Players and Parents Implore Board to Fund JV Hockey at School Budget Forum

The Scarsdale Board of Education held a special Budget Forum on Monday, March 24th which garnered a robust crowd who all seemed grateful for the opportunity to share their comments and concerns regarding the District’s proposed budget.

Superintendent, Dr. Drew Patrick began the meeting with a brief slideshow providing viewers with an overview of the proposed budget and some of what it accomplishes. A few of these accomplishments can be seen below:  

Also find answers to frequently asked questions here.

The $191.5mm proposed budget represents a 3.55% increase over the prior year but will only mean a 1.77% increase for Scarsdale residents and a decrease of .23% for those in the Mamaroneck strip. For a Scarsdale homeowner with a house assessed at $1.32 mm, this will translate to a $415 increase in school taxes for next year. The budget meets the tax cap calculation and will require a majority vote to pass.

After the presentation, Dalya Khan was the first community member to speak, and read a prepared statement on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale. The letter declared the League’s support for the Proposed 2025-26 Scarsdale School District Budget and recommended that the Scarsdale community vote “YES” to approve the final proposed budget on May 20, 2025, at Scarsdale Middle School.

The letter went on to highlight the League’s appreciation for several components of the proposed budget including the District’s thorough plan to convert to an electric fleet as required by New York State mandate, the District’s support of special education students in Scarsdale throughout the significant rise in the number of classified students over the past 10 years, and the District’s continued focus on issues of belonging and inclusion in the curriculum, of which the letter states, “Even though the District no longer works with a consultant, and encourages the District to ensure that belonging and inclusion remain areas of consideration across the Scarsdale schools.”

Although the League’s statement praised the District for developing a Long Range Financial Plan, their letter states that they also “Look forward to seeing how the District uses it to plan for challenges and find solutions to a variety of issues facing the District, including those related to revenue shortfalls, excess expenses, the tax cap, program changes and expansions, unexpected events, and high inflation, in a financially sound way.” In particular, the statement outlines the League’s concerns about the continued unsustainable use of and reliance upon the fund balance to offset the following year’s tax levy.

In closing, Khan read from the statement saying, “The League commends the Administration for providing a budgeting process that prioritized open communication, clarity, and transparency. This transparency allows the community to better understand the District’s rationales and helps ensure a greater degree of confidence that the final budget represents the best balance between advancing the program and gaining taxpayer support.”

To view the League of Women Voters full statement, see here.

Scarsdale PTC President, Meryl Satler also read from a prepared statement on behalf of the PTC. Like the League of Women Voters, the PTC expressed their appreciation that the proposed budget reflects many shared goals including: maintaining small elementary class sizes, supporting a broad range of course offerings at the high school, the importance of maintaining both sanctioned and non-sanctioned sports programs, and the prioritization of student mental health and physical safety.

Also like the LWV, the PTC expressed concern about the District’s dependence on the Fund Balance to deliver a proposed budget that stays within the state mandated tax cap. The statement reads, “The PTC is appreciative of the effort that has gone into formulating a budget that stays within the tax cap, but we also have concerns regarding the increasing use of Fund Balance. The current practice of using a fixed amount to balance the budget each year, coupled with the dependence on these funds to cover budget shortfalls, is unsustainable.”

While the PTC statement recognizes and appreciates the District’s efforts to support the personal and academic growth of our students, it also urges the District to consider community concerns in regard to the Reveal Math Curriculum and urges them to carefully consider the costs while expanding the Special Education program.

Satler ended her statement by thanking the District for prioritizing transparency and communication with our community. To view the PTC’s full statement, see here.

Moira Crouch shared a prepared statement on behalf of Maroon and White which largely detailed the organization’s support of a proposed budget that can be inclusive of the needs of the sport teams the students passionately pursue.

Their statement emphasizes the importance of including a synthetic turf practice field next to the fitness center and highlights that the turf would be a capital expenditure which will not affect the operating costs of the school budget and does not dip into the Fund Balance.

The Maroon and White statement also expresses their appreciation of the decision to maintain the non-sanctioned sports Squash, Crew, Fencing, Dance and Ultimate as they are sports that enhance Scarsdale student-athletes' high school experience and diversify our offerings.

Their letter ends by reiterating “Athletic programs are vital to students’ physical and mental wellbeing and social development. We should not look at them as one of the first places to cut costs. Eliminating teams sends the wrong message. Having a robust athletic program demonstrates that Scarsdale cares and invests in the whole student. The more students that participate in athletics the better. We would appreciate you taking this into consideration when making a decision on next year’s budget.”

At the Forum, several parents took the opportunity to share their support for a turf field and detailed several reasons it is important for Scarsdale’s athletic teams.

One commenter who has been a teacher for over 25 years, implored, “Social and Emotional Learning doesn't just happen in the classroom. It happens a lot out on the fields, at after school sports and after school activities. Giving our children the space that they need, the durable space that they need, that they can use all the time, will be a huge benefit for our community. So on behalf of SYSC, we support the budget.”

Other parents pointed out that the current grass field is highly damaged from intense use during the fall season and is in need of immense restoration. While the field is being restored, it would be unavailable to the several teams who count on that space for both practice and games. Whereas an artificial turf can handle use in all kinds of weather and would better meet the needs of the SHS athletic population.

Perhaps the most impressive moment of the evening came when several SHS hockey players took the podium to advocate for the District to maintain a JV Hockey team. The students demonstrated bravery and poise when they delivered their well-spoken arguments.

A current varsity hockey player, freshman Alec Bernstein stated, “I'm here today because I love the game of hockey and I love Scarsdale High School. Hockey has not only shaped me as an athlete, but it has helped me build relationships and grow as a person. It's been a source of confidence, discipline and camaraderie. It is something that has a positive impact on my social and personal development. That's why I believe it's so important for kids of all skill levels to have the opportunity to play. No one should be left out just because of where they're at in their development… The more opportunities we give to players to develop, the stronger our program will be. When you play for your high school, no matter the level, it gives you a sense of pride that you're representing. You're representing something bigger than yourself. You're representing your school and your community. It motivates you to compete at your best, push yourself and never back down. But we are already falling behind other schools in terms of player development, and if we cut the JV team, that gap will only grow wider. We can't afford to lose out on these crucial stages of individual player development. Moreover, if we're putting ninth graders in modified, we risk the safety of smaller, less developed middle school players. It can be dangerous for the players who are still growing and learning the game at a different level. We need to ensure that every player has a safe and appropriate environment to grow in, and perhaps most importantly, cutting the JV team will leave a group of players without a home. Every player deserves a place. Deserves a place to belong, a team to develop with and a chance to contribute to the success of our school. Scarsdale High School is a place where excellence should be expected in everything we do, and that includes hockey. We can't expect to be competitive or serious about our program if we don't invest in it at every level. Our players deserve the opportunity to grow and succeed with the entire school, and we need to support them in every way possible. Thank you for your time, and I hope you'll join me in ensuring that every hockey player has the opportunity to develop, compete, and represent Scarsdale High School with pride.”

Another SHS hockey player, Jack Capabianco, added, “I was a captain of the JV ice hockey team and the JV team allowed me, and my teammates, a lot of ice time that we would not have gotten if we were on the varsity team. It was an experience that allowed us to grow together, and to gain a lot of valuable experience that we will benefit from for years to come. But more than just valuable “on ice” experience, that time allowed us to grow off the ice as well…in the weight room and connecting with our team. The thing I really liked about the JV team is the fact that it taught us not only how to play on the ice, but allowed us to become better people off the ice…And in terms of next year, the program is growing at rates we've never seen before, and people want to buy into our hockey program. Taking away a JV team would cause players to lose out on a valuable experience, especially since we have upwards of 40 kids who can try out next year. Taking away a JV team will ultimately impact the younger players in the program and will cause them to lose interest in the sport.”

Freshman Annabelle Hassan also spoke in support of maintaining a JV hockey team and explained that in addition to a JV team providing better development for players, “It also allows players to develop into real high school players and to have a real high school hockey experience. This prepares them to transition smoothly into varsity, rather than making a big leap from offside to varsity. For players to succeed at a varsity level, they need to be well developed and have exposure to the faster pace, higher skill level and increased physicality that a JV team provides. Without JV and its high school hockey experience, many players can struggle when they reach the varsity level, ultimately hurting both their confidence and the team’s performance over years to come. Additionally, a JV team gives more players the opportunity to play. Without a JV team, some players are left out of the school team, leading to lost development, and even players quitting the sport. 10th graders who aren't quite ready for varsity won't have a place to play. If they are on a common split season hockey team, they may not get enough ice time outside of school hockey, leaving them with no option to continue playing for their school or in general, this leads to fewer players staying in the program. Ultimately, a JV team keeps more athletes engaged and ensures that players at all levels have a proper place to develop and learn… From a program standpoint, adding JV instead of modified ensures long term success. Schools with strong JV programs consistently have better varsity teams. Other schools we compete against at the varsity level have a deep talent pool with players getting one or two more years of JV experience. Lastly, every other high school sport has a JV team. Why should hockey be any different? Football, basketball, soccer, baseball and every, almost, almost every other section one sport provides athletes with the JV program. To develop, hockey players deserve that same opportunity. Students like myself, want the chance to represent our high school hockey team and compete against players with our age and skill level. Without JV, we are putting all students at a disadvantage compared to other schools and other sports, and not allowing kids to play a high school sport that is their passion, is unfair to everyone. Thank you.”

Another ninth grader, Noah, remarked about his experience with the JV hockey team saying, “It is a really special opportunity for me to be able to play on my high school team.” He went on to explain that the JV team had 13 players and with only two varsity players graduating this year, many on the JV team will be unable to move up to varsity. “This means next year as a sophomore, many of us, including myself, will not be able to play hockey, even though we may have the numbers for it. It is sad that JV hockey might be cut, especially when we have the numbers for a team. Having a strong athletic program at Scarsdale high school is important because it allows students the opportunity to excel, both academically and athletically. I hope this changes your opinion about funding JV hockey for next year. Thank you.”

Many parents also took the opportunity to express their concern about cutting the JV hockey team, with many of them highlighting the same important points raised by the students. After the Forum, several BOE members expressed alarm about the possibility of cutting JV hockey and urged the District to find a way to keep the program.

To watch the Budget Forum in its entirety, see here.