"At the end of the day, we've done the right thing for students," said Guilderland's business administrator as the district has used its fund balance to preserve programs, causing the comptroller to deem it "susceptible" to stress.

A third of the Suburban Council school districts, typically thought of as wealthy, are deemed by the state comptroller to be susceptible to fiscal stress, part of a statewide trend as taxes are capped and property values stagnate.