School Budget and Reveal Math on the Agenda for Monday's BOE Meeting

If you have questions or comments about the 2025-26 school budget or the Reveal Math program, now’s the time to speak up.

The administration has issued their 2025-26 budget book detailing the proposed $191,504,833 2025-26 school budget which you can see here:  And they welcome your comments at the Budget Forum on Monday March 24, 2025 at 6:30 pm at Scarsdale High School Room 170-172.

We’ve been watching the budget process and here are a few things to keep in mind.

Reserves

Due to the tax cap, state mandates, rising health care costs and a host of other factors, fund balance reserves are declining. The current budget book shows that in June 2021 the district completed the year with a fund balance of $25,536,424. By June 2025, it is expected to decline $4.8 mm to $20,830,421. A report in November 2024, showed that at the current rate, the district will have negative balances by 2028. The Board has discussed their comfort level with the long term picture.

Sports

The current budget asks students who are involved in non-sanctioned sports including crew, fencing and squash to make up $50,000 in costs to support these activities. Some have asked why only certain students need to pay out of pocket to play in high school sports.

High School Math

The budget calls for the loss of a half time math teacher at the high school. Reportedly the loss of these teaching hours could impact the availability of AT Statistics and the size of high school math classes, which may exceed usual caps. Specifics have not been provided.

Special Education

This year, for the first time, the district will launch two new Special Education programs to bring students in to the district rather than send them out of district. In order to add an 8:1:2 class at Scarsdale Middle School for three students, the district will hire one full time teacher and a teaching assistant.

To accommodate four students in a 12:1:1 class at Scarsdale High School, the district will hire an additional full time teacher.

What else?

The budget includes $1,250,000 for a new turf practice field at Scarsdale High School and the purchase of 4 EV school buses.

Also at the meeting, there will an Education Report on the district’s K-5 math curriculum. For those with comments on Reveal Math, now’s the time to air your thoughts.

So mark your calendar to either attend the meeting in in person or on Zoom.