School districts around the Capital Region are finalizing their budgets for the upcoming year.

“This has been a heck of a year,” said Marie Wiles, superintendent of the Guilderland Central School District.

Some school districts are seeing more money come from the state’s $29.5 billion budget after a tough year navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I teach 6, 7 and 8-year-olds who are scared about the virus,” said Tara Molloy-Grocki, president of the Guilderland Teachers Association. “They’re scared about, they’re scared about me getting sick.”

Guilderland’s budget includes a record $27.3 million in state funding.

“I had tears in my eyes,” said Molloy-Grocki.

What You Need To Know

  • New York State’s most recent budget included $29.5 billion in school funding

  • The Guilderland Central School District will receive a record $27.3 million in state aid

  • Guilderland school officials plan to invest in afterschool programming, social and emotional support programming

The money will help support a new pre-K program for 116 4-year-olds in the district. But school officials say most of the money will be dedicated to more afterschool programming and social and emotional programs, which will be critical as more students return to school.

“We fully anticipate that when our students return to something that’s more typical, that we will unearth many additional needs,” said Wiles.

To address those needs, the district will add three positions to its faculty, including an elementary literacy coach, a high school psychologist and an equity, diversity and inclusivity coordinator.

A room at Farnsworth Middle School will also be transformed into a sensory room where students can retreat and refocus.

“Sometimes, you’ve just got to stop teaching the math lesson and say, 'guys, what’s going on?'” said Molloy-Grocki.

State Assemblymember Pat Fahy and Senator Michelle Hinchey visited the middle school Friday.

“No one cares more about the community than our educators and teachers,” said Hinchey. “They dedicate all their time, their own personal resources, their care and their creativity to really fostering the next generation.”