GUILDERLAND — School board members were divided last Tuesday about sending a Guilderland student to Tech Valley High School to be a freshman next fall in the innovative school’s first class.

A joint venture of two area BOCES, the school will open on a business campus — Rensselaer Technology Park in Troy — and will draw from 48 school districts in seven counties.

One student was to come from each district but so far several districts have balked at the cost.

Guiderland would pay $18,000 for a student to attend, about 60 percent of which would be reimbursed the next year.

Five Farnsworth eighth-graders, each screened in advance, had applied, said Nancy Andress, the district’s assistant superintendent for instruction.

The project has a grant from New Technology Foundation, which wants to replicate the success of New Tech High School in Napa, Calif., opened a decade ago. That school has no textbooks and no library but offers a technology-rich environment.

"It’s inquiry-based learning where students pick a topic to study and work together as a team to solve a problem," Andress told The Enterprise earlier. She is on the new school’s advisory team, chairing a committee on content and outcomes.

"They have their finger on the employability and skills that are needed in the real world," said Andress. While learning at the school will meet state standards, she said, "This school is hoping to engage students in a different way than stand and deliver."

Projects will straddle different subject areas and the curriculum will be student-centered, Andress said.

"It’s not intended to be a school for the gifted," said Andress. "They want a diverse population, including students with disabilities."

Board divided

Last Tuesday, board member Peter Golden questioned spending so much money on one child.

"This is an entirely new way of delivering education to a student," countered board Vice President John Dornbush. "This is the first attempt in New York to do this."

He said it would become a model and he said it was one of the most exciting things he had seen since being on the school board.

"We should support this 100 percent...To me, it’s a no-brainer," said Dornbush.

"It sounds like a fabulous private school," said board member Denise Eisele, adding, "That’s a whole lot of money."

Superintendent Gregory Aidala described it as an "alternative-type high school" without sports teams where students might work until 5 p.m.

"It’s an exciting opportunity for kids," he said.

Board member Hy Dubowsky said he was more concerned about meeting the needs of children in the district who were struggling to read, a reference to three parents who had told the board earlier in the meeting about their sons’ difficulties reading.

Golden said he would feel better spending the money for students "at either wing" — meaning those with learning disabilities or those who are gifted.

Andress pointed out that the district pays $12,000 a year for students in the BOCES New Visions program who, for example, learn about the medical field by shadowing doctors in a hospital.

"We didn’t look at it any differently than that," she said.

Board member Barbara Fraterrigo asked if Guilderland could "sit back and wait to see how successful" Tech Valley High School is, to see "if it gets off the ground" before sending a student.

Board member Colleen O’Connell said that a lot of special-education placements cost $18,000. She said that, if the district hadn’t planned to send a student, it shouldn’t have accepted applications.

Eisele said that a child with special needs is placed in another school because Guilderland can’t meet those needs.

"Public education is trying to become more relevant to the 21st Century," said board President Richard Weisz. Tech Valley High School will provide a way of exploring new methods, he said. "We can draw from the successes and change our curriculum," he said. "It’s not about a specific child."

The Guilderland School Board this year set technology education as one of its two priorities.

The board considered voting Tuesday on whether to send a student to Tech Valley High but fell short of the two-thirds required to vote on a proposal at the same meeting in which it was first raised.

"I don’t want to take a vote tonight if this is going to go down — honest," said Dornbush.

Unallocated funds

Guilderland has about a million extra dollars in its fund balance. The state requires that school districts have no more than 2 percent of their next-year budgets in unallocated funds.

Last Tuesday, Assistant Superintendent for Business Neil Sanders outlined a plan with four components to use the excess $1 million. This includes:

— $125,000 to reduce the tax levy;

— $100,000 for tax certiorari. "We still have some outstanding challenges," said Sanders;

— $175,000 to purchase a small parcel of land on Route 20 in front of Guilderland Elementary School; and

— $600,000 for a capital reserve fund. A facilities committee is being formed to look at spending $1.78 million in EXCEL (Expanding our Children’s Education and Learning) aid, focusing on technology, the five elementary school buildings, and security.

"Why are we buying it"" asked Eisele of the land in front of Guilderland Elementary School.

The property is currently owned by the YMCA, which reconfigured the school’s driveway to line up with Winding Brook Drive, across Route 20, when it built a recreational facility there.

"It would give us protection so it could not be developed," said Superintendent Aidala.

"It’s more of a defensive move," said Nachod.

Board member Cathy Barber asked if Glass Works Village, a proposed $100 million residential and commercial development, proposed nearby off of Route 20, would have an impact.

"There will be some residential property across the way," said Aidala, noting Glass Works has projected about 120 students would be attending Guilderland public schools when its six-year build-out is complete.

Both the land purchase and the capital reserve fund would require voter approval on May 15 along with the district budget for next year.

"Until we see the budget and know what the taxes will be, it’s premature to take a million dollars and decide how to use it," said Weisz.

It was agreed the topic will be broached again in March, after the budget proposal has been presented.

Weisz concluded by thanking Sanders "for coming up with a way to spend a million dollars."

"My pleasure," returned Sanders.

Other business

In other business, the board:

— Applauded for a model city built by Farnsworth Middle School students who won a regional Future City competition and will no go on to national competition in Washington, D.C.

"You’ve made us all very proud," said Weisz;

— Heard Tim Burke, a member of the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee, request that this year, there is a breakdown of students, distinguishing those who live in the district from those who don’t and attend Guilderland schools as the children of employees;

— Appointed, in addition to Burke, Donald Csaposs, Mark Grimm, and Mark Owen to the committee — all have served before.

So far, 11 volunteers have been appointed and the district is hoping for double that number. The first of six televised budget review sessions is scheduled for March 1.

"I will be your master of ceremonies...try[ing] to keep it moving along to provide plenty of opportunity for participants to ask questions," said Aidala;

— Authorized a proposition to purchase school buses for $790,000 (including five 65-passenger buses, three 30-passenger buses, and three 24-passenger buses that can also hold wheelchairs) and a pickup truck with a plow for $45,000. Voters will decide on the bond proposition at the same time they vote on the school budget — May 15.

Sanders said earlier the district expects to be reimbursed about 50 percent in state aid for the bus purchase.

School board members who had requested information on the need for spare buses said the data was convincing and suggested it be posted on the district’s website.

Weisz commented on the number of school buses that are regularly taken out of service for state-required inspections. "There’s got to be a better system," he said, suggesting, for example, that inspections could be done on weekends;

— Reviewed an 185-day school calendar presented by Aidala;

— Discussed questions for superintendent candidates. Aidala has announced he will retire next fall.

The board agreed the candidates should be asked how they had handled a crisis, how they see the role of a superintendent introducing change, and when they think oversight becomes micromanagement;

— Heard from Andress that Farnsworth Middle School Mask will present The Wizard of Oz on March 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. and on March 11 at 2 p.m. Eighty students are cast in the play and 20 are working behind the scenes.

The musical is directed by Terri Mewhorter and produced by Shannon Woodley, both music teachers;

— Heard from Barber, who chairs the board’s communications committee, that more coffee klatches have been tentatively scheduled so that the public can meet informally with board members.

One will be held April 18 at the Guilderland Public Library and another will be held April 21 at the Altamont Free Library, she said; and

— Met in executive session to discuss contractual issues, to plan for future negotiations, and to discuss architect and engineering services.