GUILDERLAND — At its Nov. 7 meeting, the school board here unanimously adopted a plan to correct problems an audit by the State Education Department found in the district’s disbursing of its first pandemic funds.

The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed in March 2020 under which New York state receive $1 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, known as ESSER funds, and $164 million in Governor’s Emergency Education Relief, known as GEER, funds.

Guilderland was awarded $165,04 in ESSER funds and $28,364 in GEER funds.

The district used these funds, according to the audit, “for summer learning programs to close learning gaps for the neediest students due to he pandemic, mental health services and supports, supplies and materials to ensure the health and safety of students and staff, and educational technology supplies and resources to maintain continuity of learning for students and teachers.”

“They had six findings that we addressed,” Assistant Superintendent for Business Andrew Van Alstyne told the board. “The audit committee met last week to review and pass on to the full board the corrective action plan.”

A summary of the six recommendations along with Superintendent Marie Wiles June 16 responses and the corrective steps adopted follows:

— The district was told to develop written procedures for hiring new staff to which Wiles responded that Guilderland uses a “living document” that is regularly updated to reflect state laws and regulations and was in the process of transitioning to a system that would store all records electronically. The action plan says that “all online onboarding” started with this school year;

— The audit recommended the district review its policies on federal grants and update them as needed to which Wiles responded that language would be added to ensure dates are synchronized with teachers’ sign-in sheets. The action plan says the district developed new sign-in sheets to include the requested details;

— Wiles said that, as recommended, an employee independent of the payroll process would verify agreement between hours and amount paid, which the action plan said is currently being finalized;

— The audit said the district should communicate its procurement policy with department heads for getting price quotes to which Wiles responded that, going forward, Guilderland will send out an email at the start of the year outlining purchasing guidelines to all requisitioners and department supervisors.

The action plan says that, on Oct. 31, supervisors were sent a purchasing policy memo, which includes purchasing guidelines, handling sole-source vendors, and fully documenting all purchases;

— The audit said Guilderland should follow its procurement policy, justifying sole-source vendors to which Wiles responded that the need to document the rationale for using a sole-source vendor and the unique benefits of the item or service would be emphasized. The action plan again references the Oct. 31 memo to supervisors; and

— Wiles stated that, as the audit requested, Guilderland does have written policies for federal funds that assure payroll charges are allowable, reasonable, and accurate. The action plan states, “The district is still reviewing and updating these policies to ensure compliance.”

Unruly class

A distraught mother asked the school board to add a teaching assistant for a class she said is out of control.

Alexandra Nitti, addressing the school board at the start of its Nov. 7 meeting, said a second-grade class at Guilderland Elementary School “is struggling with significant behavioral issues, and it has become too much for just one person to handle.”

When many of the children in that class were first-graders, their teacher left abruptly, she said, so the class of 15 students had a string of substitute teachers for months. This year, the class size almost doubled, Nitti said, and their “well-meaning teacher” is “at her wit’s end.”

“Some of the issues so far have been students running out abruptly of the classroom, running and sliding under desks, throwing anything they can find across the room, physical fighting between the children, flipping desks over in frustration, along with screaming and crying on a daily basis,” she said.

The school board president, Seema Rivera, responded that the board is in the early stages of developing next year’s budget. “I think all of us will keep in mind, you know, where there could be resources used for aids in elementary classrooms but will look specifically at Guilderland,” she said.

Other business

In other business at their Nov. 7 meeting, the Guilderland School Board:

— Applauded the accomplishments of the high school’s outstanding athletes in fall sports. Before each team was recognized, Athletic Director David Austin told the board, “The athletes you see tonight are some of the best in their sports in Section II and some of the best in the entire state of New York”;

— Heard from high school student representative Paarth Sarecha that homeroom activities have helped students get to know one another; that students are coming up with ideas for Spirit Week; that teachers are continuously reminding students to make sure they’re up to date on assignments as the quarter draws to a close; and that, on Nov. 16, at a principals’ forum, students will be able to voice their concerns;

— Heard from Rachel Anderson, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, that 29 Guilderland High School students were selected to perform in the Area All-State Music Festival on Nov. 17 and 18 at Proctors Theater in Schenectady. The public is invited to a concert at Proctors on Saturday, Nov. 18, beginning at 2 p.m.;

— Heard Wiles praise  staff as School-Related Professionals Day approaches on Nov. 21. “They help educate, transport and feed children, as well as keep them safe in school,” she said;

— Agreed to participate in the New York School and Municipal Energy Consortium (NYSMEC) for electricity and natural gas. “Being a collective bid,” said Van Alstyne, “it allows us to pool our resources in terms of market size. And the nice thing about this bid is there are caps on the costs of both natural gas and electricity”;

— Approved an agreement with Keuka College for student teachers, and with Siena College for College in the High School courses so Guilderland students can earn college credits;

— Approved a new Origami Club and Volleyball Club at the middle school, and approved these new clubs at the high school: Hot Potato Club, Chess Club, Love for our Elders, and Artificial Intelligence Club; and

—  Heard from board member Judy Slack that the board’s business practices committee “discussed the issue of tax exemptions for seniors, which we are not prepared to deal with in our next budget.”

Slack noted that the Guilderland Town Board had approved expanding exemptions for seniors “but didn’t really have too many statistics for us to work with …. For the district, it would be probably quite an expense and we have to do more planning.”