Plans in the Works to Renovate and Rejuvenate Scarsdale Schools
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale Board of Education has begun their campaign to seek community feedback and support for a $20.7 million plan to renovate and rejuvenate the district's schools. The board, administration and community members have worked for nearly a year to define and refine the list of projects that have now been recommended by the administration. The price tag for the current list stands at around $20 million, about $2 million in excess of the proposed bond offering of $18 million. The Board is looking to the newly formed Scarsdale Schools Foundation to donate $2 million to close this gap. This new debt would be assumed at a time when the district is retiring old debt and will not cause additional tax increases.
On the proposed list are the following projects:
-Update to the district's technology infrastructure as the schools require increased capacity to provide high-speed access to the internet.
-Replacement of part of the Quaker Ridge roof which is flat and leaking.
-Expansion of music facilities at Scarsdale Middle School in a new corridor between the auditorium and the gym with a large multi-purpose space that extends into the courtyard.
-Expansion and renovation of the library at Edgewood and relocation of the office and main entrance to the school to enhance security and repair structural issues.
-Construction of a second multi-purpose room at Heathcote to provide additional space for lunch and physical education. Additional space for occupational and physical therapy. New rear entry and canopy for drop-off and pick-up.
-Creation of collaborative learning spaces including a design lab and an innovation lab, additional cafeteria seating, expanded kitchen capacity and a new fitness center at Scarsdale High School.
At a meeting of the Board of Education on May 19 and a community meeting at the Scarsdale Library on Wednesday May 28, School Superintendent Michael McGill explained the rationale for the improvements and Russ Davidson, the lead architect for KG&D, presented design schematics. Both meetings can be seen on the Scarsdale Cable Channel and on the Scarsdale Schools Website under Video on Demand.
Though it's clear why the roof needs to be replaced on a portion of the Quaker Ridge School and better internet capacity is required throughout the district, the balance of the projects were thoroughly debated and the administration has provided a rationale for each:
Almost $9 million of the budget will be spent at Scarsdale High School to provide 21st century spaces for collaborative learning, small group instruction and innovation – as well as to increase cafeteria seating and kitchen capacity and offer improved fitness facilities.
The centerpiece of the renovation is the creation of an I-Lab and dining space in the area that now includes Gyms A and B, the old locker rooms and the current fitness center. This learning commons will be a space for students and faculty to gather, work and eat. Additional kitchen capacity will allow for food service while smaller glassed-in breakout rooms will be used for quieter assignments. Stepped seating can be used as a performance space and the area will be linked to the library via a bridge. The creation of this new space will answer the school's need for more cafeteria seating and flexible learning spaces as the current cafeteria is now over-crowded and students are eating in the gym and often sitting in the corridors to work on small group projects.
In order to accommodate this new plan, the fitness center will be moved to 6,200 square feet of space below the new gym. The center will have three separate training areas to accommodate a few classes at a time and allow girls and boys to have their own areas. The new space will be light, well ventilated and will replace the old fitness room that is dark, tight and unsafe.
The old auto shop, which has been vacant for at least 16 years will become a Design lab, or D-Lab and Maker Space with a 3-D printer, sinks, electronics lab, and laser cutters to facilitate applied arts and technology. The space will support a design+think curriculum and allow students to imagine, innovate and build prototypes. The school plans to use the D-Lab for new programs in architecture, robotics, engineering, industrial and ecological design.
At Scarsdale Middle School, additional space is needed for music instruction. The orchestra currently uses the stage in the auditorium as a classroom, limiting the use of the auditorium for other activities. A new interior corridor and large multipurpose room will bridge the gap between the auditorium and the gym, with the new room extending into the existing courtyard. The price tag for this portion is $2,535,000.
At Edgewood, a new library will be built, the office will be moved to the front of the school and the entry will be designed with a gabled roof to identify it as the principal entry to the building. Some of the existing library will be removed to accommodate the addition which will include three distinct areas for technology, reading and study. Moveable bookcases will make the space flexible and allow it to be opened up for large group meetings. The changes to the office and entry will enhance security so that people in the office can monitor who comes and goes at the school. Renovations at Edgewood are estimated to cost $3,560mm.
Heathcote School will receive a second multi-purpose room to alleviate crowding in the cafeteria and gym which is now used as a lunch space. Due to increased enrollment more space is required for lunch and large group activities. The project includes an entrance canopy at the back of the building for drop off and pick up. The estimated cost for the new facilities at Heathcote is $3,387 mm.
If the project goes according to plan, the Board will approve the project list in late June, agree on the bond referendum in September and the community will vote in December to approve the funding. Construction would begin a year later to be completed by December 2017.
At the meeting at the library, most in the audience were already familiar with the plans but a few questions were posed. One woman wanted to know if the new fitness center, located underneath the new gym would have any natural light or ventilation. Davidson said that due to the change in grade, one side of the center would be windows looking out to the back of the school and there would be ample natural light.
The same person asked about student safety during construction and Davidson answered, "Students love construction." We have done three quarters of a billion dollars of school construction and no school has ever been closed and no student has ever been injured."
A man who lives on Roosevelt Place opposite Edgewood School questioned the positioning of the new library wing. He asked architects to reconfigure the library wing – presumably so that it did not block his view. Davidson offered to take another look at the design.
Principal Ken Bonamo offered information on how the new I-Lab and D-Lab spaces would be scheduled for maximum use and reiterated the need for more collaborative learning space and cafeteria seating at the school.
It should be noted that the current plan does not include any renovations at Greenacres School which is over-crowded and has structural issues. Board President Suzanne Seiden said that the Board will formally request a study for Greenacres from the architects at their June 9 meeting.
Additional meetings on the new facilities plan will be held on June 4, June 9 and June 10 and the community is invited to provide feedback at these times. On June 23 the board will consider what they have heard finalize the project list and move forward on the bond in September. Learn more about the process here:
Community Meeting on Scarsdale Schools Facilities Plan Wednesday May 28
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The Scarsdale Board of Education has reached consensus on a list of construction projects for the district that they will include in a bond referendum tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2014.
These projects were selected from a list of needs developed by teams of community members and professional staff following hundreds of hours of study. On Wednesday night May 28 at 7:30, the architects and Board of Education will meet at the Scarsdale Library and invite you to attend.
Here's what's on the list:
· District-wide: technology infrastructure upgrade (essential for providing high speed internet access as usage grows)
· Quaker Ridge: partial roof replacement (essential for maintaining the building's structural integrity)
· Edgewood: library expansion and office relocation (library is inadequate for current and future needs; office relocation will improve building security)
· Heathcote: new multi-purpose room (will enable physical education classes to return to the gym, currently used for lunch, and create dedicated space for physical and occupational therapy, currently conducted on the auditorium stage)
· Middle School: new orchestra/multipurpose room (essential for large group rehearsals, as well as for large-group general instruction)
· High School: new Learning Commons and fitness center relocation (dining/study area will relieve overcrowding in library and cafeteria; I-Lab will support student collaboration in technology-rich space; Maker/Design Lab is essential to burgeoning programs in applied science, technology, arts and mathematics; fitness center relocation and expansion will free up space for the Learning Commons, end class overcrowding and address gender equity issues)
More specific information is available on the District website www.scarsdaleschools.org.
The next step will be to engage the community in an examination of these projects before a Board decision about how to proceed. To that end, the Board invites community members to attend any or all of these meetings:
-Wednesday, May 28, 7:30 pm -- A special meeting at the Scarsdale Library, which will include a presentation by the District's architectural firm and Q and A
-Wednesday, June 4, 7 pm -- A facilities steering committee study session, which will provide an additional opportunity for questions and feedback from the public (Room 170, High School)
-Monday, June 9, 8 pm -- The BOE invites community questions and will provide responses at its Board meeting, which will focus on Greenacres facilities study/needs (Room 170, High School)
-Tuesday, June 10, 10:30 am -- An additional community meeting to discuss projects and listen to feedback (Room 170, High School)
-Monday, June 23, 8 pm -- At its Board meeting, The BOE will review community input and confirm/revise projects covered by possible bond issue. Board members will cast a final vote during its first meeting in September (Room 170, High School)
Voters Approve 2014-15 Scarsdale School Budget by 77.9%
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There were no surprises last night when the 2014-15 Scarsdale school budget received a 77.9% approval from voters, with 777 votes in favor and 220 votes against. The $148,200,685 budget will mean a 3.76% tax increase for voters in Scarsdale and a bump of 1.42% for those in the Mamaroneck strip and funds five new teaching positions in the elementary school to maintain class sizes at 22 students in grades K-2 and 24 students in grades 4 and 5. At Scarsdale High School, three new teaching positions will be added in science, social studies and math to accommodate increased enrollment. It also includes money to construct two additional science labs at SHS and wireless internet access for the elementary schools.
Ironically, rather than vote yes or no to the budget, someone wrote in the name, "Bob 
Berg," perhaps to remind the community that budget approval was not assured. Last year at this time, Berg galvanized opponents to an initial budget that exceeded the tax cap and included a hotly debated fitness center. This year's vote demonstrated the delicate balance between informing the public about the school budget while managing taxpayer backlash against it.
The Village is in the midst of implementing the first tax revaluation since 1969, and some will see a significant change in their assessed valuations and real estate taxes. Therefore, these are sensitive times to pass a school budget. Given the revaluation and the specter of the first defeated budget in May 2013-14, the school board opted to be conservative and proposed a budget below the adjusted state tax cap.
It appears that this year, voters returned to their usual complacency and many stayed 
home and assumed the budget would pass without their participation. Last May, 3,222 voters turned out and defeated the first proposed budget, giving it an approval rate of only 46.6%. However, this year the 997 votes did exceed the count for 2012-13 where a total of 725 votes were cast, (79% approved), 2011-12 when 877 voted (70% approved) and 2010-11 with 722 votes (76% approval).
An evening concert scheduled at the Middle School brought a rush of parents into vote at night, and may have increased participation and the approval rate.
Unlike past years when the outcome was uncertain, few turned out to observe the count. Board members, a few school administrators, the newly elected board members and their wives and a lone PTA President waited to hear the results.
Chris Morin and Scott Silberfein were elected to serve their first three-year terms on the Board of Education. Morin received 823 votes and Silberfein 847 votes. Both were at the gym with their wives looking cheerful and excited about their new roles. Coincidentally, Silberfiein's brother-in-law, Jon Faust was elected to the Edgemont School Board that same night.
Why was this night different from May, 2013? Board member Mary Beth Gose said that the Board began their budget discussions earlier in the year and offered detailed explanations of all aspects of the budget in their TED-style talks. Board member Lew Leone agreed, saying "it was the most transparent process, no questions were left unanswered and there was no organized opposition." Jonathan Lewis said that the process was "open and transparent," the budget "supports community values" and thought that the low turnout was due to the "absence of contention."
When the results were announced by former Board President Terri Simon, she said 
there were write-in votes for Mo Howard and Larry Fine. The group was silent until Jonathan Lewis broke out laughing and informed everyone that Mo Howard, Curly Howard and Larry Fine were the Three Stooges, lending the evening some comic relief.
School Budget Vote Today
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(May 20, 2014) Today's the day ... school budgets throughout the state will be put to the test and voting is taking place in Scarsdale and Edgemont. In Scarsdale, the vote takes place in the gym at the Scarsdale Middle School from 7 am to 9 pm.
In Edgemont, the vote is from 6 am to 9 pm in the gymnasium at Edgemont High School.
Scarsdale's proposed budget of $148,200,685 represents a 3.76% increase for voters in Scarsdale and a bump of 1.42% for those in the Mamaroneck strip. The budget funds five new teaching positions in the elementary school to maintain class sizes at 22 students in grades K-2 and 24 students in grades 4 and 5. At Scarsdale High School, three new teaching positions will be added in science, social studies and math to accommodate increased enrollment. The budget funds the construction of two additional science labs at SHS and wireless internet access for the elementary schools.
Two school board members are also on the ballot. Chris Morin and Scott Silberfein were nominated by the School Board Nominating Committee to fill the seats vacated by Jonathan Lewis and Sunil Subbakrishna who chose not to run for second three-year terms.
The $53 million Edgemont school budget will mean a 2.42% increase for taxpayers, and represents a $186,000 decrease over the 2013-14 school budget as three professional positions will be eliminated. Anish Nanavaty is running for re-election for a second three-year term on the Edgemont School Board and Jonathan Faust is running for his first term on the board.
Both the Scarsdale and Edgemont proposed budgets are below the adjusted state tax cap.
SMS News from the Mathcounts and the Musicians
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SMS Math Teacher Steve Weiss attended the National Mathcounts Competition this past weekend at the Swan Hotel in Disney World and came in fourth among 56 teams. He escorted four students from New York State to compete against 56 teams, representing 50 states plus DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, The State Department and The Department of Defense. The New York team included two Scarsdale students, 8th grader Richard Xu and 6th grader Eric Wei, as well as two students from the Rochester area. These students qualified after their top performance at the state competition. Since Scarsdale came in first place at the state competition, Weiss qualified to coach the state team. The New York team won 4th place, the best showing by New York in history.
The students were treated as VIPs the entire 4-day trip, given Disney park passes and invited to a private event in Epcot. Part of the competition was webcast live on ESPN.com and the competition was covered by ABC World News with Diane Sawyer. Many top executives from the major sponsors were there including Raytheon, the major sponsor. Mathcounts and their sponsors encourages STEM (science, math, engineering and math) education and career paths for our young people.
Here is the link to the ABC News report.
Eighth Grade Concert May 12
The Eighth Grade band and string orchestra and the Jazz Band – with musicians from the 7th and 8th grades performed on Monday night May 12th. Here's the program:
Mr. Nicholas Lieto conducts the 8th grade band. They performed "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", "Ear Bend", "An American Panorama", and "Sinfonia No.4, Suite for Winds and Percussion." "Ear Bend" was a new work commissioned for the SMS 8th grade Band by Rob Smith, this year's composer in residence.
Rachel Han conducts the 8th Grade String Orchestra. They played "Brandenburg Concerto, No.3," "Three Slavonic Dances," "Adagio Cantabile" and "Eleanor Rigby." The latter was accompanied by Mason Marsh on drums and the Vocal Music Club, with Director Celia Cuk.
Mr. Nicholas Lieto conducted the Jazz Band, which is made up of 7th and 8th graders and performed "Blues In Hoss Flat," "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," and "Superstition."
On Wednesday night, May 14th, the SMS Chamber Winds, Sixth Grade Band, and Seventh Grade Band performed their Spring Concert.
Under Mr. Nicholas Lieto the Chamber Wind Ensemble performed "12th Street Rag," Menuetto and Trio," "The Dream," "Rinaldo's Aria," and "Pictures At An Exhibition."
Mr. Nicholas Lieto lead the Seventh Grade Band as they performed "Distant Thunder of The Sacred Forest," "Our Kingsland Spring," Garden of the Black Rose," and "Adirondack Overture."
Dr. Jessica Slotwinski directed the Sixth Grade Band. They performed "Themes from 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik'," "Blues Machine," Dona Nobis Pacem," "Imperium," and "The Beatles: 1964!"
Concert photographs by Tracy McCarthy
