Dear GD Community,
It has come to my attention that there is some confusion regarding Wynantskill’s Fiscal Stress Score as reported by the New York State Comptroller’s Office.
Wynantskill has received a “No Designation” status (meaning in good standing) from the Comptroller’s Office as of Dec 2025 from their review of the 2025 ST-3 (annual financial report).
As we have discussed throughout this budget process, Wynantskill, like many districts, has been managing its finances year to year with a level of struggle and uncertainty. We have worked diligently to make the most of our resources, reducing costs wherever possible in order to balance the budget.
Over the past 5.5 years, our finances have been tight. However, with the help of federal grants, including approximately $700,000 in COVID-related funding, we have been able to meet our obligations while carrying over roughly $400,000 annually. This has allowed us to build a modest reserve, as recommended by Dr. Rick Timbs in 2021.
During the last five budget cycles, we have reduced staffing through retirements and made significant cuts across nearly all budget lines. We have been extremely careful with spending and have consistently aimed to carry over about 4% of the budget (approximately $400,000), with last year’s carryover exceeding that amount at $558,684.
As noted in my presentation, Dr. Timbs strongly advised that the district aim to carry over at least $600,000 annually to help close projected budget gaps over the next three years. This recommendation comes in addition to a necessary tax levy increase to 6.4% and the use of reserves to balance future budgets.
Looking ahead, identifying approximately $600,000 in annual carryover will be increasingly difficult given the reductions already made. For example, this year alone, an unanticipated special education placement and transportation cost exceeded $150,000. Expenses like these make it very challenging to meet higher savings targets. Any shortfall in carryover will need to be addressed through the use of reserves.
It is important to understand that the Comptroller’s Fiscal Stress designation reflects past financial data as it is, in essence, a “rearview mirror” assessment. While we have been able to meet our financial obligations and maintain a healthy fund balance up to this point, the outlook is more challenging.
As shown in both my presentation and Dr. Timbs’, the district will not be able to sustain its current level of expenses without either increasing revenue or drawing down reserves. At our current trajectory, reserves are projected to be depleted within the next 2–3 years, depending on budget decisions and tax levy increases. Currently, we have just over $1 million in reserves to cover annual shortfalls. This year’s shortfall was $578,813, and next year’s is projected to be $608,910.
Dr. Rick Timbs, a highly respected financial expert across New York State, emphasized to the Board of Education that the district may face significant financial challenges within the next 24 to 48 months if corrective action is not taken.
We encourage all community members to review the data carefully and reach out to the district with any questions. If you see information shared publicly and are unsure of its accuracy, please contact the school directly as we are always happy to provide clarification.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Yodis
Attached are presentations from Dr. Yodis regarding the budget planning as well as the long range financial analysis from Dr. Timbs:
Wynantskill Final Community Presentation PDF: Community-Recap-from-Wynantskill.pdf
Wynantskill Final Community Presentation Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kKLHUCtjqg
Long Range Financial Analysis by Dr. Timbs: Wynantskill-LRFA-2025-November-2025-1-2.pdf
Questar Feasibility Page: https://www.questar.org/feasibility/
