Schools

Details: Written by: Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 11 June 2013; Created: 11 June 2013; Last Updated: 11 June 2013; Hits: 8372

grad2011 As the administrator of Scarsdale10583.com I believe I have a unique vantage point on my neighbors and the ability to take the pulse of the community. Through your frequent comments, articles and phone calls I catch wind of your pride in our unique Village, our first-rate schools and involved citizenry. You send news of your children's accomplishments and your own volunteer activities so that we can all celebrate what makes Scarsdale the stellar community that we love.

You also use the site to vent your frustrations and express your disappointment when the agenda doesn't go your way. Whether it's a disagreement with a neighbor, discontent with development or dismay about rising taxes, Scarsdale10583 is an open forum for discourse.

I have been proud to provide a venue for discussion and have attempted to moderate a healthy back and forth on pertinent issues. However, the recent campaign to vote down the Scarsdale Schools budget for the first time in over 40 years and to discredit our administrators and faculty has changed the tenor of some of the discussion and is deeply disturbing.

Until this point, the excellence of our schools was a point of pride to all. Our superintendent, a recognized world-class educator, was treated with respect, as were the school administration and the teachers who nurture our children. Their integrity was beyond question and they were extended a level of civility. Members of the Board of Education were thanked for their countless hours of service and lauded for stepping up to accept a second full time job without pay. They were considered stewards of our community and deemed to have our best interest at heart.

But in this past month the winds have shifted. Angry residents with a host of complaints, have come together to threaten what makes Scarsdale great. Unhappy about rising taxes -- primarily due to state policy -- they have focused their energies on dismantling the Scarsdale School District. They began with an effort to take a mere $325,000 out of the school budget and are now gunning for administrators, teachers and the educational program.

Rather than airing their concerns with the Board and administration before the vote, they launched a secretive campaign and scored a stunning budget defeat on May 21 leaving many dumbfounded. The cost of a second election will fall squarely on the taxpayers' backs and could have been avoided if the dissenters had come forward as a group before the election.

Following the defeat, the School Board and administration did everything possible to revise the second school budget to meet these objectors' expectations. Rather than thanks they were chided with new complaints. Most shocking was Mitchell Gross, who condemned Superintendent McGill for holding a health insurance reserve fund for the self-insured health plan that has saved the district millions. He called the reserve a "fictitious account" in violation of NYS law and said it was a "material and serious violation" made by the district to "mislead and misrepresent the public to obtain a positive outcome on the budget." He then conjectured that this "may constitute securities fraud" and called for Dr. McGill's resignation. He made this statement in public after McGill offered a complete explanation of the reserve and how NYS auditors view it.

I am certain that Gross could have posed his questions to the administration privately or more constructively. It sounded as if he was building a case for legal action rather than offering a comment about crafting a revised budget that would meet community approval.

Even after the Board trimmed expenses and cut $1.4 million from the second proposed budget, it appears that the conflict continues. The second budget vote will be held on June 18 and if it does not pass, the $5 million budget cut that will ensue will have draconian effects on our children and our schools. All the bells and whistles, the specialized offerings and the enhanced opportunities for our students could soon be gone, risking Scarsdale's national reputation and our real estate values.

These critics complain that taxes are too high and that empty nesters will be forced to move out of town if expenses are not cut. But, based on their complaints, perhaps it is time for them to consider a move. If they are discontent with the community and their taxes and no longer wish to support the schools, no one is keeping them here. ... and there are so many other communities with inferior school districts from which to choose.

As an empty nester myself, I look back at the education my children received and credit the Scarsdale Schools with making them the creative and ambitious adults they are today. All three have grown into "critical thinkers," eager to take on new challenges and excel at whatever they do. Was it the debate team, the student government, the student newspaper, the art teacher or the tennis coach who set them on their way? I can't say. All I know is that a combination of academics, extracurriculars, sports, teachers and peers provided them with a formative experience that is not available elsewhere.

I want to continue to encourage the teachers and administrators to offer that same experience to my neighbor's children today. I urge you to vote yes on Tuesday, support our faculty and administration and take pride in Scarsdale.

Joanne Joanne Wallenstein is the founder and owner of Scarsdale10583.com. The article above represents her point of view.

Details: Published: 04 June 2013; Created: 04 June 2013; Last Updated: 05 June 2013; Hits: 7468

cinderella2 Like Cinderella, the Board of Education had just a few hours to meet a midnight deadline when they convened on Monday night, June 3. After their first proposed budget for 2013-14 met a resounding defeat on May 21, the Board was charged with reformulating a reduced budget that would meet with critics' approval and continue to fund Scarsdale's educational program. By law, the new budget had to be submitted by midnight June 3 for a second community vote on June 18.

Before they got to work on making cuts, Dr. McGill offered some background on the district's health reserve fund that had come into question by some who said that it was illegal to hold additional funds in reserve beyond the 4% designated by the state. He explained that since Scarsdale has a self-insured health plan, the reserve was in place to "smooth out financing year over year." According to McGill the existence of the reserve had not been questioned until a 2011 audit and the NYS Comptroller is aware that Scarsdale has the fund. He explained that new legislation could be proposed to legalize it and said that at the end of this year the fund would contain about $1 million. A 6% increase in the fund is budgeted for next year.

The Board also asked Assistant Superintendent Joan Weber for a projection on next year's elementary school enrollment. The current 2013-14 budget allowed for 105 elementary school classes, the same count as this year. The demographer projected that the district would need 105 sections in 2013-14 though more accurate accounts will be available in August.

At the May 29 meeting the Board had agreed to drop the proposal for the Wellness Center and to agree to a budget below the tax cap. Armed with a list of proposed cuts from Dr. McGill, the Board went to work weighing and debating the merits of each.

When considering what to cut, Board President Liz Guggenheimer suggested the following:

- Not to make too many cuts that would unfairly impact one group
- To give preference to cuts that could be reversed if circumstances change
- To consider the nuts and bolts and facilities

Linda Purvis let the Board know that $250,000 in funds from the special education budget from 2012-13 had not been spent and would be available to reduce the 2013-14 budget. That $250,000 in addition to another $100,000 to be taken from undesignated reserves brought the Board about halfway toward their goal of reducing the budget by approximately $702,000 to meet the cap. Due to renegotiation of the life insurance policy, another reduction of $136,500 in premium expenses was also available.

The Board agreed that the drama teacher, who was to be increased to full-time, remain at a .6 allocation, saving another $40,000.

However, the decision to retain or cut a new position in the tech department for a district network administrator required more discussion. The tech department had originally asked for four new positions in response to a mandate for district wide online testing by 2014-15 as well as the implementation of mobile devices for all students in the district. In addition, the district is rolling out wi-fi in all seven schools this coming year. Staff was needed to move these initiatives forward and to provide tech support and instruction to both teachers and students. The current budget was down from four to two new slots, and the district network administrator at $100,000 was on the table. Technology Director Jerry Crisci said that the network person would be in charge of wireless networks, mobile initiatives, server consolidation, and making efficiencies to reduce the energy cost of the servers and integrate cloud-based services.

Sunil Subbakrishna asked if the wi-fi rollout was at risk if the person was not hired and Crisci said we would move forward either way. However, he cautioned that the new person was needed to ensure a smooth implementation. Mary Beth Gose asked if the function could be managed with independent consultants. Ultimately the Board decided to wait until later in the meeting to decide on this position.

The board debated the need for the helping teacher for English language arts and Lynn Shain explained that reading and writing is the centerpiece of elementary education. The ELA helping teacher is there to enhance teachers' repertoire of matching instruction to individual learning styles and to give one on one support to elementary school teachers. The position had been eliminated three years ago and she saw a need to reinstitute it.

Conversation then turned to the $90,000 budget allocation for the Center for Innovation. Lynn Shain told the group that the center had "unleashed positive energy among faculty and the community" and reported that this year five speakers were invited to Scarsdale as part of the initiative. Eight funded projects are currently being implemented. It was hoped that in the future the Center would bring together students, faculty and community members to develop new products and solutions. Board member Jonathan Lewis spoke in favor of the Center, calling it "transformative" and likening it to the research and development investments in the private sector. Despite his enthusiasm, the Board decided to cut $90,000 in total from the Districts $1.1mm research budget, but to use $25,000 of that budget to continue to fund the Center for Innovation in a limited manner.

As the hour grew late, the Board moved more quickly through additional items on the list. Here are their decisions:

Cut $160,000 for asbestos abatement and boiler pads for the high school from the buildings and grounds budget
Cut $25,000 for website upgrades
Keep $131,000 for security personnel at the Middle and High Schools
Cut $60,000 for a full time secretary to replace three aids in the athletics office though communications from this office has been a problem.
Keep the high school librarian at $100,000

After a five-minute break, the Board took comments from the community and then closed the loop on some final items.

They continued to debate how many teachers were needed to staff elementary school classes and discussed whether or not to include an unassigned teacher in the budget as well as the district helping teacher.

Ultimately, the Board decided against "unassigned" positions and voted to include funding for 105 elementary school sections and opted not to fund the helping teacher in the language arts area, a reduction of $200,000 for the two positions.

Finance Manager Jeff Martin then provided a final tally and here is what was proposed:

Total Budget: $143,899,713
Budget to Budget Increase: 1.49%
Tax Levy Increase: 2.84%
Budget Reduction from first proposed budget: $1,386,500

A second budget resolution was passed at 11:40 pm with twenty minutes to spare.

For a complete tally of the budget to budget changes, see below:

Budget Table

Details: Published: 28 May 2013; Created: 28 May 2013; Last Updated: 28 May 2013; Hits: 6643

shs2 Scarsdale residents spoke directly to the Board of Education (BOE) and administration at the first of two public meetings last Thursday night. Grappling with the meaning of the first budget defeat in the district in 40 years, members of the BOE were trying to ascertain just why the voters gave a resounding no to their proposed 2013-2014 school budget. At stake is almost $5 million in funds that will have to be cut from the budget if the second proposed budget does not meet with voters' approval on June 18.

Those who came to the meeting represented many different segments of the Scarsdale community. There were empty nesters, parents of children not yet in the schools, and parents of children in all age ranges. Some had voted yes, others voted no. Attendees sat in a circle, and BOE president Liz Guggenheimer walked around with a microphone, listening to all those who spoke, but not answering questions raised. Rather, this was meant to be a chance for the administration and BOE to listen, and Guggenheimer promised that notes were being taken and answers would be given at a later date.

Vivienne Braun, Scarsdale PT Council Vice President and opponent of the original budget proposal, said, "Over 1700 people voted against the budget because they believe the board can do better and propose a budget that we can support." More than one person, noting that the budget missed its mark by 13% of voters, called the defeat a "landslide," and many called the board "tone-deaf," specifically in their inclusion of a proposal for the Center for Health, Fitness, and Learning (originally called the "Wellness Center"). Said Susan Grosz, "The Wellness Center was a symbol and a lightning rod, but pay attention to the underlying message."

What was the underlying message? There seemed to be different opinions on what would have to be done for the BOE to "do better." While there is obviously some sentiment to stay under the tax cap imposed by Governor Cuomo, not everyone felt tied to that specific number. "The cap-breaking aspect was not the issue," said Linda Killian, an older resident who said she was a part of a small group who organized to defeat the budget. "The issue is that the school board and administration are failing to recognize the real world in which we live. People are deeply angry that the board and administration continued to waste money on ill-conceived and frivolous projects," said Killian, giving the wellness center and sustainability as two examples of such projects.

Killian went on to say, "This historic rejection is not a matter of being misinformed or ill-informed and we made it our mission to make sure this happened."

Frustration with teacher compensation was also raised by a number of attendees, and was seen as especially important in questionmark light of the current contract negotiations currently in process with the teachers' union, whose contract expires at the end of this school year. Michael Otten, a member of the Board of Education in the 1990s, noted, "Everyone wants fine education and responsible management," he said. "Our teachers did not have the highest salaries in the 1990's and we had fine teachers... I hope you will talk about the structural issues – there is a long-term problem that needs to be addressed." Another resident, Jim Laubick, saw the vote as directly related to the contract negotiations. "I got everyone to vote no to send a message to the unions – you don't have a blank check," he said. "Unless you feel comfortable that the board and the administration will take your perspective to the negotiations you should vote no. We need a two-year freeze – not just the COLA but the steps and the lanes which are 5 ½% per year," said Laubick, referring to the salary increases built into the contract.

While many people in the room voiced their dissatisfaction with the level of compensation and benefits provided to Scarsdale teachers, both as compared to their understanding of what teachers in other districts receive, and also as compared to compensation in other professions, there were those who voiced their support and appreciation of Scarsdale teachers. Said Deb Pekarek, Greenacres Neighborhood Association president, "We have extraordinary teachers. They teach and protect our children. We need to respect our teachers and say thank you to them. I believe that the teachers are here because it is an extraordinary environment in which to teach – not just for the money."

According to Pam Rubin, past president of Fox Meadow PTA and incoming PT Council president, Scarsdale spends a lot per student but gets value for it. As she put it, "We need to continue to put money back into our schools. Student-teacher ratios are important and class sizes in the high school are growing. Small classes will continue to make Scarsdale an attractive place to live."

It is unclear what the Board will take away from the discussion, given the lack of consistency in views expressed. Where there did seem to be consensus among those who voted no was that the Board faces both a short-term and a long-term problem. In the short-term, the BOE will need to come up with a budget that is lean enough to satisfy those expecting the Board to eliminate "bloat", but meaty enough to satisfy those who say they moved to Scarsdale for the schools and don't want to sacrifice quality to save a few dollars. In the long-term, those present and dissatisfied are looking for the BOE to bring Scarsdale's spending in line with peer districts in Westchester County, and to have more evidence of long-range planning, beyond the year-to-year budgeting currently done.

Carolyn Stevens, a former Scarsdale mayor, admitted that while she voted for the budget and signed a letter of support, she had reservations. "The main problem is that people felt that we were just supposed to accept what we were told. The community needs to be engaged in a long-term plan. Everyone moved here because we wanted the best public education available," said Stevens. She encouraged the audience to understand that the fight over school budgets should be redirected to Albany, since most of the school budget goes to pay for costs mandated by the state and out of the local school board's control. For example, pension payments are dictated by the state and are controlled by the state comptroller, according to Stevens, "We've petitioned for change, but that will not be forthcoming."

One more public session will be held on Wed, May 29, at 7:30 pm in Room 172 at Scarsdale High School. The Board will once again be listening, as it tries to understand what the budget needs to look like in order to pass muster with Scarsdale voters. The proposed budget will be presented to the public at the Board of Education meeting scheduled to take place on Monday, June 3 at 8pm in Room 172 at the high school, and the vote will be held on Tuesday, June 18 from 7am to 9pm in the gym at Scarsdale Middle School.

Details: Published: 23 May 2013; Created: 23 May 2013; Last Updated: 23 May 2013; Hits: 6508

nonsibi The Board of Education took a reprieve from budget discussions to recognize the retirement of elementary school teachers and to grant tenure to seven members of the Scarsdale faculty. At their meeting on Monday May 21, the Board accepted the retirement of three teachers at Quaker Ridge and one at Heathcote Elementary School. Stepping down were Karen Cook and Jeanette Johnson who taught kindergarten at Quaker Ridge along with Zulmira Muzzio, a fifth grade teacher at the school. Also retiring was Pamela Sparks a third grade teacher at Heathcote Elementary School.

The three teachers from Quaker Ridge were lauded by Scarsdale Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Joan Weber with Principal Robyn Lane and Quaker Ridge PTA President Kimberly Goldban. They said, "Karen Cook has been taking care of Quaker Ridge for a long time." After several years of nursery school, she came to Scarsdale to teach kindergarten, and has been doing so at Quaker Ridge for the last twenty years. She has "touched the lives of over 600 students" in that time through her "kindness, creativity, sense of humor, hard work and professionalism." These qualities have made her a "highly respected, well-liked teacher" and she departs from her teaching career feeling "humbled and honored to have nurtured and taught the youngest students and their families."

Jeanette Johnson "made kindergarten her life's work." She has "passion for young children and an appreciation of how they develop. In fact, the kindergarten program has been greatly influenced by her belief that her young students must possess social skills and "appreciate the contribution of others. Jeanette was "creative, nurturing and sensitive" to the estimated 1,000 students she taught. Her "tireless, ever present smile" and "energetic nature" made her "a great asset" to the Quaker Ridge staff. After 40 years as an educator, just one of which was prior to her teaching at Scarsdale, Jeanette Johnson feels that "the time has come to bid farewell and to begin second career as retiree."

Fox Meadow parent Zulmira Muzzio came to the Scarsdale community with an international background, having taught kindergarten in Johannesburg, South Africa. She joined the Quaker Ridge staff with a devotion to "helping young learners grow as students and human beings." She is a dedicated teacher and is determined to "see her students reach their potential." She truly believes that "her students can accomplish anything. After being a part of Scarsdale Schools for 10 years, her "warmth and expertise" will be sorely missed by her students and coworkers, who have described her as a "delight to work with." She leaves with "a million reasons to be grateful, but Scarsdale remains on the top of the list." It has "inspired her to grow, give herself and change lives."

Joan Weber, Heathcote Principal Maria Stile and Heathcote PTA President Olga Eligulashvii offered remarks about retiring third grade teacher Pamela Sparks. They said "the announcement of her retirement is bitter news." She "was an exemplary teacher." She "understands developmental needs of children and designs classroom activities to involve problem solving, teamwork and lifelong positive implications." She "promotes love for learning and compels students to reach their personal best. She also helped foster "a strong feeling of community in small elementary schools" and she will be sorely missed.

Following the retirement announcements, Joan Weber announced the names of district personnel who will receive tenure this year. Here's the list:

Lawrence Chatzenoff- Assistant Principal at Scarsdale Middle School
Kristina Lance- Elementary (Pre K-6)
Miriam Friedman Carmen- Art
Travis Richards- Science Grades 7 - 12
Loyda Bernardez- Foreign Language Spanish Grades 7-12
Patrick Healy- Social Studies Grades 7 - 12
Jennifer Weisholtz- School Counselor

Details: Published: 21 May 2013; Created: 21 May 2013; Last Updated: 22 May 2013; Hits: 15777

thumbsdowna A galvanized base of fiscally-concerned residents turned down the proposed Scarsdale School budget for 2013-14 by a vote of 1,720 against to 1,502 in favor on Tuesday May 21. Though Scarsdale school budgets usually pass handily with approvals rates upwards of 70%, for the first time since 1970 Scarsdale voters turned down the proposed school budget. Voter turnout was at an all time high with 3,222 votes cast in the election. Last year only 725 voters turned out, but this year campaigns by the Coalition for Scarsdale Schools, Robert Berg of Tisdale Road and emails from Parent Teacher Associations and the PT Council resulted in a four-fold increase in votes.

As late as 8:45 pm, voters were lined up to vote before the 9 pm deadline and earlier in the evening some waited an hour to cast their vote. The crowd ranged from parents with young children, to empty nesters with college-age kids to the elderly --- and from the look of the voters it was difficult to assess which way the vote would go.

Even after the polls closed at 9, it took election officials another hour to tally the vote and open over 50 absentee ballots.

Throughout the wait, school board members, former board member, friends, and the PTA leadership remained hopeful that the budgetvote budget would pass with the required 60% approval rate. When Chair of the District Meeting for the Budget Vote and Election Linda Hillman Chayes and District Clerk Lois Rehm emerged to announce the results, the room fell into a stunned silence as everyone learned that the budget had only garnered a 46.6% approval rate.

Why did the budget go down?

Community leaders cited several possible reasons for the surprising results:

Funds for a hotly-debated Wellness Center were included in the budget – and though this amounted to only .2% of the budget it became a lightening rod for disenchanted voters who questioned the need for enhanced fitness facilities. Critics dubbed it a "health spa" and ventured that additional funds would be needed for equipment and instruction and would ultimately add even more to the bottom line.
The proposed 2013-14 exceeded the NYS tax cap by just over $700,000. Critics argued that the Board and administration were out of step with the fiscal concerns of residents and questioned why Scarsdale was one of only a few districts in the lower Hudson Valley that failed to comply with the cap.
Last, Robert Berg, with the support of Jim Labick and others launched a highly effective campaign to bring "no" voters to the polls. They reached out to long-time residents and empty nesters who traditionally fail to come to the polls. Arguing that the budget would "blow-through" the tax cap he encouraged them to "vote no and protect their financial ability to remain here."

voteyes The Coalition for Scarsdale Schools, the school administration, the District PTA's and PT Council all launched aggressive campaigns to bring parents with children in the schools to the polls. Parents received snail mail, countless emails and reminders to vote and the School Board even used YouTube to offer the community visual tours of the space for the proposed wellness center.

However, they were not able to convince enough parents with children in the schools to vote to support the system.

Commenting on the results, Assistant School Superintendent Linda Purvis said, "The community will get the schools that they want." Looking somber, School Board President Liz Guggenheimer said, "The schools will open tomorrow with the same excellent programs, dedicated teachers, and involved students as we continue our efforts to pursue the Scarsdale education for tomorrow. I am very pleased that there was a strong turnout and appreciate everyone's participation in the process and welcome continued participation and comments in the future."

Earlier in the day, the mood was tense as advocates from both sides battled for school budget votes. As early as 7 am supporters and critics of the proposed $145.2 million school budget were out in force at the Scarsdale and Hartsdale train stations urging commuters to vote yes or no.

Supporters mobilized by the Coalition for Scarsdale Schools sported signs with apples while those against the budget voteno dispensed with graphics and carried large VOTE NO signs. For the most part the discourse was civil but the situation threatened to erupt when a well-dressed man seized a "Vote No" sign on the bridge in Hartsdale and flung it over the side onto the train tracks below. Another man stopped his car on the bridge, rolled down his window, took a picture of a volunteer for the "Vote No" team and shouted, "You're disgusting."

By 8:30 am School Board President Liz Guggenheimer was engaged in lively discourse with Robert Berg who lead the opposition to the vote. She challenged Berg on his facts long enough to cause him to miss a surge of commuters boarding the 8:30 train.

For the first time it appeared that residents had formed two political coalitions to promote their views on the budget. The groups engaged formerly apathetic residents and ultimately had a tremendous impact on the vote.

What now? The board and administration will re-work the proposed budget and submit a revised budget on June 3rd for a June 18th election.