GUILDERLAND — Christopher McManus, vice president of the Guilderland School Board, resigned from the board, effective Wednesday, he said.

“It was a tough decision,” he told The Enterprise on Wednesday. “My job responsibilities increased … I knew I couldn’t give the board the attention it deserved.”

The school board is currently seeking applicants to fill McManus’s seat and will interview candidates in a meeting open to the public on Nov. 8.

McManus, who is 41, said he decided to resign at this point “so the new member could be part of the budget process from the beginning.”

Board members had elected McManus vice president in 2016 — he has served with President Christine Hayes — and re-elected McManus and Hayes in 2017.

McManus was elected to the board in 2014 on his first run. He said at the time that his being well-versed in finance would help the board. He had worked for New York State for a decade, first on the Senate Finance Committee and then with the Division of Budget.

He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics from the State University of New York College at Potsdam, and a master’s degree in business administration from Clarkson University.

McManus said on Wednesday, “I hope they replace me with someone who has financial background You need people who deal with that on a daily basis. Now that I’m off the board, there’s no one with that budget background.”

When McManus first ran, he outlined three goals he wanted to accomplish on the board: improving the schools so that Guilderland wouldn’t be “stagnant in the rankings”; opening the budget process to “discuss all options”; and talking about more issues in the open, “not always behind closed doors.”

“Certainly, we’ve made progress with two of those goals,” he said on Wednesday. McManus said he helped open up the budget process and brought more issues to the forefront in public.

“People who watch meetings know I ask a lot of questions,” he said. “I pride myself in bringing it out front. A lot of people are uncomfortable with the cameras on you; they get quiet. They are more comfortable behind closed doors. But it should be an open process …

“The tough questions are important to ask, and I was never afraid to ask,” he said.

The third goal, of upping Guilderland’s standing, McManus said he plans to continue to work on. He referred to rankings made by the Albany Business Review where Guilderland has consistently been among the top 10 districts in the Capital Region but not the first.

“We’re going to have a special meeting to fully understand why Guilderland is not improving in its rankings,” said McManus. “We’ll have an honest discussion … I’ll be there as a dad and citizen, asking questions.”

Asked if the district’s philosophy had been to let teachers be more creative in their approach rather than just teaching to the test, which could hurt ranking, McManus said, “You don’t have to teach to the test but you have to ask why we’re not on top. Maybe we need more additional support. Maybe we’re missing something.”

At the time McManus joined the board, none of the members were parents with elementary-age children in the Guilderland schools. He and his wife, Ann-Marie McManus, now an assistant principal at Guilderland High School, have two sons at Lynnwood Elementary School.

McManus saw himself as an advocate for parents. He said last year that he speaks up for families with young children and two working parents, for example, in advocating for a school calendar that wouldn’t require an extra day of daycare. “I do get emails and phone calls thanking me,” he said.

McManus said on Wednesday, “I’m very happy more parents have joined the board … You bring a different perspective when you have kids in the school.”

Looking back at his tenure on the board, McManus said, “The first day I joined, the community was upset with the capacity study. I thought, ‘What did I get myself into?’”

The board had hired a consultant to look at what to do with empty classrooms as enrollment declined; the recommendation to close an elementary school had brought protesting parents out in force.

“I forged new relationships,” said McManus. “We brought our community back better than it was.”

After a public session where ideas were shared, a task force was charged with finding new uses for empty classrooms. Several possibilities were investigated and ultimately the board decided to fill six vacant classrooms with  private preschool programs. All five of the district’s elementary schools, its middle school, and its high school remain open.

“We were able to turn that around,” said McManus. “I was part of that process.”

Seeking candidates

State law allows school boards to fill vacancies by appointment until the next regular election in May. The candidate appointed by the board to replace McManus would serve for six months, from Nov. 14 through May 15, 2018. If the appointee wants to complete the rest of McManus’s three-year term, he or she would need to file a petition and run for election in May along with any other interested candidates.

A release from the school district outlines the search process: A candidates must be at least 18 years of age, a United States citizen, and a resident of the school district for at least one year prior to the appointment. Anyone who is interested in being appointed may submit a letter of interest and résumé, as well as any other documentation that may be helpful in the selection process for review no later than Nov. 3.

Letters and documentation should be mailed to: District Clerk Linda Livingston, Guilderland Central School District, Post Office Box 18, 8 School Road, Guilderland Center, NY 12085. Candidates may also submit a letter of interest to .

All interested candidates will be interviewed for the vacant seat. Interviews will take place on Nov. 8, beginning at 6 p.m. as part of a special meeting of the school board. This meeting will be open to the public. The location has not yet been determined.

The board has nine members, each serving staggered three-year terms. The post is unpaid.

The successful candidate is expected to be appointed to the board at the conclusion of the board’s Nov. 14 meeting.

Those seeking more information may contact the district clerk at (518) 456-6200, ext. 3125.