Guilderland budget draft would cut TA hours, shrink Altamont fourth‑grade sections and reduce AES librarian time

The Guilderland Central School District on March 11 presented a draft 2025–26 budget that administrators say still leaves about a $168,100 gap after proposed savings and one‑time offsets, and would require cuts that include reducing Altamont Elementary School’s (AES) fourth‑grade sections from three to two, trimming first‑grade teaching‑assistant (TA) hours and cutting AES’s librarian time.

Board and district leaders said the draft combines unfilled positions, reassignments and one‑time fund transfers to limit staff layoffs. Superintendent Marie Vidalstein and finance staff presented four main budget options: reallocate an unfilled Guilderland High School special‑education teaching position ($92,200 in savings), eliminate a long‑vacant auto mechanic position ($89,000), apply $100,000 from an educational contribution fund tied to local solar pilot agreements to a technology installment purchase and use a portion of fund balance and reserves to close the remainder of the gap.

The proposal would leave AES with two fourth‑grade sections averaging about 24–25 students instead of three smaller sections. Parents and staff who submitted public comments told the board those changes would harm students. Jason Roberts, a parent, wrote: “I strongly believe that the school board should allow for 3 classes in fourth grade at Altamont next year.” Catherine Nelson, a parent, library volunteer and educator, warned that AES “is the only elementary building without a full time librarian” and said reducing librarian time is “deeply inequitable.” TA Sharmila Khadaji, a Pine Bush Elementary School teaching assistant, urged keeping first‑grade TAs because they provide academic and social‑emotional support.

Administrators defended the choices as painful but necessary to meet state law requirements for a balanced budget and the district’s class‑size guidelines. The district said guidelines call for 21–25 students in grades 3–5 and 18–23 in K–2; AES’s current third‑grade cohort (moving to fourth grade) totals 49 students, which—under the guidelines—results in two sections. The presentation also noted three unassigned sections in the budget to respond to mid‑year enrollment changes and said principals update a live spreadsheet daily as new students register.

District finance data shown to the board included: a roughly $450,000 shortfall identified last week before the new proposals; an estimated $2.59 million technology installment purchase agreement (district presentation); proposed use of $100,000 from the solar pilot educational contribution fund toward that technology purchase; a tax levy limit of about 2.22% (the district said that would generate roughly $1.8 million); and projected health‑insurance increases of about $2.3 million. The district reported reserves of approximately $13.3 million at fiscal year close and said it prefers to use only limited one‑time funds to avoid creating a larger recurring “fiscal cliff.”

Board members pressed staff for details and alternatives. Several board members and parents urged saving first‑grade TA hours; administrators said the TA reduction under discussion would remove a 3‑hour TA in some first‑grade classrooms and would save about $365,600 in salary (district figure presented) but that finding comparable recurring savings elsewhere was difficult. The administration said it has tried to limit personnel losses through attrition and by reallocating unfilled positions rather than by immediate layoffs.

The board was also asked whether the district could reassign the solar pilot funds to cover recurring TA costs; administrators said the educational contribution fund is intended for one‑time expenses and using it for ongoing staffing would create the same cliff next year. The administration proposed finalizing a revised budget draft and returning to the board at a budget workshop on March 25 and to ask the board to adopt a final budget on April 8 for the May 20 vote.

Public comment and emails submitted to the board repeatedly urged: maintaining three fourth‑grade sections at AES, restoring first‑grade TA support and returning the AES librarian to full‑time. Parents cited AES’s Title I status and said small classes and library access are essential to equity. The district replied that it would watch enrollment closely through August and that it will add sections if warranted before school starts.

No formal budget adoption occurred at the March 11 meeting. The only formal motion recorded before adjournment was a routine motion to adjourn; the board approved it by voice vote.