To the Editor:

On Tuesday, May 16, Guilderland Central School District residents will head to the polls to vote on a proposed $98,484,110 budget for the 2017-18 school year. The proposed budget represents an increase in spending of $1,894,065 (or 1.96 percent) over the current year’s budget.

If approved by voters, it would result in a 2.11-percent tax-levy increase in the coming year — below the district’s maximum allowable tax-levy limit as calculated under the state’s “tax cap” formula. Due to a projected assessment growth within the district, tax rates are estimated to increase by 1.61 percent.

In addition, voters will also elect three members of the board of education and decide on a bus and equipment proposition as well as the creation of a capital reserve fund.

The proposed budget, adopted by the board on April 11, incorporates savings from lower costs for some expenditures (i.e., private school tuitions, retirement costs, fuel) and includes restorations to programs and services based on district priorities, board of education and school community input, and recommendations from district leaders.

Next year’s proposed spending plan adds positions district-wide to support lower class sizes, the enrollment growth of programs, and increased participation in accelerated classes.

Please read our budget newsletter, available on the district website and being delivered to residents’ homes, or visit our website, www.guilderlandschools.org, for more details about what is included in our 2017-18 spending plan.

In addition to the district’s budget, voters will also decide on a $1,071,500 bus and equipment proposition. If it is approved by voters, the district would purchase seven large buses, two smaller buses, one wheelchair-accessible bus, and two maintenance vehicles to be used for snow plowing. Approximately 50 percent of the purchase price of the buses would be returned to the district in the form of future state aid, reducing the cost to local taxpayers by $495,750.

A separate proposition will be placed on the ballot, seeking voter approval to establish a capital reserve fund in an amount not to exceed $10 million over a 10-year period. The reserve fund, much like a savings account, would allow the district to put annual surplus monies aside in a special, voter-controlled fund that could be used to address future renovations and improvements within the district. Establishing a capital reserve fund now would allow the district to plan for the long-term needs of the district. Taxpayers will benefit in the future from a lower interest cost on the borrowing, an annual expense of the budget.

I encourage all district residents to review the budget resources on the district website — www.guilderlandschools.org. Please feel free to call me at (518) 456-6200, ext. 3102, or email me at with any questions about the proposed spending plan.

Most importantly, I urge all eligible voters to head to the polls on May 16 to vote on the budget, bus proposition, capital reserve fund proposition, and for three members of the board of education.

After voting, please also take a moment to complete our exit survey. Your opinion is important to us. Participation is voluntary and anonymous, and the exit poll provides district leaders with valuable feedback about the budget process.

Thank you to all of our community members who participated in the budget development process this year. Don’t forget to vote!

Dr. Marie Wiles

Superintendent of Schools

Guilderland Central School District