A frequent critic of the Scotia-Glenville School Board led a brief public forum on the proposed schools spending plan Monday.

Although more than 40 people attended the hearing, only three offered comments.

District administrators offered an updated projection on spending based on changes being made during the board’s review of the budget proposal. Superintendent Susan Swartz said the district now expects spending to increase 4.89 percent, a slight decrease from 5.2 percent originally anticipated.

A revised estimated tax increase was not available.

As originally proposed, the budget would increase spending to $42.02 million, raising taxes by about 6.5 percent.

Jerry Moore, who has made multiple runs for school board, asked administrators about the fund balance in the budget proposal, which he claims in unnecessarily high.

Dorothy Nolie, the district’s business administrator, told Moore the district expects to end the upcoming budget year with a reserve fund of 2 percent, in accordance with state recommendations.

Moore also criticized the district for not searching for more opportunities to consolidate services.

Two other speakers asked the district to support a petition calling for grouping students by ability level in the middle schools. Katie Soule said supporters of ability grouping gathered 142 signatures in five days.

Soule said elementary students are grouped by ability in reading and math. But in the middle school, those groupings are dissolved, although the district does maintain a limited enrollment program for exceptional students in science, math and technology.

Soule asked the board to consider offering ability grouping in English and math at all three grade levels in the middle schools.

The board will adopt a budget by April 13 and has scheduled two more meetings to discuss the proposal on April 3 and April 10. The budget vote is May 16.