Most Guilderland Central School District residents seem more interested in keeping their schools open than the work it takes to keep them open.
Only a few residents attended the school board meeting Wednesday, Nov. 5, at which the board approved a motion to move forward on its $17.32 million building improvement project, despite the uncertainty surrounding the future usage of some buildings they seek to improve.
Contrast that scene to the large crowds that showed up earlier this year when the board discussed how to deal with the unused space in its buildings and considered a commissioned study that presented several possible scenarios, including the closure of a school. The scenarios were ultimately put aside, and plans were made for a community summit to discuss other means how to addresses unused spaces across the district.
Do you see the problem here? We do, and it extends beyond Guilderland.
What we’ve noticed is that people only become involved in the process of governing when something they hold dear to them might be taken away. In Guilderland, it was the potential closure of a school. In Colonie, it was the firing of a well-liked football coach due to budget cuts — who, coincidentally, was hired back by the South Colonie Central School District as an assistant principal. In Niskayuna, it was the potential closure of one of the school district’s two middle schools. In all three cases, people showed up en masse to protest what was being suggested.
But when it comes to the regular business school districts and town boards must deal with — such as creating budgets for the year and approving projects — most people around don’t attend those meetings. At that Nov. 5 Guilderland School Board meeting, there was an opportunity for the public to have a say in the board’s budget development, but no one spoke up. No one even signed up to comment at the meeting
This disconnect worries us, because it’s these budget processes that determine what happens over the next year. It’s as if people are willing to let their town and school boards decide how much they’re going to spend, and then they’re genuinely shocked and outraged when those decisions lead to something being closed or taken away.
What people must realize is that they have a say in the matter, and it starts when the budget process starts. Board members aren’t mind readers, after all. They are simply looking for the best, most unbiased and balanced way to allocate money for the year. Without public input, they make their decisions based on the facts presented to them.
This is why the public must make more of an effort. Sit in on a preliminary budget session. Listen to the seemingly small details they are talking about. If there is something the board proposes that you don’t like, speak up. Remember, you voted for these people to represent you. You have to hold them accountable, and they have to listen.
The public’s involvement shouldn’t be selective. It needs to be consistent.