“The historical anomaly here is the health-insurance increase,” said AndrewVan Alstyne. “We’re projecting a $2.2 million increase in health insurance. That is unusually large.”

The goal is to announce the new superintendent by July 1.

GUILDERLAND — Marie Wiles, superintendent of the Guilderland schools, sent a notice on Dec. 11 to parents and guardians of students, letting them know that a Level 3 sex offender has moved into the district.

Level 3 sex offenders are those, on a three-level scale, deemed most dangerous and most likely to reoffend. 

Guilderland’s forum, billed as a panel on a “distraction-free school environment,” was held the same day that New York State United teachers held a press conference at the capitol in Albany, calling on the governor and legislature to ban cell-phone use during the school day statewide.

The proposal looks to improve stormwater drainage, which currently runs to Route 20. The town’s engineer, Jesse Fraine, said he was still in the midst of reviewing the proposal but told the board, “From what I’ve seen, everything is meeting or at least reasonably meeting" requirements from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

Consulting engineer Bill Hennessy told the board that the current building is approximately 1,775 square feet and an additional 550 feet will be added.

“Westmere is lost and McKownville was lost long ago,” said David Bourque, who has lived in Guilderland for 50 years, the last 30 in Altamont. “Voorheesville is on the cusp of being lost to suburbia …. We want to protect Altamont’s unique character.”

“Some of the recommendations in this report may appear at first reading to be too big or too bold, but significant change is warranted,” the report says, noting the formula’s use of “old, outdated information” as well as its “outmoded modeling to measure pupil needs and local school district wealth.”

Christine Duffy, a Guilderland resident and consistent advocate for people with disabilities, spoke against the expenditure, saying the board should instead spend funds so disabled children could play in the town parks. Prodded by Duffy, two of the board’s five members spoke in favor of providing equipment, in the future, for handicapped children in the town’s parks.

Superintendent Marie Wiles said of the Dec. 9 forum, “This will be an information-gathering session for the school community and would help inform a cell phone-free policy.”