection to the western United States and gives our passengers more convenient access to destinations across the country. We are proud to celebrate this launch from our newly renovated Concourse A and grateful to United Airlines for its continued partnership and confidence in this market.”
While Albany International Airport may be a gateway to Saratoga, DEN is also known for its love of horses, in this case, mustangs. (Photograph provided courtesy of Denver International Airport.)
Denver International Airport is one of the largest airports in the United States. In 2025, the airport ranked second in both departures and arrivals, according to the Department of Transportation. That year the airport saw 705,469 total flights and served a total of 82,427,962 passengers, according to a report published by the airport.
U.S. Army Pfc. Henry A. “Rocky” Marcelle of Mechanicville. Siciliano Photo Collection. Mechanicville Public Library.
The National WW II Museum in New Orleans is home to about 250,000 artifacts, including more than 100,000 photographs ranging from battlefield pictures captured by military and press photographers to individual albums full of wartime snapshots donated by veterans and their families.
The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center located at the former National Guard armory on Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs, is the repository of more than 16,000 photographs and photographic collections from multiple wars.
However, nowhere in those vast collection of images is there anything comparable to what currently resides in the local history room at the Mechanicville District Public Library: 600-plus photos of individual local World War II veterans in uniform, all of them taken by the same photographer in the same spot inside the same location — Siciliano’s Restaurant.
“The photographs are beautiful. This is a stunning collection,” Kimberly Guise, senior curator and director for curatorial affairs at The National WWII Museum, said in a recent phone interview.
“The faces of the men and women of Mechanicville and nearby towns and cities who went to war is a touching reminder of the service and sacrifice of all our New York communities,” said Richard Goldenberg, Director of Military History for the New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs, which operates the Saratoga Springs museum. “As the Second World War and Korean War pass into written history with fewer and fewer living voices, these images give us context and perspective of the many young faces of service.”
The approximately 700 original black-and-white photographs that make up the Charles Siciliano Sr. WWII and Korean War Veterans Photo Collection are currently housed in eight large, handmade frames fashioned more than 40 years ago out of paneling and a backing material not conducive to preservation. Each 3-inch-by-3-inch photo and the accompanying name, typewritten by Siciliano on slips of paper, were glued to the matting.
After 60-plus years of being displayed at several local restaurants and more than 20 years in the library’s Col. Elmer E. Elsworth history room, the Siciliano collection is in need of attention. Some of the photos have taken on a sepia tone, others have become brittle. A couple of the frames are falling apart, and the glass on one is broken.
The library is planning to launch a campaign to raise the funds needed to properly remount the photos in museum-quality frames with glass that will protect the images from further light damage. While the final cost hasn’t been estimated, the campaign is a vital first step toward preserving a collection the National WWII Museum’s Guide referred to as “completely unique” in a story I wrote about the Siciliano photographs for The Associated Press in August 2015.
The collection started out as a hobby for Charles Siciliano, Sr., a photography buff known to everyone as Charlie, soon after the U.S. entered WWII following Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. As more local residents went into military service, Siciliano would ask the ones in uniform who came into his restaurant at 30 Warsaw Ave. to sit in the well-lit corner of the bar to have their photo taken.
Siciliano developed and printed his own photos, typically giving a copy to the servicemember or their family, then framing the pictures in groups of 25 that he hung inside the restaurant.
The majority of the approximately 700 photos in the collection were taken during WWII, which formally ended with Japan’s surrender on Sept. 2, 1945. Some were taken in 1946 as veterans continued to return from overseas.
All the U.S. military branches during WWII are represented in the collection: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force (then part of the Army). Some of the men fought in the biggest and bloodiest battles of the war, from D-Day in Normandy to Iwo Jima in the Pacific.
Most of the men in the photographs hailed from Mechanicville, and about half of those identified have Italian American last names, a reflection of the influx of Italian immigrants to the city starting in the late 19th century and continuing into the early 1900s, including Siciliano’s parents. Men from nearby communities in Saratoga County – Stillwater, Waterford, Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa – also were photographed, as were several from Schaghticoke and Troy in neighboring Rensselaer County.
The collection includes the photos of four women WWII veterans from Mechanicville: Lucille Ennello Marcelle, Doris Lazott Noonan, Mary DiBello West and Anna Cefalo. West and Cefalo were in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), while Marcelle (Pacific Theater) and Noonan (Pacific and European Theaters) served in the Army Nurses Corps.
At least three men whose photos are in the collection are known to have died during WWII, including Army Pfc. Henry A. “Rocky” Marcelle, of Mechanicville, who died of wounds suffered in combat in Europe in March 1945.
Charlie Sr., who died in 1982, kept the framed photos on the walls of his tavern until he sold the business in the late 1970s to Frank Costanzo, who had the snapshots rearranged alphabetically in eight large frames. The collection went with Costanzo when he relocated his business to the town of Waterford. The photographs and negatives were eventually donated to the Mechanicville library.
Siciliano’s Restaurant was torn down years ago to make way for new apartments.
Starting in 2001, through an effort led by the late Michael Sullvian of Mechanicville, names were attached to more than 500 of the photographs when the collection was digitized on the library’s website (https://meclib.sals.edu/).
It’s not known if any of the WWII veterans in the Siciliano collection are still living. Anthony “Tony” Fortune, an Air Force veteran who died in December 2024, two weeks shy of his 101st birthday, may have been the last.
As part of the fundraising effort, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at the Arts Center on the Hudson in Mechanicville, I’ll be doing the first in a series of free presentations on the Siciliano photo collection. Others are planned for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 18, at the Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa, and at the Saratoga Springs Public Library at 12 p.m. Sept. 10.
The talks are free. Registration is recommended to reserve a seat. For the Mechanicville talk, register here: https://forms.gle/8BAPY3J5dgo3Nwzx9. For the Saratoga County History Center talk, register at Charlie’s Heroes – Saratoga County History Center. Registration information for the Saratoga Springs library talk will be posted on its website.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On April 25 in Albany, the Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus captured first place in Division A (small chorus containing 12-25 singing members) at the Greater New York/New Jersey Region 15 Annual Convention and Competition, Sweet Adelines International.
Under the direction of Jennifer Hunter, twenty-four singers took the stage to perform in a four-part barbershop style competition. Seven of the chorus members were first-time competitors.
The chorus performed two songs: “This Could Be the Start of Something Big,” written by Steve Allen and arranged by Larry Wright, and “From the First Hello to the Last Goodbye,” written by Johnny Burke and arranged by Jim Arns. Both songs contained adaptations by Nancy Faddegon.
Saratoga Soundtrack Chorus is an award-winning women’s a cappella ensemble specializing in four-part harmony. Since its founding in 2008, the chorus has entertained audiences with a diverse repertoire that spans classics, jazz, ballads, and contemporary selections. Their musical performance is visually enhanced through characterization and choreography.
A public hearing on the proposed 2026-27 budget will be held May 5 at 6:00 p.m. in the Schuylerville CSD Board of Education room.
Following the hearing, qualified voters of the Schuylerville Central School District will vote on a $40.8 million proposed budget for the 2026-27 school year on May 19, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the District Office Board of Education room.
The proposed budget calls for a 2.12% spending increase and an estimated tax levy increase of 2.99%, which is below the district’s allowable tax cap. Tax rates for individual properties will be determined over the summer once equalization rates and assessments are available for the district’s seven towns.
Expenditures
Year to year, the budget always includes previously agreed upon salary increases from all current contracts, as well as increases or decreases to other expenses depending on the needs of the district. The 2026-27 budget proposal reflects several areas of increased expenditures, including salaries, payroll taxes, and employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions. The district is also seeing higher costs related to student services, particularly BOCES special education placements and private tuition. In addition, utility expenses for natural gas and electricity continue to rise.
Revenue
State aid continues to make up a significant portion of Schuylerville’s revenue, accounting for roughly half of the district’s overall budget. In NYS Governor Hochul’s executive budget proposal, Schuylerville received a modest increase in foundation aid of approximately one percent. While expenditures continue to rise at a steady rate, annual revenues are not keeping pace due to the limitations of the state’s tax cap and minimal growth in foundation aid. This ongoing imbalance has created a structural gap in the budget. To address this, the district plans to use $1.687 million in fund balance to help offset the difference between revenues and expenditures.
“While the district continues to navigate a widening gap between revenues and expenditures due to minimal growth in foundation aid, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting strong academic programs and ensuring high-quality opportunities for all students,” said Dr. Ryan Sherman, Schuylerville CSD Superintendent.
In addition, the district is taking measured steps to control costs, including restructuring outside counseling services, reducing staffing through the elimination of one math position, and not filling two upcoming vacant teaching positions due to retirements.
“This is a fiscally responsible, forward-thinking budget that keeps students at the forefront and positions the district to continue delivering strong educational opportunities,” said Bernie Buff, Schuylerville CSD Board of Education President.
Bus Lease Proposition
As part of the May 19 budget vote, voters will also consider a proposition that would allow the district to renew a five-year bus lease agreement. If approved, the lease would replace eight, 65-passenger buses. The proposition reflects the five-year total cost of $1,334,500 and will be budgeted annually over five years. Keeping an up-to-date fleet allows the district to reduce and simplify the parts inventory, eliminate large repairs (the buses are all warrantied for five years), and cut down on fuel usage due to the industry standards regarding emissions. The district has a fleet of 35 buses and four vans. The vehicles travel more than 371,000 miles a year, between daily runs, private school runs, sports trips, field trips and summer travel.
Contingent Budget
If the 2026-27 proposed budget is voted down, the Board of Education has the following options:
• Put another budget (revised or not) up for a vote in June
• Immediately adopt a contingent budget
If the district adopts a contingent budget, there can be no increase to the tax levy from the prior year. Ordinary contingent expenses may also have to be reduced to ensure no increase to the tax levy.
Schuylerville Board of Education Election
On May 19, voters will elect one member to the Schuylerville Central School District Board of Education for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2026. The seat is currently held by Katie Brunson, who is running for re-election unopposed.
Brunson is seeking her second term on the Board of Education, having first been elected in May 2021. She has served as vice president of the Board for the past two years. A graduate of Schuylerville High School, Brunson earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Education from SUNY Cobleskill, a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from SUNY Oneonta, and a master’s degree in Literacy Education from The College of Saint Rose.
Brunson has been a reading teacher in the Ballston Spa Central School District for more than 20 years, where she provides small-group literacy support to students in grades K-5. She remains actively involved in the Schuylerville community, volunteering with the Middle School Drama Club and Schuylerville FFA, and serving on the Board of Trustees for the Schuylerville Public Library. When her children were younger, she was also active with the Old Saratoga Athletic Association (OSAA), serving as a softball commissioner and sponsorship coordinator. Brunson has a daughter who is in 10th grade at Schuylerville High School, and a stepson who graduated in 2023.
“I am running for reelection for my board seat because I have found my service to the district to be incredibly rewarding,” Brunson said. I have heard many times, we are a small school with big opportunities. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. It is amazing to have a front row view of our students having amazing experiences and thriving in our district. As an educator myself, I feel I continue to have a strong understanding of what our students, teachers, staff, and administration need to be successful. I want to continue to see Schuylerville Central School District thrive and be the best that it can be.”
