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Written by: Melissa Hellman

Published: 03 December 2015

Created: 03 December 2015

Last Updated: 03 December 2015

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On December 2, 2015 the Board of Education convened a study session on a general overview of the budget process and new report cards.

Stuart Mattey, Assistant Superintendent for Business, provided a high level synopsis of the budget process including the timing and the many factors that drive the budget such as State aid, contractual obligations, plant improvement needs and programmatic enhancements. There were no specific details about this year's budget although he noted that the tax cap levy limit is projected to be at near 0% for this year. He presented the slide shown here that details how the budget expenditures have broken down by percent over the last few years.

The Board is working to develop its budget proposal for presentation in February followed by several public study sessions and a community vote in May. Mattey's entire presentation document can be accessed here: 

Also at the study session, Lynne Shain, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum,
Instruction, and Assessment, discussed the new elementary school report cards that are in use for the current marking period. The genesis of this project was a request from elementary school teachers that a committee be formed during the summer of 2015 with representatives from each grade at each school to review the current report cards, research other models, and recommend revisions as needed. The committee was asked to review descriptors used within each learning category with a goal to streamline and use consistent language and review the marking scale used (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4 matched to State tests vs. Satisfactory, Progressing, Needs Improvement vs. some other language). Also considered were the number and timing of report cards and conferences. The committee met over the summer and early fall, surveyed parents and teachers, and studied report cards of other school districts. Ultimately, elementary school report cards were revised with clearer descriptors, more room for teacher narrative and a new progress scale. The timing and frequency of report cards and conferences was unchanged. The letter below, highlighting the review process and final revisions, was sent by Lynne Shain to K-5 parents on December 1. Shain's entire presentation including the detailed survey responses can be viewed in the meeting's agenda packet here.

The entire December 2, 2015 meeting including the 2015-2018 Transition Plan portfolio review can be viewed at the Board of Education Video on Demand site. The next meeting is scheduled for December 14 beginning at 6pm with PTA representatives from the elementary schools followed by a work session at 7pm and a regular business meeting at 8pm.

Shain's Letter  Parents of Elementary School Students:

Dear Parents,
This marking period, we are unveiling a newly formatted elementary report card. Each grade level's report card is designed to provide clear and concise feedback for parents. Progress is reported based on curriculum goals using consistent language, K-5.

The elementary classroom report card redesign began in the spring of 2015 with the formation of a committee of teachers and administrators from all elementary grades and buildings. The committee developed surveys to gather input from all the elementary teachers in the district and from the elementary parent community. Survey results were compiled and utilized when the committee met during the summer of 2015.

In late August, before the start of the school year, committee members shared the redesign suggestions by grade level. Each grade level's additional suggestions were incorporated into the new design.

The new Scarsdale elementary report cards include the following features:

Descriptors:

Holistic scoring by major skill area reflects a developmental learning approach: Holistic scoring gives students a single, overall progress rating for each major curriculum goal as a whole, without assigning a specific rating to each sub descriptor listed.

Streamlined descriptors create a clear and concise report card for parents:

▪ Consistency in language throughout the report cards
▪ While descriptors are consolidated, a comment narrative is provided to address specifics

Behaviors that Promote Learning:

This new category synthesizes Personal/Social Development & Work Habits
Many student work habits are influenced by where students are developmentally in their personal and social growth.

Narrative: Each term's comment space was increased to allow teachers the option to write a more detailed and descriptive narrative.

Progress Scale:

• Reporting based on curriculum expectations
• Replaces the 1-4 scale with developmental descriptors

Our new elementary report card, in tandem with the upcoming parent-teacher conferences, are two prime feedback mechanisms from classroom teachers to parents. We hope that this feedback will be clear and informative.

Lynne Shain
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Phone: (914) 721-2432
[email protected]

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Written by: Tracy McCarthy

Published: 25 November 2015

Created: 25 November 2015

Last Updated: 25 November 2015

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On Tuesday, November 17th, Edgewood students enjoyed an educational assembly courtesy of the Edgewood PTA. "Bash the Trash is a performance ensemble that uses musical instruments built from trash to teach about science, sound, and the environment, their brochure explains. Students enjoyed a fun musical assembly while learning about families of musical instruments and learning how to build musical instruments from recycled and reused materials. This tied in to the environmental initiatives at Edgewood, as well as to the STEAM/maker space initiatives and left the students excited to see what they could create.

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Written by: Melissa Hellman

Published: 17 November 2015

Created: 17 November 2015

Last Updated: 18 November 2015

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The Scarsdale School Board and Superintendent stuck to their established agenda rather than agree to conduct a re-examination of the district's busing policy at their meeting on 11-16. At a previous session, Quaker Ridge residents Melissa Mantzouris and Mauri Zemachson made a case for the district to supply busing to all district students, rather than only those who live more than 1.5 miles away from school. Board President Lee Maude reported that they received 40 letters on the issue but said that they had not yet responded to any of the letters. They planned to do so after the evening's meeting when Assistant Superintendent for Business Stuart Mattey was scheduled to present information on the issue. Maude also reminded the community that the Board was operating to fulfill the goals laid out in the 2015-18 Transition Plan and would like to maintain their focus on those objectives.

During the public comment period Melissa Mantzouris addressed the Board and asked them to find a "better solution," arguing that 2/3 of the current transportation budget is used to send district children to private schools where they receive door-to-door service. The district is required by law to provide busing for private school students, but there have been questions raised as to whether this busing is organized in the most efficient way possible.Her full statement is below.

Later in the meeting Mattey presented information that estimated it would cost $3-$5 million to provide full or almost full busing. Additional costs include personnel, buses, and transportation costs. He also stated that a necessary first step would be to hire a transportation consultant to study the current state of affairs to determine where efficiencies might be gained and to provide more information on changing the busing policy to be more inclusive.

A discussion among Board members followed about how adding busing to their agenda would require time and attention to the detriment of other established priorities. The Board and Administration agreed that their plate is already full with an ambitious program. Further the cost associated with more busing would have to be thrown into the mix of other demands already in discussion for next year's budget. Board members also raised the point that there were many elements beyond busing that could improve transportation to schools such as clearly marked bike lanes, crosswalks and improved sidewalks all of which would have to be evaluated by the Village.

Dr. Hagerman made the point several times that the priorities for the Transition Plan were determined with community input and agreed upon by the Board. This issue, while important, was not something identified as a top priority for the next three years. Some Board members felt that regardless, it may be useful to commission an efficiency study to identify some quick fixes to achieve economies and to be used as a basis for decisions in the future. Mr. Mattey guessed the cost of the study would be about $10,000.

At the end of the discussion the Board concluded that they would focus on the Transition Plan as presented and add no additional priorities unless the situation is an emergency. However, Mattey may end up proposing the transportation efficiency study as a piece of the budget for 2016-17 and the Board will vote on whether or not to include that item in the budget along with other budget items.

Review the discussion here and add your comments below. Do you think the busing policy should be revised? Do you think the busing policy should be added to the list of items in the 2015-2018 Transition Plan?

Statement from Melissa Mantzouris

"Good Evening, My Name is Melissa Mantzouris. I live at 6 Harvest Drive. I am here to present a follow up presentation around our initial request to change Scarsdale's current busing policy. Last month, Mauri Zemachson and I spoke during the public session and asked the BOE to review and revise the district's current policy to 100% busing for all Scarsdale public school students.

Since the last board meeting a lot has happened. After the minutes were emailed and published, Mauri and I received a huge outpouring of support on this matter. Many families are impacted by this policy and feel the additional cost to either utilize private busing or pay for childcare to commute students is a burden and a cost they were unaware of until they moved into their homes.

The initial response from the Board was that at this time the Board chooses to not make any changes, and the BOE referenced the Epaper on transportation located on the Board of Education web page.

I do agree that there is a financial impact on the district to make such a great change but with small changes and gradual adjustments we can begin to move in the right direction. As of now there have been NO changes made to improve or amend the busing policy since the 1991. It was in 1991, the BOE transitioned to an in-house transportation system.

The transportation review that was done in 2013, mentions the high cost of running the buses and the changes in reimbursement from NYS. It also mentions that 2/3's of the total budget is busing to private school students. We do agree that private school students should be provided busing however this is an area where we can find a way to make small and incremental changes in order to provide the same opportunity to our public school children. Currently private school children are offered door to door busing, unlike public school children that use assigned bus stops. Having my children bused to school by private school busing is on average additional cost of $4,000 - $5,000 a year and this cost is not tax-refundable nor a guarantee year to year.

There has to be a way for the Board of Education to find better solutions for our students. In the Oct 25th 2013 Scarsdale Inquirer, there is an article discussing busing. Linda Purvis was quoted as saying that the out-of-district busing was "extremely inefficient". I also know that Stuart Mattey comes from a district that just changed its busing policy to offer 100% busing for all students. I hope that with his experience he can work to make the 2/3's of the budget more efficient and perhaps find a way to improve our current situation.

In the same article board member Mr. Natbony states, "he would love to fund an area that supports our teachers more..." but as discussed at the last Board of Education meeting, while we are very competitive in the Scarsdale students' academic scores and take pride in our reputation as a high achieving academic district, we do need to think about the students and their safety, the families that work very hard to live here and give their children this education. This should not be on the backs of parents who have this as the only way to get their kids to and from school each day.

This Board has many fresh faces that were not here in 2013, we have a new Superintendent with great experience in other educational settings. We also have Stuart Mattey, assistant to the Superintendent who has experience working on financial policies around district busing.

While at this time there is no formal petition, I assure you there is tremendous support on this issue. I ask that you reconsider your decision to not move forward. I ask that you find a place in your 2015-2018 Transition Plan to improve and amend Scarsdale's out of date busing policy."

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 10 November 2015

Created: 10 November 2015

Last Updated: 10 November 2015

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Heathcote students donated 328 pairs of pajamas to kids in need at their "Stuff a Bus" event on Monday November 9th. In support of the Pajama Program (www.pajamaprogram.org) and Westchester Pajama Week, Heathcote students were asked to bring in a pair of new pajamas and a new storybook.

Pajamas in sizes 5 to 14 were collected in bins at the main office in the weeks prior to the big day. The students and the staff were invited to wear pajamas to school and the teachers got involved by decorating a school bus that was stuffed with the pajamas and books brought in by the kids.

Children's Book Author Bernard Most at Greenacres

Greenacres continued to celebrate its centennial with a visit from a guest author who shares a long history with the school. On November 5th local author and illustrator, Bernard Most, returned to the halls of Greenacres to speak to a class of second graders and to sign copies of his books at the Greenacres bookfair. Greenacres Elementary has special memories for Most, whose own children attended the school decades ago where a request from his son, ended up reshaping the senior Most's life. One of his sons, Glenn, had written in school that he "wanted all the dinosaurs to come back to life." Reading this gave Most the idea for the very first book he published, If The Dinosaurs Came Back. Working in advertising at the time, he had been dreaming of writing and illustrating children's books, but it wasn't until his foray into the prehistoric era that he was able to make this a reality. Several books later (including one that was rejected no less than 42 times) Most was able to come back to Greenacres to meet a new generation of children who would enjoy his books and his son's passion for dinosaurs.

SHS Latin Students Succeed at Yale Certamen

SHS Latin students traveled to Yale University on Saturday, November 7 to compete in the annual Yale Certamen Invitational. Certamen is a contest in which students of the Classics answer questions about the Latin language, literature, ancient history, mythology and culture. Although it was the first year SHS has participated in any Certamen tournament, the team from the Advanced Level made it to the semi-final round. The Latin students are already enthusiastically preparing for the next Certamen tournament at Harvard University in the spring. To find out about more world languages events, follow @SHS_WL_Dept on Twitter.