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Published: 25 March 2013

Created: 25 March 2013

Last Updated: 10 April 2013

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Twenty-one faculty members will be retiring from the Scarsdale School District as of July 1, 2013, and the district began honoring those retirees at the March 18 Board of Education meeting. Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Joan Weber, SMS principal Michael McDermott and PTA president Pam Fuehrer paid tribute to each of the retirees.

Maureen Ball
First to be acknowledged was Maureen Ball. Ms. Ball, a Home and Career Skills Teacher, came to Scarsdale from Dobbs Ferry in 2000. She has her BS in Home Economics Education from SUNY Oneonta and her MS in Educational Technology from Long Island University. As a member of the Related Arts department, said Weber, Ball added many new dimensions to the consumer science program, including the study of child development, food preparation, and sewing and quilting projects. Weber went on to say that Ms. Ball made consumer sciences more relevant for the Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow.

According to Principal McDermott, Ms. Ball had a "particular passion for fabric arts" resulting in her assignment to the sewing studio. Students in her after school sewing club fabricated quilts for babies in shelters, the donation of which on Human Rights Day was always an emotional event. In addition, a colorful quilt commemorating the 50th anniversary of SMS is displayed in the school's great hall "a project that she initiated, supervised, and stitched, and so we will always have that beautiful, visual memory of what she inspired," said McDermott.

Fuehrer read statements collected from parents of Ball's students, who said, "She taught life skills that will help students earn money and save money," and "she helped students think on a deeper personal level." "We are grateful for your investment in our children's future," said a third.

Dawn Rivellini
Also retiring is SMS Home and Career Skills Teacher Dawn Rivellini. Rivellini has been a part of the Consumer Science department at SMS for 26 years, having received her BS in Home Economics at Misericordia College and her MS in Special Education at the College of New Rochelle. Weber thanked her for teaching children to make healthy choices and wise consumer decisions, and read from Rivellini's letter of retirement, in which she said that she will "look back and recognize I was fortunate to work in such an amazing school district." McDermott thanked her for filling the corridors with great aromas, and for introducing events for students, including SMS' own Iron Chef and Cupcake Wars competitions. Rivellini also worked on the SMS garden – "I jokingly dubbed her the Martha Stewart of the middle school," McDermott reminisced, "wielding a shovel in a blue blazer and pearls."

Fuehrer mentioned Rivellini's money management and career exploration units, that gave students the chance to feel the freedom of identifying their likes and dislikes. She also spoke of Ra class unit where students wrote consumer letters of complaint. "Students love the chance to complain as an adult would," said Fuehrer.

John Voss
John Voss joined the SMS faculty in 1985 as an experience teacher of music. A cellist, Voss got both his BA and MA from the Manhattan School of Music. He conducted, played, and led many of the SMS ensembles. In his letter of retirement, Voss said that he "deeply appreciated the privilege of working with terrific students and talented colleagues."

McDermott called Voss "the glue of the department." He was the music department's unofficial historian who was never at a loss for words. According to McDermott, Voss humbly credits his success to the elementary strings instructors. Fuehrer spoke of how Voss was always happy to take the extra time with parents and students, and how he worked hard to convey appreciation of music as "therapy for the soul."

Beverly Laurie
Beverly Laurie's retirement caps a 42-year career in the field of speech. She came to Scarsdale in 1996 with a BS in Speech from the University of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and an MA in speech pathology and audiology from Temple University. McDermott said, "As a speech and language teacher, Laurie evaluated and provided service, and her calm and gentle approach helped put students at ease." He went on to say, " Her expertise makes her an excellent resource to all teachers, especially the special education teachers. We will miss her kindness, her flexibility, her sense of humor, her expertise, and her lovely British accent."

Dan Conley
Dan Conley was already a seasoned counselor and administrator when he joined the staff of SMS at Fountain House Counselor in 2001. He brought versatility and talent to his role. Weber quoted Conley's letter of retirement, saying, "As House Counselor, I have worked with families at their most vulnerable, and the trust I am given humbles and inspires me."

Conley is a talented musician and a published songwriter, who uses these skills to connect with students and parents alike. A presenter at SMS Human Rights Day, he teaches students to toss away put downs, and even wrote a song, "Lay Them Down," that sang of words as weapons of war and encourage students to "lay them down."

McDermott called Conley the "consummate counselor, whose insights and communication skills have always impressed me...he understands early adolescents." Fuhrer said, "He uses humor to bring forth the paramount precept that Fountain House students are united in support of each other; treating each other with kindness and compassion are critical. Parents know they can count on him to protect our children and bring out the best in them."

Tracy Jaffe is a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Business. A past president of Heathcote's PTA and Scarsdale PT Council, Tracy has 3 children in the Scarsdale school system, and currently sits on the boards of Scarsdale/Edgemont Family Counseling Services and the League of Women Voters.

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Published: 20 March 2013

Created: 20 March 2013

Last Updated: 25 March 2013

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Staffing, technology, communications, and facilities topped the list of concerns at the Board of Education meeting on Monday March 18. A sudden snowstorm did not deter community leaders from venturing out to weigh in on these four areas and the proposed 2013-2014 Scarsdale school budget. Guggenheimer reminded the public that the BOE is in a "listening period" with another meeting planned for April 8. Although the weather precluded a performance by the high school's a cappella group, "In Good Measure," it did not prevent involved parents and other community members from expressing their opinions on the Board's plans for next year.

First to step to the microphone was Gayle Hutcher, president of the Scarsdale Parent-Teacher Council, speaking on behalf of the PT Council Executive Board. Hutcher thanked the board for crafting the budget, answering questions and reaching out to district families. She went on enumerate areas of specific interest to her group. First, while thankful that the BOE has maintained the class size practice at the elementary school level, PT Council is concerned that the bump in enrollment that will be caused by a large incoming freshman class at the high school will lead to an "unacceptable" 11.9% of classes with over 25 students. Similarly, PT Council asked the Board to address the overcrowding in the high school library, which will be exacerbated by the influx of the large ninth grade class in the fall.

Hutcher also stated that PT Council would like to "better understand the responsibilities of the new communications officer, and would like a more detailed job description to better understand this expense," a proposed addition to the administrative staff that would cost the district upwards of $115,00 all in. "A fitness center project has been in discussion and been budgeted for many years, and, over the years, concerns over cafeteria, library and study space have also increased," even more so with the upcoming increase in the SHS population. Though the proposed renovation of unused and unfinished space for new fitness center meets long-term needs, we're concerned that short-term needs are not being addressed". Finally, regarding security, Hutcher stated that "budget dollars dedicated to new door locks and technology are welcomed. We want more information on the proposed greeters at SHS and want to understand why none are allocated for the middle school."

Guggenheimer asked Dr. Michael McGill to respond to Hutcher's statement and he brushed aside PT Council's concerns, stating that currently the percentage of classes with more than 25 students is at a historic low, and that even if the prediction for next year of 11.9% actually bears out, it will still be under 12%, the number that the BOE has traditionally used as its upper limit.

McGill defended the need to add a communications position to the staff, saying that the current communication plan is decades old, and that they have tried without success to use using existing staff to keep the website updated and utilize social media. Regarding security, McGill stated that the important objective is to restrict entry so that you have case-by-case admittance. While this has been implemented at the elementary schools and the middle school, the open campus at SHS makes locked doors and electronic entry impractical. "We will make decisions based on the reliability and effectiveness of the options at hand."

Jacquie Walter, president of the high school PTA, then approached the microphone. She, too, thanked the board for their time, energy and efforts which are "applauded by the SHS executive committee." Walters questioned how the district would manage several years of rising enrollment at the high school while reducing the number of faculty members and librarians. She also questioned how the district planned to address the immediate need for greater cafeteria seating, more timely food availability and increased communal learning space ... all of which had funding approved for solutions in the last budget cycle but for which there is still no implemented solution. Walters also asked the Board what specific existing security concerns they thought would be addressed by the addition of security aides.

In regards to cafeteria seating, McGill responded that that the district had gotten the fire marshal's permission to increase seating in the cafeteria and the Commons area. He said the district was also considering asking students to eat lunch during their 4th period if they had a free period, and that using one of the gymnasiums as a dining area was also a possibility.

With regards to the "grand plan," McGill said that they do have an outline of a long term plan to address educational needs, but it would be contingent upon funding. "The district's bond issue debt will be falling off in the next two, three, four years, and interest rates are at historical lows, so we may consider financing that way," he said. Guggenheimer went on to say, "We have not been able to invest funds in facilities in recent years at the level we would like to do if the economic circumstances were different; we've been far below the 2% of budget recommended by the National School Board Association for the last several years. We are mindful of the taxpayers' needs, but also want to do what helps the kids and will enrich their education."

Charlotte Carr, co-president of Maroon & White, Scarsdale's sports booster organization, stood up to express Maroon and White's unanimous support for the district's proposed high school Wellness Center. Six audience members raised their hands when asked to show who else in the audience came as members of M&W to support the district's proposal.

Bob Berg of Tisdale Road took the mike to reiterate his opposition to the budget as it currently stands, namely as it exceeds the 2% tax cap. Berg asked the board to cut the budget by $1.7 million to get it under the tax cap, saying the board "owes a duty to taxpayers to stay under the tax cap." He suggested that they do so by cutting the proposed Wellness Center and "Twitter communications officer" (sic) to save $1.3 million, and take the additional $400,000 out of reserves. He urged the board, if they felt the Wellness Center was a necessity, to finance it with a bond and put it up for a separate bond vote. "The board doesn't believe that a separate bond will pass for the Wellness Center, so they stuck it in the operating budget. I don't think it will pass a separate vote either – prove me wrong."

Berg reminded the board that the margin for passing a budget over the tax cap was stricter than that of a separate bond vote – 60% of voters, or a "supermajority," must approve a budget that is over the cap implemented by Governor Cuomo last year, while only 50% of voters would be needed to pass a separate bond issuance.

The Board of Education will next meet on Monday, April 8 at 8pm in Room 172 at SHS.

Tracy Jaffe is a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Business. A past president of Heathcote's PTA and Scarsdale PT Council, Tracy has 3 children in the Scarsdale school system, and currently sits on the boards of Scarsdale/Edgemont Family Counseling Services and the League of Women Voters.

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Published: 11 March 2013

Created: 11 March 2013

Last Updated: 11 March 2013

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Kudos to the Scarsdale High School Math Team who won first place in the Westchester County Math League on Monday March 4. This league consists of teams from 24 school districts in Westchester County. The teams meet monthly to solve challenging and intriguing math problems. Individuals and teams earn points based on the number of problems they solve correctly.

Nine students from the Scarsdale High School math team qualified to participate in the New York State Math League competition which will be held on Saturday, April 13. To qualify for this competition, students must show a high level of achievement on monthly Westchester county math meets.

The nine Scarsdale students are: Rebecca Agustin, Michael Bogaty, Chenyi Gong, Cherie Hu, Connie Lam, Alexander Lin, Koji Shiromoto, David Wang, and Felicia Xu.

The New York State Math League (NYSML) is a math competition for teams in New York State. It is held every spring at a different location. This year the contest will be held at Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York. About thirty teams, consisting of 15 students each, gather to compete in Individual, Team, Relay and Power races.

We asked Math Club Advisor Laura Estersohn about the team's preparation and the competition and here is what she shared:

"The students on this year's team enjoy problem solving and enjoy being together. They prepare for competitions by solving practice problems and explaining the solutions to each other. The team also encourages underclassmen to join and progress at thier own level and pace in a low-pressure environment. Over time, their problem-solving skills really improve. The math questions in these competitions reward clever thinking as much as straight-ahead mathematics. Students are able to join the math team starting in ninth grade since the questions are designed to mesh with a high school curriculum. As the year progresses, more topics are added."

Good luck to the team on April 13 at Byram Hills.

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Written by: Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 05 March 2013

Created: 05 March 2013

Last Updated: 05 March 2013

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Community interest was keen on Monday night March 4 when the Scarsdale School Board presented their proposed 2013-14 budget. Led by School Board President Liz Guggenheimer, each member of the board took the mike to explain a section of the proposed $146 million budget which will mean a 4.78% tax levy increase for Scarsdale residents and a 4.88% tax levy increase for those in the Mamaroneck strip. Since the proposed budget increase exceeds the state mandated tax cap, Guggenheimer explained that the budget will need to pass with at least 60% in favor when the community goes to the polls on Tuesday May 21. Since last year's budget passed with a 79% approval from the community, it appeared that the Board felt comfortable proposing a budget that exceeds the cap.

The district continues to be challenged by big increases in state mandated payments to the teacher and employee retirement plans as a result of diminished investment returns for the state-manage systems. In fact, this year, payments to the system will rise by $3,499,185, accounting for 79.4% of the total budget growth. Most striking is the payment to the Teacher's Retirement System which was 11.84% of salaries in 2011-12 and will increase to 16.25% of salaries in 2013-14, a 37.2% increase.

Despite the weight of these state mandated statements, the administration and board appear resolved to continue to deliver a world class education to Scarsdale students and even enhance the program. Based on prior budget votes, they believe they have a mandate from the community.

Therefore, the proposed budget maintains small class sizes of 22 students in grades kindergarten through third grade and 24 students for grades four and five. The Board studied budget savings if elementary school class sizes were allowed to increase by one student but ultimately decided that the community values small class sizes over the $1 million in savings.

In response to a call for more security, new locks will be installed on all classroom doors that will allow the doors to be locked from inside the rooms. The office at the Greenacres School will be relocated near the school's entrance and entrance-monitoring staff will be added at the high school. The original proposed budget from the administration included greeters at all elementary schools and the middle school, but this item was eliminated when the board asked School Superintendent Dr. Michael McGill to cut $2 million in expenses from the budget.

Personnel and staffing, which account for 80% of the budget will remain just about even with 2012-13 levels. There are some staff shifts to accommodate decreased enrollment in the elementary schools and middle school, with an estimated increase of 89 students in the high school. Overall, it is projected that enrollment will go up by 42 students for a total of 4,795 students in the district.

The proposed budget recommends cutting one librarian each from the middle school and the high school, while increasing the technology staff by two positions for a network administrator and a technician. The technology staffers will manage $1.1 million in new computers and equipment, the increased used of broadband and new mandates for online state testing. In addition a new communications officer will be hired for the Public Information office at a salary of $90,000 plus benefits. This new hire will manage the district website, increase the district's social media presence and enhance communications between the school and the community.

The budget also includes funds for the much discussed Wellness Center that will be constructed underneath the high school gymnasium. In her presentation, Board member Jill Spieler stressed that this project would not add to taxpayer's burden as the funds will come from $325,000 in the current year's budget for the project as well as $300,000 that was allocated for renovation of the auto shop and $432,000 from a repair reserve fund that was set up years ago and will be depleted.

One of the biggest changes to the budget was the use of undesignated reserve funds that have traditionally been used to cushion the community against steep tax increases. Last year the Board decided that the district was holding too much in reserve and moved to reduce the fund balance. The 2012-13 budget included $6,313,598 in reserves, while the projected 2013-14 budget includes only $4,200,000, a decrease of $2,113,598. Furthermore, the Board plans to reduce the entire fund balance from a projected $15,775,090 in June 2013 to $13,213,090 in June 2014.

The reduction in use of the fund balance is partially responsible for the relatively high proposed tax increase for the coming year. Tax increases have averaged 3.43% for Scarsdale residents since 2008-9 and will be 4.78% for Scarsdale residents in 2013-14. The undesignated fund balance is projected to fall to $5,074,094 by June, 2013, which is 3.5% of the budget, well below the 4% maximum allowable by New York State law. A continued decrease in reserve funds will reduce the Board's flexibility to fund new initiatives and manage tax increases in coming years. With lower fund balances, the Board could eventually have to trim the educational program to meet expenses.

There were relatively few comments from the public at the meeting's end. Bob Berg of Tisdale Road said, "the proposed increase of 4.8% is too high. The budget could be reduced without affecting the program by cutting two items. The $1,050,000 Wellness Center is not necessary and it is disingenuous to claim that no new funds will need to be raised to build it. Money is fungible and those funds could be used to decrease the tax burden." He also claimed that, "most students will never use it."  Berg denounced the need for a new communications officer with a salary of $90,000 plus $25,0000 in benefits. Calling the position a "Chief Marketing Officer," he said, "Why do we need to improve our social media presence? Why not enlist high school students or community volunteers? He said that if these two items were eliminated, "We could reduce the tax rate by a full 1%."

Susan Groner of Kent Road thanked the Board for their work and questioned the use of the repair reserve to fund the Wellness Center. She asked, "what could come up in the future?" and questioned if the decision would deprive the district of needed funds for building maintenance down the road.

Guggenheimer promised to provide more information at future meetings on the Wellness Center and urged the community to attend the March 18 board meeting, the April 8 budget forum and to vote on Tuesday May 21 from 7 am to 9 pm at the Scarsdale Middle School gym. Those who came out to watch the presentation were rewarded with warm chocolate chip cookies baked by School Board Vice President Suzanne Seiden, while those who hoped to watch the meeting on television at home were not so fortunate.  A glitch in the school's cable feed prevented Optimum customers from seeing the meeting live - however it is being re-broadcast on Channel 77 this week.