Ballston Spa Central School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ballston Spa Central School District

Ballston Spa Central School District serves kindergarten through grade twelve across six schools in Saratoga County. The district enrolls a mid-sized student body distributed across four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The enrollment is predominantly white, with smaller populations of students from Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Black backgrounds. Data on free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility and special education enrollment was not available.

Math proficiency across the district falls in the middle range, with elementary grades performing slightly stronger than middle grades. Third grade proficiency sits in the mid-range, and performance rises through fifth and sixth grade before declining at seventh grade and recovering at eighth grade. English language arts proficiency runs notably below math, with most grades showing just over half of students meeting state proficiency standards. Seventh grade shows the weakest performance in ELA, while eighth grade recovers somewhat. Science proficiency data covers fifth and eighth grades only; fifth grade sits below the midpoint while eighth grade performance is moderately better. Across tested grades and subjects, the district's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Saratoga County's districts.

A parent weighing Ballston Spa should be aware of two significant recent shifts. In 2024, the district ended its International Baccalaureate program at the high school, eliminating a pathway that had been available since the early 2000s. Families drawn to college-preparatory pathways will want to look into what advanced coursework remains available. Additionally, the district faces a multi-year revenue challenge from a declining PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) from GlobalFoundries, a major local employer. This fiscal headwind is expected to persist until later in the decade and has already driven budget increases and staffing reductions. The 2025-26 budget required a higher tax levy and drew on fund balance reserves to avoid layoffs; the 2026-27 budget carries another increase in tax levy.

On a positive note, district voters approved a major capital improvement project in December 2025, with construction running through the coming years. Work will touch every building and include upgrades to middle and high school facilities, a renovated auditorium, expanded athletic facilities, kitchen renovations, and air conditioning in large spaces. While this represents meaningful investment in aging infrastructure, the costs will be recovered through property taxes collected in installments, adding another layer to long-term tax consideration.

Housing values in the district's service area are modest by state standards, with a weighted median home value in the moderate range. Rental costs and home prices both factor into affordability. The district's chronic absenteeism rate sits below the midpoint among county peers, suggesting reasonable engagement and attendance.

Per-pupil spending in Ballston Spa runs in the upper half of the middle range compared to other Saratoga County districts, neither lean nor exceptionally generous. The district offers a traditional K-12 structure with no charter, magnet, or alternative governance status. A parent should plan to have direct conversations with the district about the loss of the IB program and any remaining honors or advanced-placement offerings, and should understand the tax trajectory before committing to the area.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,881

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 7%

Black 2%

White 83%

Asian 2%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr EOC

71%

—

Gr 3

42%

66%

Gr 4

40%

66%

Gr 5

42%

67%

Gr 6

36%

65%

Gr 7

30%

58%

Gr 8

47%

71%

Math

Gr EOC

—

Gr 3

50%

79%

Gr 4

48%

74%

Gr 5

45%

84%

Gr 6

55%

84%

Gr 7

42%

78%

Gr 8

64%

79%

Science

Gr EOC

54%

—

Gr 5

38%

72%

Gr 8

52%

78%

Social studies

Gr EOC

65%

—

Schools in this District

6 schools are officially reported under this district.

BALLSTON SPA MIDDLE SCHOOL

BALLSTON SPA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

MALTA AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WOOD ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GORDON CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MILTON TERRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

67%

Grade 3

64%

Grade 4

70%

Grade 5

74%

Grade 6

67%

Grade 7

74%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

57%

Grade 3

56%

Grade 4

58%

Grade 5

54%

Grade 6

49%

Grade 7

64%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

60%

Grade 5

69%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$435,124

Year-over-year change+5.1%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$349K to $637K

vs. state typical0.85x

vs. national typical1.18x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
12020	Ballston Spa	$431K	+5.0%	86.4%
12863	Rock City Falls	$483K	+7.1%	6.9%
12019	Ballston Lake	$490K	+4.8%	2.4%
12850	Middle Grove	$349K	+2.7%	2.1%
12118	Mechanicville	$468K	+5.0%	2.0%
12866	Saratoga Springs	$637K	+4.3%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,988/mo

Year-over-year change+10.6%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,514 to $2,008/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
12020	Ballston Spa	$1,999	+10.6%	86.4%
12118	Mechanicville	$1,514	—	2.0%
12866	Saratoga Springs	$2,008	+4.6%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,196/mo

Home price / national median income5.2x

Annual rent / national median income28.5%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$207/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$510,449 (+5.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.