001to the 2026 Meet the Candidate Night. My name is Roman Mancini. I'm a senior at Ballston Spa High School and in the fall I will be attending Indiana University studying international business and musical theater. >> Oh, sorry. Uh, my name is Marie Curley and I'm a senior at Ballston Spa High School and I will be attending Washington College uh, studying political science next year. >> I ask that you please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Just a quick note, all of the emergency exits are located to your left and right of the library. This year
002we'll have a four-section program featuring opening statements, generic questions, questions from the public, and our closing statements. This year we have three candidates running for three seats on the Board of Ed. Our candidates are Ms. Julia Root Board Baskin, Mr. Matt Dreer, and Ms. Katie Woodworth. >> Unfortunately, uh, Mr. Matt Dreer came down with an illness. He's unable to join us tonight and he sent me a statement that he would like read to the public as part of this event. Uh, the first part is his background and the second part is, uh, position statement. Matt Dreer was elected to serve a three-year term on the, uh, Board of Education in June of 2020 and reelected in May of 2023. He's a lifelong resident of Ballston Spa having attended Milton Terrace Elementary School, Ballston Spa Middle
003School, and graduating from Ballston Spa High School in 1991. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from SUNY Plattsburgh. Matt and his wife are blessed to have two children. Their daughter attends Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College and will be graduating in June of 2026. Their son is currently a freshman at Ballston Spa High School. Matt is now in his 27th year working for the Saratoga County Department of Social Services as a senior caseworker in the adult protective unit. He previously served on the board Christian Childhood Center at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. I would now like to read a position statement from Mr. Dreer. "I will be concluding my sixth year as a school board member. I have some unfinished business that I'd like to continue. I also currently serve on the capital project
004committee and I'd like to see that through. You've continued Your continued trust in me means the world to me. I have a vested interest in this wonderful school district and for that you can count on me. Also, all community stakeholders are first on my mind when decisions are made on my part and will continue to be that way. I'm an alumni. I've lived here for all 53 years of my life. I'm fair, honest, and open to any discussions. I'll end with this. Go Scotties." Thank you for Mr. Dreer for sending that statement. I will now turn things back over to our moderators. >> All right. Thank you. And now we will begin with our candidates' opening statements. Mr. Boardbaskin, you will start followed by Ms. Widmer. Um you will have 3 minutes for your opening
005statement and there will be a gavel warning at the 30-second mark. You may begin. >> Thank you. Hopefully you won't have to do the gavel the gavel warning. I just want to say um good evening and thanks to everyone who's who's here and special thanks to Mr. Harnick and to Roman and Mariah for facilitating this um meet the candidates event. I really appreciate it. Um and I really also want to thank my fellow board members, Katie Whittemore and Matt Dreher, who are running for re-election. Um, I appreciate their company, their work, their um, devotion and diligence, and have really enjoyed working with them. So, um, and I really want to say that being part of the Board of Education in Ballston Spa has been an honor. It has been, um, since September of '22, and
006then I was appointed and then, um, elected the following election cycle. Um, I've been able to be part of an amazing group of board members who are really caring and professional. Um, when we disagree, we disagree respectfully, um, and we all have a common goal in mind, which is success for each of our students. I've also seen the amazing advantages and opportunities that all of our students are able to get in this district, and the meaningful, um, way that our community supports the district. Um, I've lived in Ballston Spa for 22 years. Both of my sons, um, went through K through 12, um, through the district and had amazing opportunities. And part of my wanting to be a board member again and running for re-election is to give back to the, um, school district that
007I feel very, very grateful for. Um, in the last few years as a board member, I've been part of multiple committees, including the audit committee, the facilities committee, um, planning the capital project, which was approved last year, and which I'm very, very excited about. And I've also been part of the district-wide committee on diversity, equity, and belonging, and I'm very proud of the work that we've been all able to do. I've seen firsthand the incredible skill, dedication, and caring that our teachers, staff, and administrators bring to the district, and I'm excited about all of the ways that the, um, capital project is going to benefit our schools. I am also, as a mental health professional, um, passionate about mental health support in our schools for all of our students. I think creating safe, healthy, inclusive
008school communities where everyone feels connected and valued is a huge way to benefit all of our students' mental health. Um and with that goal in mind, I want to focus also on supporting our educators and our staff who put so much um time and energy and commitment into their duties. Um I'm a careful listener, a collaborative decision-maker, and I strive to lead by example. As a board member, I will focus on helping to create supportive and safe school environments, listening to families, respecting the expertise of faculty and staff, and making sure that all of our students have multiple opportunities to engage and thrive. >> Okay. And Ms. Whitmore, for your statement. >> Thank you. I would like to thank everyone for tonight as well. This is wonderful to have the students running um this event.
009Um my husband and I have two children in the district, one in high school and one in middle school. I have a deep commitment to serving my community through volunteering. I have 24 years of education experience as a high school math teacher, and I truly value all aspects of education and bring that unique perspective to the board. I'd like to continue to serve as a board member because I care deeply about our school community and want to help make thoughtful, responsible decisions that benefit all students. As a parent, I'm invested in the future and committed to contributing my time and perspective to make the student experience better each day. I bring six years of proven experience, a clear understanding of how the board works, and a track record of making thoughtful, student-centered decisions. I'm committed
010to building on that experience, listening to our community, our faculty and staff, and our students, and to continue to do the study behind the scenes work. >> Thank you. Okay, and now for the general questions. You will have 2 minutes to respond, followed by an optional 1-minute rebuttal if desired. Ms. Whittemore, you will start. So, the first question is, please explain your long-term vision for the Ballston Spa Central School District across all grade levels. >> My vision across all grade levels is to provide equitable learning across the district, and I would like to see every student challenged to reach their reach their academic potential while still maintaining a strong belonging and well-being in the district. I think it's important for us to be um working with our students to make sure that they are ready
011to enter the world through technology and teaching them responsible use of technology including AI. I would um foster a culture of excellence and professional growth for our staff, and strengthen partnerships with families and the community. And I would like to continue with our multi-year financial planning to stay fiscally responsible. >> Thank you. And Mrs. Ruthford Baskin, for your statement. >> Sure, I would absolutely agree with everything that Katie um just listed. I think they're all crucial goals. I would point to um there's um the need to really maintain budget clarity and careful decision-making in advance of um you know, factors that are really outside the board's control or the district's control in terms of you know, cost of gas, um uh the state contributions to the education budgets. Um those are all really unpredictable forces,
012and I so I think having really careful strategic planning when it comes to fiscal matters is really important. I am also really excited about the capital project because it's going to improve both our infrastructure and mean that our buildings are going to be able to be maintained and used for years to come, but it's also going to provide multiple new opportunities for our students in so many different areas. So, um athletic facilities, arts facilities, shop facilities, really helping our students prepare for all of the new challenges that they're going to be facing. And then finally, I would point to um the need to really respond um creatively to the demands of AI technology and what that's going to bring. And again, have a lot of confidence confidence in the professional development and skill set of
013our faculty and administrators to to help educate our students. >> Thank you. Any rebuttals? All right. And now for the second question. One of the most important things which a school board does is prepare the yearly budget. Please explain your budgeting philosophy when it comes to writing a school budget and how that would impact taxing and spending within the district. Also, please provide your thoughts on the proposed budget. Ms. Rupert Baskin, you will begin. >> Um So, I would say there are a couple of just strong tenants that I believe in very strongly when it comes to budgeting. One is transparency and really making sure that um the public understands where their money is going, what we're spending on, and being really careful about um the information that we're um and transparent about the information
014that we're giving. I was part of the audit committee for several years. I was incredibly impressed with how carefully every expenditure gets vetted, how carefully we are negotiating um contracts for different color paper from different vendors, for instance, to make sure that we're really spending the money um that taxpayer money as carefully as possible. So, I think transparency um and really care. I also think the other thing that's incredibly important with budgeting is long-term planning. So, not just thinking about a one-year cycle, but a four-year cycle, a five-year cycle. Again, there's a lot that's really unpredictable about um the district finances in terms of what what costs are going to increase, but what we can control and foresee and predict and manage, I think um historically in my experience, Boston Spa has done a really
015good job. So, really long-term planning. >> Thank you. And Ms. Whittemore, for your statement. >> I agree wholeheartedly with Juliette. She um said it very put it very well. Um I do think that student achievement is the number one most important thing that the district needs to keep in mind when doing the budget. I think that we were very smart this year um with using our allocated retirements and filling those positions. We've even added a few positions this year in the budget. Um and by making good decisions over the past few years, that's been able to help us do that. Um it's just very important transparency is number one. The public has to understand what they are paying for. And I think by opening our school the way we do for the arts, for the
016sports, everything, it's really great when the public can see what their money is going towards, not only in education, but also extracurriculars as well. >> Thank you. Any rebuttals to the statements? >> Yeah. >> Okay. And for the third question. With potential changes in funding from all levers from all levels of government occurring, there could be less money for public education. If this occurs mid-year and you have to make budget cuts, please explain what philosophy you would use to make cuts. Starting with Ms. Whitmore. >> Okay. My philosophy, you know, as a board, we are the overseers. So, you know, dealing with administration, talking to administration, and working with our business official is the number one most important thing. Keeping in mind that programming and student achievement cannot be altered at all with budget cuts.
017That's very important to understand. Um we as a district do have contingency plans in place in case um the state budget doesn't come in the way we want it to or um we do get unexpected um costs during the school year, and uh it's just very important to stay on top of it. And we have an amazing business official who keeps us very well informed of what's going on in the district. >> Thank you. >> Um yeah, I would say that um I have a high degree of confidence in the the administrators who who do the budgeting and finance financial planning for the district. I think um in my experience as a board member, they're really savvy and very on top of all of the developments. I think there are always going to be factors
018that are outside of our control, but I would very much echo what Katie was saying, which is that really the decision-making um focus would be on supporting student education and achievement, and really trying to hold that as the sort of guiding principle for for any of the budgeting decisions. So. >> Thank you. And for our fourth question this evening, there are several large labor unions within our school district. We are faced potential future teacher shortage and a difficult labor market to fill other key positions within the school district such as bus drivers and school aides. Please explain your philosophy when dealing with labor negotiations, especially when it comes to the attraction of qualified candidates and the retention of those candidates. >> My Okay. Um it's a great question. I would I would say that as
019a board member, our role is to um you know, not engage directly in negotiations. That's the job of our superintendent and our administrators. Our job is to support, provide guidance, supervision to those administrators, to that supervisor. And I have a great deal of confidence in our supervisor um John Leo, Dr. Duca. Um I think he's done a great job of establishing respectful, clear, open communication with all of our unions. And those negotiations, I think are always going to have to come from a place of mutual respect and understanding. And and I believe that that has been the case in this district, which I I'm very proud of. Um I would also say that the issue of attracting staff is absolutely one that we're very aware of as board members. And I think you look at
020it from a number of different angles. So, you look at it from a compensation angle, you look at it from a workplace support and professional development angle. And then sometimes you look at, okay, what do we need to restructure? For instance, bus routes as being an example, so that we know what can we do with a staff that we have and how can we distribute those resources as as carefully and equitably as possible. Um I will say I feel very good about this district being a destination and an employer of choice. Um and I think that's due to the respect in our district for our educators and for the professional development opportunities. And I would want to see that continue. >> I'd like to copy and paste. >> Copy and paste? >> I'm just kidding.
021I I mean, she just hit the nail on the head. Like that was that was perfect. And one one thing that I will add is how important it is that all labor relations and the unions understand how important and valued and respected they are, especially by the Board of Education. We understand that nothing could get done without all the unions every single day and all of our employees every single day. Our kids need to get to and from school. Bus drivers are at the forefront of that. They're very important and they have to watch the road, watch the kids. It's a lot and they have a very difficult job and I It's very important to me that they understand how important they are to the district, all employees are to the district. We have been
022trying the PTAs have been doing an amazing job recognizing the staff in all departments and I think that that's important that we will always support that. That's number one and just keeping those great relationships and partnerships with the unions. >> It It really reminds me of the sign we have out in front. Educating everyone takes everyone. >> Yep, absolutely. Thank you, Roman. All right, we're going to do a real little role switch so I can get a break from my really, really difficult job. So, for our fifth question, we would like you to explain how you see the Global Foundries expansion impacting the Ballston Spa Central School District and Ms. Muddiman, you can start. >> Okay. I feel like this question has been coming for the past couple of years and like hopefully next year
023is the year that it does impact us. It would be an extreme an extremely part of our budgeting if they did start to break ground. That would be very important. They're also Global Foundries is amazing with their grants that they give students, the STEM work that they do, the possible um paths that they offer locally have been amazing. I think that it's very important for us to keep fostering that relationship and um counting on them um as much as we can to help our students. >> And Ms. Rubord-Baskin? >> Um absolutely, I agree with everything that Katie was just saying. I would also add that, you know, absolutely it would be great to have them break ground and for the district to have the funding, you know, whatever that funding might look like, um and
024could potentially be substantial dollars, but also taking into account that those dollars would be for a specific period of time. It's not sort of an endless ongoing infusion. And so, you really have to think again, that goes back to the long-term budgeting, thinking about how do we use this funding wisely and how do we create something that is sustainable when that funding is gone. And so, really, I think being careful about that. >> Thank you. Um next, how do you believe you can help address the diverse socioeconomic needs of the district across the grade levels as a member of the school board? Ms. Rubord-Baskin, you can start. >> Yeah, I mean, I think we are an incredibly diverse district socioeconomically, right? 35% of our students um have are in the sort of lower socioeconomic status,
025qualify for free lunches, and I think that comes with challenges and opportunities. So, I think we've been really glad that the state um was able to continue the funding for the free lunches and breakfasts for all. I think that's just a really important foundation to make sure that every kid in the district has opportunity to proper nutrition. Um I think partnering with um our um you know, um administrators who support our students, so our McKinney-Vento program, which supports um which is a New York state law, but um supporting students who might be um experiencing housing insecurity or who might be unhoused to make sure that there at least their schooling can stay stable and so that in the midst of a lot of uncertainty they can have Ballston Spa as kind of a point of
026stability. I think our backpack program making sure that students get set you know have supplies have food maybe to bring home over the weekend and and so really this school becomes a central location for support and that's really really crucial and I'm not sure that folks always understand just how much schools provide life lines for students but also for their families and that feels really just important to continue for sure. >> And miss Whitmore okay. I think that we can support our diverse community by ensuring access to all academic resources mental health support and technology. And extracurricular activities. I think it's very important that all students have the same opportunities to play an instrument to play a sport to be in the play and have you know if needed be able to get to and
027from I think that that's something that we could really work on is incorporating more students from diverse backgrounds into our extracurricular activities and just really keeping the environment as equitable as possible making sure that we don't know who is in the 35% or who is not I think that's very important. >> And for our last generic question of the night how do you plan on providing oversight of the implementation of the facilities project which was approved by the by the voters last December. Miss Whitmore you can start. >> Well we have a committee that was formed to do just that and it has three board members on it. And that's very important. We get weekly updates about what's happening with the project, what phase we're in, how it was approved by the state, um where
028we are with um getting bids for the project. All of that's very important. And just keeping our eyes um on it. You know, it's it's great to see construction vehicles around the schools uh working on things, you know. I'm I know personally I don't even really go to the elementary schools anymore, but I cannot wait for that the complex to get new um pavement up there. I think that's going to be really exciting for all of those people cuz that was, you know, troublesome when my kids were in elementary school. So, it's it's just keeping your eyes and ears open and staying up to date and um you know, our superintendent does an amazing job of keeping us um in the loop. >> And Mr. Gorbachev, asking. >> Um yeah, I would echo everything Katie
029just said. It's all It's all about spreadsheets and project management. So, yeah, the weekly updates. And um I was part of the facilities um committee and at one point we had a spreadsheet that was printed on extra large paper. I mean, there just so many different components and everything is staged over, you know, a number of years and each project has, you know, its own timeline and budgeting and contracting process. And so, again, um just that oversight and but also the really anticipation and the communication to our community about, "Hey, we're in this phase. So, this is why you might be seeing, you know, this temporary inconvenience as we're building, you know, what's going to be a better facility." So, I think that the communication piece is also really critical. >> Great. >> Thank you.
030All right. I will now be randomly selecting questions from the public. Are there any questions? >> Barbara, do you have any questions? Barbara, you need to fill out a sheet. We're getting it to you right now. So sorry to put you guys on the spot. >> I think you put her on the spot anyway. >> I talked to her before this. Sorry. Um well, obviously we're there's only a few of us here. So, I would like to hear and I too am a staff member also a parent of students here. Um and have failed myself to come to these Board of Education meetings. So, I would like to hear some ideas on like how we can get the community better involved. Um I think a simple announcement isn't working. Right? Um I think it would
031be more beneficial maybe about the topics at hand to get people more engaged in that way. So, I guess some thoughts on how we can increase that engagement. >> Um Ms. Rowland or Boskin is first. It's such a good question and thank you. Um I agree that I think all of us are in information overload like all the time. And so, announcements or an email or just even putting something in um you know, the um Scotty's recap doesn't often flag. And so, um one of the things I know we've talked about this um would be, you know, are we could we use QR codes at different events to get public feedback? I think sometimes folks might not um you know, is there a way to I know that there's often more of a streaming audience
032for board meetings than there is for in person and that actually I think works really well for folks to get information. But, um you know, I think during the capital project when as we were developing that, one example I thought that worked really well was to go to different constituencies and and hear from them what their specific concerns are because I think folks will probably turn out more for the things that are most immediately important to them as opposed to just sort of a generic announcement. So, maybe really breaking it up by topic and offering those opportunities, but also maybe doing things um in a way where people can zoom in or do comments in Zoom. I think those those are the things that come to my mind. >> That's great. >> Um I also
033we do get parents and community members who do come to actual board meetings um mainly because their child is being recognized for some awesome that they're doing. And we I I I'm not going to speak for you, but that's one of my favorite parts about being a board member is seeing the the student recognition and the great things that our students are doing. And I think more of that is important. I think that um when you have an audience for your students, that's very important um to the student as well. You know, they um you know, hold their head a little higher when they see a a huge crowd of people here for sports recognition night or a music recognition night or um theater coming to uh tell us about their show they're having. Um
034as far as coming to an event like this, I think that a lot of people are probably going to watch it at their leisure, but then they can't ask us questions. And so, um maybe if we had an idea of having questions beforehand sent in, um that would be helpful, too. >> Okay, thank you so much. I don't think we have any other questions. Do you have another question? >> Yeah. >> So, my next question is just um the board's thoughts on incorporating AI more in middle school and high school, even elementary school, but we know it's here, right? So, preparing our students for careers that include AI, um you know, and I was just listening to another educator elsewhere, and their point was not that we're as worried about AI taking over all the
035jobs, but how can the students be prepared to use AI in their job, like to make things easier, better, whatever. Um and I feel like right now there's a lot of like reluctance to allow the AI happening in school, but the fact of the matter is it's here, and if we don't jump on it, they're all going to be behind. >> Um Ms. Whitmore, you can go first. >> I love this question. I'm actually a huge fan of AI as a teacher. Um I use it every single day. I it saves me so much time and energy, and I really appreciate it. Um as as a board member, I understand that we have to have policy behind it, and we have a policy right now that is And, you know, as AI becomes more and
036more available, we are going to have to revamp that policy over and over and over again. Um I think it's important to teach the students how to use it properly. It is not just a device where you take a picture of your math problem, and it shoots back how to do it. Like, or, you know, just uh put your topic in and it write an essay for you. And, you know, it it's hard for the teacher because they have to then try and figure out what's the student, what's not the student. And, so, working with the students and coming up with project ideas that involve AI and and support it is very important. And, just teaching our kids the responsibility that they have to be honest students and how to use it for other ways
037than just their day-to-day assignments. I think that's very important. I also as a mom, I don't love AI, uh especially any younger than ninth grade. Um I think that our students spend a lot of time in front of devices, um whether at home or at school, and um you know, that's something that I struggle with as well. I'm passionate about this one in case you didn't know. >> Um yeah, just absolutely ditto. I'm so glad um Katie came first for this one. Um I agree I want all of our students to have those core reading and writing and math skills, right? And then you want to build in the AI. I agree we can't ignore AI. We need to It's a tool and it's going to be a tool that all of our students are
038going to need to contend with. I will say from a mental health point of view, one thing I've been really concerned about is the kinds of chatbot relationships that students, I mean college students, high school students, young kids are engaging with in AI and I I feel like that's a a different kind of education that we need to be doing with our students, which is you know, these are these are not your friends, um and and really trying to make sure that our students understand and that we're partnering with families around that too because um I think I saw a stat that 22% of college students have used AI as mental health support and while that might have some potential benefit, there are just huge risks and dangers too. So, that has me worried. >>
039Do we have any further questions? >> Hornet, can I ask a question? Okay, never mind. I'll ask my question after. >> Okay, definitely. >> Um >> Oh. >> Does she need the mic? Brooke wants to ask a question. >> Okay, hello. Um I uh I attended Boston Spa High School. I graduated class of '24. Um and I I really love um all that you're talking about about mental health and um uh you know, supporting students in that way. Um when I attended, I had no idea that there was a school psychologist um in the high school uh until um I think she let me know. She works in Sometimes she's in the high school, so as a as a nurse, so um that I found out through that. So, I'm just wondering if there's um
040I like how you're planning on on making these services aware to current students um as I I was not. >> Um she's also the valedictorian, if I put a little plug in there, but uh Ms. Remillard-Baskin, you can start. >> Sure. Great question and um and a really good one and um I think uh so so one of the things that I think we're we've been implementing >> the district is something called multi-tiered system of support, which basically, I think we're trying to spread that as information across the district. And the idea is really that we're meeting students where they're at with the support they need when they need it. And so, you're intervening basically sooner rather than later. And so, I would see that as the goal. I think one of the things then
041that that involves is in middle school and in high school, making sure that students are aware of the resources. And so, maybe that's part of the introduction that our students get, Um, you know, the when they come into the high school that there's an introduction to the resources. Um, and that it's not something that just teachers or staff are aware, but that we're really helping our students. I think learning how to ask for help is such an important skill and really making sure that our students um, understand that where the help is available seems really crucial. >> Yeah, I would piggyback just off of what you're saying. I think that this would be a great opportunity for the broadcasting class and club to um, interview all a lot of the staff that every student could
042interact with and show that in the first couple weeks of school. I think that's a really good idea. I appreciate your question. Yeah. Thank you. >> Actually, I I just want to Can I do a rebuttal? No, not a rebuttal. Not a rebuttal. An addition. I will say one thing that's been really great in the last year, um, is that New York State now has We've always had a student rep on the board, but New York State has now made that sort of an official requirement. And one thing our current student reps have been doing is they're going around to all the schools and they're talking to the students in those schools and they're bringing that report those reports back and that has actually been really helpful cuz of course students are going to say
043things to other students that they might not say to other grown-ups and so that has felt um, that feels like another opportunity to get information about what our students know and maybe what they don't know. >> And now we will commence our closing statements starting with We're starting with Ms. Woodamore. You have 3 minutes. >> Okay, I'm running for re-election to the Board of Education because I care deeply about the strength and future of our schools and community. I remain committed to listening, collaborating, and doing the steady behind the scenes work that keeps our district moving forward. Over the past 6 years I've partnered to make thoughtful student-centered decisions while balancing academic excellence, financial fiscal responsibility, and the well-being of all students and staff. And that's my closing statement. >> And Mrs. Burkhardt? >> Um
044I think what I would point back to is that it has been such an honor to be on the Board of Education because I really believe deeply that um quality public education benefits individual students and their families, but also benefits our communities and benefits our democracy. And I feel like the education and democratic values have to come hand in hand. I'm looking at Mr. Harnik right now. Um the seal of civic readiness and those programs. So, to me that just feels really crucial. And again, it's for me it's about giving back to um a district and an educational system that gave my two kids amazing opportunities and really again wanting to make sure that all of our students um in all of our schools have um the same access to opportunities. So, thank you. >>
045Okay. Thank you for attending this year's Meet the Candidate Night. And just a few reminders, the school board and school budget elections are on Tuesday, May 19th. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. And Milton and Boscawen spot residents will vote at the high school in the library right here. And Milton residents will vote at the Milton Town Hall. Um once again, thank you for being here this evening. And as always, it's a great day to be a Scotty. >> Thank you all so much.