GUILDERLAND — The school district here is getting about $1.5 million more in state funds than it had planned on when the superintendent in March outlined a $95 million spending plan for next year.

The bulk of the funds — about $1.3 million — are restoration of promised money that was never paid to school districts because of the Gap Elimination Adjustment.  When the state faced a large budget gap, under Governor David Paterson, state aid was siphoned off from schools.

“We are delighted finally to have the GEA restored,” said Superintendent Marie Wiles, who had led an advocacy campaign for the elimination of the adjustment.

But, she also sounded a cautionary note. “The reality is, as wonderful as the restoration of the GEA is, it’s  one-time revenue….If you loaned $5,000 to a buddy five years ago, it’s great to be paid back, but it’s not sustainable.”

Wiles had based her original 2016-17 budget on the governor’s plan, which allotted Guilderland about $25 million in state aid. Her plan used $470,000 from the district’s fund balance, or rainy-day account, and most of the rest of the revenues, at about $69 million, were to be raised through property taxes.

The levy came just under the 0.12-percent state-set tax cap so the budget could pass with a simple majority vote.

In case the state budget allocated extra funds, the district developed an online survey that residents could fill out to state their priorities. Wiles said on Monday that 47 people had completed the survey; the district has about 30,000 residents.

Today, April 7, the school board will hold a workshop to discuss its priorities on how to use the added state aid.

“We’re always talking about a balancing act,” said Wiles. She anticipated the district might add funds to support students and programs. “We have to look at next year and the year after,” Wiles cautioned. “We don’t want to add things back for next year, and then have to make cuts.”

With five recent years of large budget gaps, Guilderland cut over 200 staff members.

“At Thursday’s workshop, the board will look at ways to sustain and enhance programs but keep the district on solid ground. We still have to contend with the tax levy limit. We got zero in Foundation Aid. We’re not sure what it means for increases down the road.”

Asked what she would recommend for additions to the budget, Wiles reiterated items from the “wish list” she had outlined during her budget presentation in early March.

Among the possibilities she listed then were more reading support, eight-tenths of a post, at Guilderland and Altamont elementary schools; a counselor for Guilderland and Westmere, the largest of the district’s five elementary schools with growing numbers of students from other countries; and four-tenths of a coordinator for reading recovery.

At Farnsworth Middle School, a special-education teacher and summer-school busing were on the list. And for the high school the list included four-tenths of a post to oversee job-site learning; a school psychologist; a math teacher; and two-tenths of a math teacher as part of launching a STEM Academy to focus on science, technology, engineering, and math.

The total cost for her wish list would be $348,015.

“These are things that would have been in the budget if we’d have had the money,” said Wiles on Monday. “Ultimately, conversation with the board will decide what we will do.”

The public has its say on May 17.

Candidates

At the same time that district residents go to the polls to vote on the school budget, they will also elect three school board members. The three-year posts on the nine-member board are at-large and unpaid.

Colleen O’Connell announced two months ago that she would not seek a fifth term. An attorney who is the fund-drive manager for WAMC Northeastern Public Radio, she served as school board president from 2011 to 2013.

The other two incumbents are seeking re-election.

Barbara Fraterrigo, the board’s longest-serving member, is seeking a seventh term. She is also a long-time trustee of the Guilderland Public Library and manages her husband’s ophthalmology practice.

Gloria Towle-Hilt is seeking a fourth term. She served as vice president of the board under O’Connell, from 2011 to 2013. She is retired from teaching social studies at Farnsworth Middle School.

At the last school board meeting, on March 22, board member Christopher McManus asked what would happen if no one else ran, and Wiles said a write-in candidate would no doubt serve.

Since then, one other person besides the incumbents, Teresa Gitto, has taken out a petition, according to Linda Livingston, the board’s clerk. Fifty-two signatures are required and petitions are due at the district office by 5 p.m. on April 18.

Last year, five candidates — two incumbents and three newcomers — competed for three seats on the board. At the time, some people were riled over a consultant’s report on unused classrooms recommending school closures.

Protests led the district to set up committees of citizens to evaluate different options for keeping the school open, using vacant classrooms for other endeavors.

Eventually, the board settled on housing a pre-school program in empty classrooms and Altamont and Pine Bush elementary schools as well as at Farnsworth Middle School. The program is supposed to start in the fall.