Gardner Dickinson Elementary School, the only school in the Wynantskill Central School District, is a K-8 building. In the proposed annexation plans, Troy would continue to run it as a K-8 building.
Tyler A. McNeil/Times Union
TROY — A proposed annexation between Troy and Wynantskill school districts is heading to the state after hundreds of residents signed a petition in support.
More than 300 Wynantskill residents and more than 1,000 Troy residents signed a petition. By law, Wynantskill and Troy could not continue to a public vote unless they collected 176 and 725 signatures, respectively.
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This spring, likely in April, the Wynantskill school districts will hold a public vote. The Troy school district will annex the Wynantskill school district, likely after a transition year, if the vote passes.
The state Education Department encourages mergers and annexations, especially of small, financially-struggling districts. The goal is to reduce overall costs to the state.
But Wynantskill Superintendent Mary Yodis is arguing that residents will get a far better school if they vote for the annexation.
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Troy has lower class sizes and has committed to adding teachers to the K-8 Wynantskill building. Currently, the school’s one kindergarten teacher has 22 students. There is no aide in the classroom.
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“I wouldn’t be able to justify another $100,000 to have two classes of 11 kindergarteners, but that’s what needs to happen,” Yodis said. “I can’t go out to the public and say, ‘We’re totally broke, but I’m going to add a teacher to have 11 students in a classroom.’”
She was impressed when she toured Troy elementary schools and saw classes with just 12 students.
“Even though it’s a bigger district, I think you’re going to get that small group care,” she said.
Troy is also in the planning stages of what could be at least $10 million renovation of the Wynantskll building, because state aid in support of the annexation would cover 98% of all capital projects. That means a $10 million project would cost Troy $200,000. Wynantskill has $2 million in reserves, which would go to Troy.
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Yodis would lose her job. (Troy officials have said they’ll offer her some administrative position, though the details have not been finalized yet.)
But she has championed annexation as the best option for Wynantskill.
“Although I am extremely sad about this — even yesterday at the board meeting, I can’t help but start crying,” she said.
She has been with the district for 14 years, including eight years as principal.
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“The small school community, I just love it,” she said.
But Wynantskill is “broke,” she said.
The state is offering $241 million to support the annexation.
“It’s such a great opportunity,” she said. “Two hundred and forty-one million is generational. Generations of students will just benefit from so many resources that I could never ever dream of having here.”
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Troy Superintendent John Carmello said all the students, including Troy, would benefit.
“The financial incentive aid available through a reorganization presents a transformative opportunity,” he said. “It offers the potential for a decade of fiscal stability for the taxpayers in both communities, while simultaneously expanding academic offerings for the children.”
Wynantskill has been in financial trouble for years. For 2026-27, if the district does not join with Troy, Yodis expects to have to ask residents for a 6% tax increase. That would require a supermajority vote because it’s above the tax cap. Most of those votes fail statewide.
But if the district is joining Troy, she would use the district’s savings to plug a $600,000 gap in the budget, she said.
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If the public approves the annexation, Troy has committed to reducing property taxes by 5% the first year and then not increasing taxes for four years. Troy’s tax rate is slightly lower than Wynantskill’s.
Troy has also offered to put money each year into a savings account to pay for high school choice for every student currently enrolled in Wynantskill. For more than two decades, residents have been able to choose between Troy, East Greenbush, Brunswick and Averill Park for high school. Averill Park announced this month that it would not participate in school choice if an annexation occurs. But the other schools say they would continue the current arrangement, in which Wynantskill pays tuition for each high school student.
Yodis noted that Troy High School also has 27 accelerated, college-credit classes.
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“I think it’ll be amazing,” she said.