Voters Voice Approval for the 2026-27 Scarsdale School Budget and Bond and Choose Omer and Kevin for School Board

School Board Members and Administrators joined by Omer Wiczyk and Kevin Ziegler following the vote announcement.Earnest campaigns for two seats on the Scarsdale School Board with three candidates on the ballot, had Scarsdale buzzing over the last few weeks. There were lawn signs, postcards, emails, Instagram posts and handshakes with voters at the train station and at a host of public events.

The two candidates nominated by the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee, Omer Wiczyk and Kevin Ziegler, ran as a Alissa Baum with District Clerk Honore Adams who worked a 16 hour day in the hot gym supervising the election.team. The names Kevin and Omer were splashed across the Village, promising a “fresh perspective”. The two benefitted from a well-orchestrated campaign backed by supporters of the non-partisan process. Candidate Erica German was also well known around town. A longtime resident with 17 years of volunteer experience in the schools, she is currently President of the Scarsdale PT Council and has a network of friends and volunteers who assisted her to get out the vote. German, who is a psychiatrist, touted her listening skills, leadership and experience.

Also on the ballot was a $197 mm annual school budget along with a $101.7 mm bond resolution, the largest in Scarsdale’s history. The school administration and the school board spent months garnering support for the budget and the bond also with mailers, emails, school tours, work sessions and even an appearance at the Sunday Farmer’s Market.

The combined campaigns brought out record numbers of voters on Tuesday May 19, 2026 – some to vote for the candidates and others who were keen on supporting additions to Fox Meadow School and Edgewood Elementary School. Others were eager to have a large new turf field at Scarsdale Middle School that will accommodate additional playing time. Recent antisemitic incidents and discord about the elementary school math curriculum also drove some out to vote, though it was not clear how views on these issues impacted their decision to vote for one candidate or another or up or down on the budget or the bond.

There was a steady stream of voters all day – assisted by traffic guards to help with parking. At times the line to vote extended out of the gym, down the hall and into the Scarsdale Middle School breezeway. It looked like an unusual number of teens and first-time voters were in line as well.

The line to vote extended outside into the SMS breezeway.

The poll was scheduled to close at 9 pm – but at 8:50 a long line snaked out the door of the middle school. So the doors did not close until everyone who was on the line before 9 pm voted, and therefore the vote count got off to a late start.

Assembled in the steamy gym were the candidates, their families, their campaign teams, school administrators, the school board, and friends along with the poll workers. District Clerk Honore Adams who supervised the election maintained her cool – though she had been in the hot gym since 7 am. She was assisted by a team of poll workers and vote counters and Alissa Baum, who served as the Chair for the Budget and Bond Vote and Board Elections.

Superintendents Lennon, Rauschenbach and Patrick looked hopeful as polls closed.There were over 200 mail-in ballots that could not be opened and counted until the polls closed after 9 pm, and since they were counted by hand, it proved to be a long wait in the overheated gym until the outcome of the election was known. Board members joked that if the bond passed, this gym would be air conditioned, maybe in time for the next election.

Finally – around 10:40 pm, Baum and Adams announced the results, with the school budget passing with a 77.2% approval, the bond with 71.6% voter approval and the two Board seats won by Kevin Ziegler and Omer Wiczyk, the two candidates who were nominated by the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee.

Here are the numbers:

2026-27 School Budget: $197 mm

2,840 votes total
2,193 yes votes
77.2% approval

 2026 School Bond: $101.7 mm

2,835 votes total
2,030 yes votes
71.6% approval

School Board Election

Erica German 1,494 votes
Kevin Ziegler 1,641 votes
Omer Wiczyk 1,632 votes

Though the overall vote count did not exceed the 4,153 mail in vote count in 2020 during COVID, it was a robust turn out and both the bond and school board votes spurred community engagement. The 7 percentage point disparity in the approval rating for the budget and the bond may indicate some reluctance about the ambitious spending plan.

After the announcement, pleased administrators and board members lined up for a photo, much relieved that their efforts were endorsed by Scarsdale voters and happy to exit the steamy gym into the cool night air.

Commenting on the outcome, Erica German said, "First, I’m very pleased that the proposed budget and bond were approved by robust margins. I deeply appreciate all of the hard work our PTA and PTC Executive Committees, PTA Presidents, and Budget Study Chairs did over many months to support the proposed budget and bond.

While the outcome of the election was not what I had hoped for, I am enormously grateful for the support I received from so many members of the community. I am also deeply thankful for the incredible work of my campaign team and for the unwavering support of my husband, Jon, and our children.

I congratulate Omer and Kevin on their election. Going forward, I will continue to do all that I can to support District leadership and our schools on behalf of Scarsdale students and the community at large."

Following the election, Omer Wiczyk said, "I am extremely grateful to the Scarsdale community for the trust and confidence they've placed in me through this election. Throughout this campaign, I had the opportunity to connect with so many thoughtful and engaged residents, parents, educators, and students, and those conversations reinforced how deeply our community cares about its schools and children.

As a parent of two children in the school system, I am elated that Kevin Ziegler was elected to the Board of Education. Kevin is thoughtful, hardworking, and deeply committed to this community, and I know he is going to be a wonderful Board member. I am thrilled that he will be my colleague.

I want to thank the School Board Nominating Committee for its confidence in us, as well as the many incredible volunteers and supporters who dedicated so much time and energy throughout this process.

I also want to thank Erica German for her years of service to the community and for running a thoughtful campaign. Running for public office requires a significant commitment of time and energy, and I appreciate her willingness to be part of the process and engage on issues important to our schools and community.

I know that my obligation to listen carefully to the community does not stop with this election. I look forward to continuing to engage with parents, students, educators, and administrators, and to working collaboratively with my fellow Board members to help ensure that Scarsdale’s schools continue to provide an outstanding educational experience while supporting the well-being and growth of every student."

Jennifer Zola, Co-Chair of the School Board Nominating Committee offered her perspective, “There is a lot of support in town for the same thing: excellent schools. People just have different ideas of what it takes to attain that at this time as evidenced by the public discussion as well as the contest for school trustee seats with three candidates seeking election. I remain optimistic that the 70+% approval voting for the budget and bond reflect that common goal in Scarsdale's "main industry": our students' education.”

Campaign materials for the candidates, the budget and the bond.Campaign and community volunteer Diane Greenwald said, “I am thrilled the budget and the extraordinary bond referendum passed, showing our community’s commitment to stewardship of our children's education today and tomorrow. By supporting well-considered and needed capital investment into the District, we share our values and will leave Scarsdale better than we found it.

I am also pleased the community supported the SBNC nominees Kevin Ziegler and Omer Wiczyk for School Board, who each earned the confidence of the nominating committee and the community. I wish them good luck representing us on the Board, with curiosity, integrity, competence, and compassion.

For me, a low point I hope will not return is bullet voting -- giving up the right to vote for two candidates to increase the chances of one. Bullet voting is a strategy used in dire or extreme situations, not for our civil election between service-minded, decent Scarsdale neighbors. I am disheartened by this tactic that does not reflect the spirit of this contest.

Erica German stood with her family before the results were announced.This has been a uniquely divisive year and it’s time for healing and for rebuilding trust in our neighbors, leaders, and institutions. Even while we challenge norms and seek improvements, I hope we always do this with both reason and respect for the full, glorious spectrum of residents and views.

I wish to thank the Board of Ed challenger and long-time resident, Erica German, for her laudable service to Scarsdale’s school community and trust she has more to give. She is a dedicated volunteer and I hope she finds important ways to use her abundant talents and experience for the greater good.”

Announcing the vote, School Superintendent Andrew Patrick wrote:

“We are incredibly grateful to our community for showing up to weigh in on these enormously impactful decisions. Voter turnout was nearly four times greater than last year’s. This speaks both to the importance of what was on the ballot, as well as to the commitment of the many volunteers, including our PTAs, the PTC, and Maroon & White, who worked tirelessly to provide information about the budget and bond to the community so our residents could make informed decisions. We also want to acknowledge and thank the members of the Capital Projects Steering Committee who volunteered a tremendous amount of time to help shape the bond program. Their input resulted in a collection of critical projects that will enable us to continue to provide our students with environments that promote learning and growth now and into the future.

While the budget process was once again challenging and didn’t include everything we hoped for, we are grateful to our community for their input during the process, and strong community support of our students through the adoption of this budget... This budget will allow our schools to continue to reach the high standards we expect for our students while staying within the tax cap. We look forward to continuing to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students in keeping with our strategic plan priorities, Learning, Living, Leading.”

Ms. Suzie Hahn, President of the Scarsdale Board of Education echoed Dr. Patrick’s gratitude:

“On behalf of the Board, thank you to the community for your support of our schools and our students,” Ms. Hahn said. “I would also like to thank District Clerk Honore Adams, Chair Alissa Baum, all of the poll workers who volunteered their time, and the Scarsdale Middle School staff for ensuring everything ran smoothly. Congratulations to Kevin and Omer on their election to the School Board. I look forward to serving with them and the rest of the Board in the coming year.”

Ballots had to be collected and stored after the election.