It’s time to prepare for (or catch up on ) back-to-school planning.

I love buying school supplies. New pens and notebooks, pencils and highlighters, index cards and gadgets I’ll probably use once? They all come with the promise and potential of the new school year.

We’ve rounded up the 2022 school-related winners of our annual Best of the Capital Region reader poll, and it includes information for students (and parents) of all ages, from school districts and preschools, to bookstores, salons and barbershops, grocery and health food stores for lunch plans, and even coffee shops for those early mornings. 

More: See all of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region winners. | Sign up for the Best of the Capital Region newsletter. 

Columbia High School senior Mikelle Backmon receives her diploma from Principal Michael Harkin on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the McDonough Sports Complex at Hudson Valley Community College.

Winner: East Greenbush Central School District

Second place: North Colonie Central School District 

Third place: Bethlehem Central School District 

Runner-up: Shenendehowa Central School District 

Runner-up: Guilderland Central School District 

Learning materials are stored at the Spotted Zebra Learning Center in Colonie.

Winner: Spotted Zebra Learning Center, 6 Computer Drive East, Albany

Second place: Brown School, 150 Corlaer Ave., Schenectady

Third place: Tiny Town of Colonie, 560 Sand Creek Road, Colonie

Runner-up: Colonie Community Day Care Center, 701 Sand Creek Road, Albany

Runner-up: Mother Teresa Academy, 1 Executive Park Drive, Clifton Park

Exterior of The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza in Guilderland.

Winner: Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, 1475 Western Ave., Albany

Second place: Barnes & Noble, Colonie Center, 131 Colonie Center Suite 355, Colonie, and Wilton Square, 3029 state Route 50, Saratoga Springs

Third place: Northshire Bookstore, 424 Broadway, Saratoga Springs

Runner-up: Open Door Bookstore, 128 Jay St., Schenectady

Runner-up: I Love Books, 380 Delaware Ave., Delmar

SEFCU employees carry wrapped gifts to a vehicle so that they can be delivered to various organizations in the Capital Region. 

Second place: Trustco Bank, multiple locations

Third place: CAP COM Federal Credit Union, multiple locations

Runner-up: Sunmark Credit Union, multiple locations

SEFCU and CAP COM have since merged under the name Broadview.

Exterior of Patsy's Barber Shop in Albany, N.Y. 

Winner: Patsy’s Barber Shop, 3 Howard St., Albany

Second place: Vinny’s Barber Shop, 130 Dunning St., Malta

Third place: Gregory’s Barbershop, 318 Delaware Ave., Delmar, and 5 Southside Drive, Clifton Park

Runner-up: Duke’s Barber Shop, 807 Madison Ave., Albany

Runner-up: Headliners Barber Lounge, 1315 Central Ave., Colonie

Rumors Salon and Spa in Latham on Monday, March 28, 2022. 

Winner: Rumors Salon & Spa, 626 Loudon Road, Latham

Second place: Pixie Salon, 1274 Central Ave., Albany

Third place: Jenna’s Salon, 618 19th St., Watervliet

Runner-up: The W Salon, 175 Troy-Schenectady Road, Suite 2, Latham

Runner-up: James Allison Salon, 583 N. Greenbush Road, East Greenbush

Stylist, Maggie Saccucci, poses for a photo at Jenna's Salon by Maggie on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in Clifton Park, N.Y. 

Winner: Maggie Saccucci, Jenna’s Salon by Maggie, 15 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park

Second place: William “Tragedy” Yager, Patsy’s Barber Shop, 3 Howard St., Albany

Third place: Anthony “June” Colagiovanni, 12 Months of June, 11A Vatrano Road, Albany

Runner-up: Kathleen Carroll, Pixie Salon, 1274 Central Ave., Albany

Runner-up: Jenai Southard, Fleur De Lis Salon, 747 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham

Shelves are stocked at the Hannaford Supermarket at 3 Via Rossi Way, Ballston Spa.

Second place: Price Chopper/Market 32, multiple locations

Third place: Trader Joe’s, Colonie and Halfmoon

Runner-up: Honest Weight Food Co-Op, 100 Watervliet Ave., Albany

Fruits and vegetables are seen in the produce department at Honest Weight Food Co-op on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in Albany.

Winner: Honest Weight Food Co-Op, 100 Watervliet Ave., Albany

Second place: Trader Joe’s, 79 Wolf Road, Colonie

Third place: Fresh Market, 664 New Loudon Road, Latham, and 52 Marion Ave., Saratoga Springs

Runner-up: Whole Foods Market, 1425 Central Ave., Albany

Runner-up: Niskayuna Co-Op, 2227 Nott St., Niskayuna

Customers order from the counter at Professor Java’s Coffee Sanctuary at Wolf Road Shoppers Park in Colonie.

Winner: Professor Java’s Coffee Sanctuary, 145 Wolf Road, Albany

Second place: Perfect Blend, 376 Delaware Ave, Delmar

Third place: Spillin’ the Beans, 13 Third Street, Troy 

Runner-up: Graham’s Coffee Parlor, 3406 State St., Schenectady

Runner-up: Jacob Alejandro, 274 River St., Troy

Best of the Capital Region 2022

Winners: See who won in each category of the Best of the Capital Region 2022 contest. Prefer something for your coffee table or to stash in your car for quick reference? Order our 68-page magazine, and we’ll ship it to you free.

100 categories: There were 14 new categories in 2022. 

See how far Best of the Capital Region has come in 25 years: These are the first winners from 1997. 

Hudson Valley’s Best: See who won

Want the latest updates delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our Best of the Capital Region newsletter.

Erica Smith is the managing editor for digital at the Times Union. She has worked in local news media for more than 20 years and joined the Times Union in March 2020 (just as COVID-19 shutdowns began) after working in print and digital media in Virginia, Missouri, Indiana and Washington. Erica's also the Local Media Foundation board's vice chair and collects typewriters.