Richard Weisz, who is seeking his third term on the school board, said, "A number of people are very frustrated with the cost of education. That’s a fair point of view."
But, he said, he would ask those people to compare Guilderland to other districts. "Our tax rate is in the middle...We have a very rich program," he said.
The discussion, Weisz said, should be framed around larger issues: Are property taxes a fair way to pay for education" Should schools have to pay for unfunded mandates, like heart defibrillators" Should costs for special-needs students, three times the cost of regular students, be seen as the state’s responsibility rather than paid for locally" Can the state-required pension payments, at 10 to 12 percent for the near future, be changed"
"I would like the community to reflect on if the solution is not at the local level," he said.

Weisz, a lawyer, is married to Diane Rosenbaum-Weisz, who works for Parsons as director of the Child and Family Guidance Clinic. They live on Mohawk Trail, and have two children — Jessica and Joshua — both Guilderland graduates, currently at university.
When making decisions on the school board, Weisz said, "My first thought is: How would it impact the children" My second thought is: How would it impact the taxpayers""
His goal, he said, is to offer a "quality education" while respecting those who are paying for it.

Weisz supports the $79 million budget for next year, and is already looking to the years ahead.
"From a program point of view," he said, "I’ve asked the administration to begin rethinking on how to prepare our children for a more international and multi-cultural world than I grew up in."

He said this would include teaching foreign language to elementary students and combining social studies and English courses at the high school, tackling integrated subjects.
"We need to prepare our students for the world they are going to face," he said. "We need to look at what kind of programs we’re going to add."
Weisz also said some tough but wise budget decisions were made this year, such as locking into debt payments on the Farnsworth Middle School expansion and renovation project. "We could have postponed it a year," he said.
He went on to say, "We’re always looking for ways to be more efficient on delivery of services. The budget cut out some positions. That’s a sign we’re working to reduce spending. We also did a transportation study to see if we can be more creative....And the insurance committee came in with proposals that brought savings."

If the budget were defeated at the polls, Weisz said, he would recommend cutting the budget and putting the new plan up for a public vote.
"I think it would be disappointing for the budget to be defeated," he said. "It’s a good budget; it’s a fair balance between the needs of students and taxpayers."
But, if it were voted down, he said, "We would have to take the message seriously and see where we could do better."
He concluded, "It is ironic that we have a budget below what the state sees as relief...That reflects the hard work that went into making a fair budget."
On school security, Weisz said, "The first thing to ask is: What do the kids need""
He went on, "The drift I’m getting from parents, teachers, and staff is this system is workable...People are comfortable with it. If you have people complaining on both sides a little bit without being really upset, you’re doing the right thing."
Weisz then went on to discuss security in a context broader than locked doors. He talked about a program at the middle school he just attended on Internet bullies and predators. "We’ve been teaching about this," he said. "And this week, there’s a program for parents on gangs."

The district has an anti-bullying campaign; a Healthy Choices program; and it has school-resource officers, from the Guilderland Police Department, stationed in the middle school and high school, Weisz said, concluding these all add to security at school.
"Security is more than locking a door," he said.
"Do I see the need to spend additional money for security now"" he asked, answering himself, "No. But we’re always trying to do better."
Weisz sees no conflict between teaching to the test and offering a rich curriculum. "You don’t have to choose," he said. "There is no conflict. I’m for our rich program. We need to prepare the kids for a challenging world.
"I never thought that expertise meant you don’t know the fundamentals," said Weisz, explaining that the required tests examine students on the basics and teachers can go beyond that.
"The test itself has peculiarities," said Weisz. "Many parents, including myself, enrolled our kids in SAT programs to prepare them with test-taking skills. We owe it to our kids to give them the test-taking skills."
Weisz went on, "The tests help us evaluate if our teaching is getting through to the kids. It’s a time burden and an emotional burden, but the reality is: Tests are here. We can use the results to tell us how we’re faring. You begin with the fundamentals and push to the next highest level."
On testing special-needs students, Weisz said, "Our special-education program is exemplary...I don’t know why our scores are not at the normative.
"Guilderland is perceived rightly as a positive atmosphere for children with special needs and parents select this district perhaps disproportionately... Maybe the test is not a fair measure; it’s something to look into. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water."

Weisz, for years, has pushed the district to consider alternative funding.
"I’m definitely in favor of alternative revenue sources and I’m definitely in favor of a foundation," he said. "I personally don’t have a problem with pouring rights. We’re selling soft drinks anyway," he said, and the district may as well make a profit from it.
Weisz said, however, if there were a recommendation to evaluate whether the district should sell soft drinks at all, he "would participate in the evaluation with an open mind."
On in-school advertising, Weisz said, "Kids are bombarded by advertising. I don’t think it would corrupt them." However, laws in New York State limit advertising in school, Weisz said; he would support "honorific things" like selling bricks with names on them or placing plaques on auditorium seats.
"We have to walk before we can run," Weisz concluded.
On health insurance, Weisz said, "We have failed to really educate the community on how wonderful and mutually beneficial our system is." The current system, with representatives from the different bargaining groups meeting as a committee to make recommendations to the school board, "solves things in a consensus way," said Weisz.
Referring to the portions of insurance paid by the district and by the employees, Weisz said, "The 80-20 split puts a substantial burden on the individual...We’re focusing on keeping the cost of insurance smaller. I know health insurance costs have soared everywhere. I have yet to be convinced there’s a better system."
He praised the initiatives pushed by board member Peter Golden this year and concluded, "The insurance committee worked harder. I think the system is working."
Weisz said he favors lengthening the elementary-school day. "I recognize that will involve a whole host of issues," he said, naming use of time and staff, and added costs.

Weisz is not in favor of full-day kindergarten before the state requires it.
"The district would face some real space and program issues," he said. "Our community is rich in the opportunities it offers for full-day with other sources.... Some parents like choosing the half-day program. I don’t think Guilderland needs to push for it."