A message from Dr. Wiles:
Dear GCSD Families,
We often recognize major achievements and milestones – induction ceremonies, moving up days and graduation – but what about the small “acts of greatness” our students accomplish everyday? At Farnsworth Middle School, the Students Working to Achieve Greatness (S.W.A.G.) character education program recognizes students who make positive contributions to the school community. When students perform a small act of kindness, such as welcoming a new student or pushing in chairs, they are recognized on the S.W.A.G. bulletin board with a post. Read more about S.W.A.G. here.
GHS Robotics Club invited to attend World Championship
After taking third place at the state level, one of the Guilderland High School Robotics teams was invited to compete in the 2023 Vex Robotics World Championship held in Dallas, TX, April 24-28. Learn more about the Robotics Club here.
Recognizing school nurses and teachers
Next week honors two very important groups in our school district, nurses and teachers. National School Nurse Day is Wednesday, May 10, and National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12. While their day-to-day functions are very different, each works very diligently to support the students of Guilderland. Please join me in expressing our sincerest gratitude for everything they do!
Meet your school budget
From bus drivers to maintenance staff to teachers and office workers, it takes more than 950 employees to operate the Guilderland Central School District. Approximately 75% of the school budget goes to employ our hard working staff. To showcase different staff positions and what they bring to our students’ educational experience, we’re running a social media campaign entitled “Meet Your School Budget.” If you haven’t seen the posts yet, please be sure to click on the links below to see that it’s the people who make our district a special place.
- Transportation
- School Resource Officer
- Health & Wellness Workers
- Teaching Assistants
- Substitute Teachers
School budget vote is May 16
On May 16, 2023, Guilderland residents will vote on the proposed $119,772,194 budget for the 2023-24 school year, a separate proposition to purchase school buses and a maintenance vehicle at a total cost of $1,206,000 and to elect three board of education members.
Public budget hearing was held May 2
At the May 2 board of education meeting, GCSD held a public budget hearing. Assistant Superintendent for Business Dr. Andrew Van Alstyne provided a presentation on the proposed spending plan for the 2023-24 school year. He explained that New York state law requires school districts to present their budgets divided into three expenditure categories, program (75%), administrative (11%) and capital (14%). The full presentation can be viewed here.
Board of education Meet the Candidates Night, May 8, 6:00 p.m.
On Monday, May 8, at 6:00 p.m., the Guilderland PTA Council is hosting Meet the Candidates Night. The forum will be livestreamed on the GHS Media YouTube channel and will be recorded. Three candidates are running to fill three seats on the GCSD Board of Education. Candidates run at-large and are elected to unpaid, three-year terms beginning July 1, 2023. The seats are currently held by Kimberly Blasiak, Rebecca Butterfield and Judy Slack; all three are running as incumbents. Candidate profiles are available on the district website.
Upcoming voter registration dates
To vote in the school budget and board of education election, voters must meet eligibility requirements and be registered. If you are not registered with the school district or the county, you can register to vote with the Albany County Board of Elections or at the Guilderland Central School District on May 8-9. For more details, visit the district website here.
Town of Guilderland Comprehensive Plan Update
The Town of Guilderland is seeking input from community members to inform the Comprehensive Plan Update, which will help shape decision-making about transportation, natural resource planning and economic development. To learn more about the Guilderland Comprehensive Plan Update and to share your ideas, see the attached flyer.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Marie Wiles, Ph.D.
Superintendent