League Reviews Scarsdale School Budget
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The Scarsdale School Board and Administration continued their series of meetings to inform the community about the upcoming 2012-13 school budget with a session with the Scarsdale League of Women Voters on Monday morning January 23rd.
The Board is seeking feedback from residents on the budget, in an effort to decide whether to propose a budget that stays within the N.Y.S. mandated 2% cap or to put forth a budget that exceeds that increase in the hope that it will be passed by more than 70% of voters on May 15th.
The way the law is written, if the community fails to approve a budget that exceeds the cap by 70%, the Board can propose another budget to be voted on in June. If that fails to pass by 60% then the district would be forced to live within this year’s budget – at a 0% increase.
Responding to questions posed by the League, Assistant School Superintendent Linda Purvis discussed capitol expenditures needed to maintain the District’s 1,000,000+ square feet of space. Though some of this space is relatively new, other portions of the schools were built at the turn of the century and require extensive maintenance, updating and care. Among the most pressing needs are roof work, heating and renovations to a staircase at the Scarsdale Middle School. Purvis reported that the district spends an estimated $300,000- $400,000 per year fixing roofs and leaks. There is currently $1,000,000 in the budget for capitol projects which pays for repairs and forestalls bigger infrastructure problems. A five-year building survey done last year showed that $3.9 mm would be needed to correct all of the District’s building issues.
But there is far more that could be done if finances allowed.
Purvis and Dr. McGill discussed the need for Scarsdale to stay on the leading edge – an explored how the current physical plant could be redesigned to accommodate new trends in learning. For instance, at the high school students often meet in groups to work on projects and teachers schedule one-on-one sessions with students to provide help and feedback. The Scarsdale schools are now designed for classes of twenty-five students with a teacher in the front. More forward-thinking institutions provide large open spaces that are flexible and allow for a variety of teaching styles including collaborative learning, conferencing and online learning experiences.
With challenging schools budgets, funds to renovate have been cut preventing any redesign of school facilities.
Asked about program changes for next year, McGill responded that he does not foresee and changes in the Mandarin program. The Mandarin teacher reports that students are making good progress in Mandarin that more sections may need to be added down the road.
Speaking about Foreign Language for Elementary Students (FLES) McGill reported that the middle school teachers now have students who began foreign language instruction in elementary school and report that these kids are about one year ahead in their learning and speaking confidence.
For the critical and creative thinking initiative, additional funding is not required. The district is in the process of benchmarking Scarsdale students’ work against the work of high-performing students overseas. As far McGill knows, Scarsdale is the only district in the country that is looking at the quality of student work at an international level in a systematic way. The district is also developing their own assessments of students’ critical and creative work.
Other initiatives include:
- Examining how the Senior Options program can be a more coherent learning experience at SHS.
- Expansion of work on human rights and technology at the Scarsdale Middle School
- Continuing to work on improving science education at the elementary level.
Asked how the administration would close the $1.5 million budget gap if the Board decides to keep the budget increase below 2%, McGill outlined how they would proceed:
He said, “We will try to reduce expenses without harming the program,” which was
“much easier four years ago than it is today, as there is not a lot of fluff in the current school budget.” Currently, McGill said, “there is very little wiggle room to make a meaningful financial impact without hurting certain kids.”
Some of the budget lines that would be examined were:
- Funding for the Scarsdale Teen Center
- Funding for Scarsdale and Edgemont Family Counseling
- Home pick for non-public school students who are transported out of the district. (Transportation could be rearranged to require students to meet at bus stops rather than have pick up at their homes.)
- Class size requirements
- Third grade musical instrument instruction
The Scarsdale School Board will hold two Budget Study Sessions on February 6 and February 8 at 6:30 pm in Rooms 170-172 at Scarsdale High School.
(Pictured at top: -- Top row: Marylou Green, Superintendent Michael McGill, Jill Scharf, Bottom row: School Board Member Suzanne Seiden, School Board President Jill Spieler, Ass't School Superintendent Linda Purvis) Photo credit: Sara Werder
Scarsdale Students Welcome the Year of the Dragon!
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Chinese New Year Day was Monday, 1/23/12, kicking off the Year of the Dragon, which some consider to be the luckiest year of the lunar calendar.
Last week, Chinese New Year decorations went up at Greenacres Elementary School. Two main entrances and the lunchroom were decorated with bright, colorful ornaments: long vertical banners proclaiming Chinese proverbs and auspicious New Year sayings; red lanterns, accordion-fold dragons and firecracker garlands; bold, glittery signs with Chinese characters for happiness, spring, prosperity and longevity. In contrast to Western dragons, which often symbolize evil or danger, Chinese dragons are considered lucky, powerful and prosperous. As an old Chinese proverb puts it: “Hope your child becomes like a dragon”.
The festivities began with a Lion Parade on Friday, 1/20. This was Greenacres' 6th Annual Lion Parade. Ms. Farella’s second grade class led the parade throughout the school. The noise and ruckus of a Chinese New Year parade is meant to scare away any evil spirits and to welcome a new year of peace and abundance. Instead of traditional firecrackers, the children used loud, clanging noisemakers and Chinese gongs.
During the week of Chinese New Year, numerous Greenacres parents made presentations in 11 classes. Topics included Chinese New Year 
customs, food, symbols, taboos, animals in the zodiac, lion versus dragon parades and the lantern festival. In addition to these New Year-related topics, some parents presented Chinese calligraphy, traditional costumes, Chinese mythology and Korean lunar new year customs.
Gung Hay Fat Choy, Scarsdale!
Story and photos about Greenacres from Karen Lee
Mandarin Students Celebrate the Lunar New Year at SHS:
At Scarsdale High School, High students in Wenhui (Phoebe) Gu's Mandarin class took part in several activities to mark the beginning of the Lunar New Year. They studied the 12-year animal cycle, noting that this is the year of the dragon; They wrote their own endings for a dragon-slaying story and acted them out, in which they had to use certain props, including a piece of red paper, a red scarf, and a cane; they learned some standard Mandarin phrases by which people wish each other good luck in the new year; and they chose their favorite good luck phrase and wrote it in calligraphy (practicing first on scrap paper, and then making a final copy on red paper).
The Scarsdale School Budget: Every Dollar Counts
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$1.5 Million. That’s the estimated shortfall in the 2012-13 Scarsdale School budget if Scarsdale complies with the New York State 2% tax cap. $1.5 Million, you may shrug. Surely they can cut here and there to get to that figure. It’s practically a rounding error when it comes to a $134 million budget for the school district. (I’d search which countries have smaller GDP’s, but Wikipedia is down today. Thanks, SOPA).
When you listen to residents’ comments about how cuts in the budget this year have already affected their children’s education, it’s starting to look like every dollar counts.
That was a big theme at Wednesday’s Board of Education Community Budget Forum. Individually each grievance expressed at the meeting may have been a frustration or a set back for the student or family involved, but taken as a whole, it’s a troubling trend that will likely get worse if there isn’t a tax cap override.
The Scarsdale School District has cut 13.2 teaching positions since 2008 from attrition and has not replaced staff. These eliminations were across the board at all of the schools -- but the High School has felt it the most.
This is the case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease. Last year parents of elementary school children came out in droves to oppose increasing class sizes. So, the high school, where parents were perhaps not as vocal, bore the brunt of the reductions.
Several parents at Wednesday’s meeting lamented that class sizes in the high school are getting out of hand. They talk of not enough desks for the kids in certain electives forcing students to sit on the windowsills during class. One mother said her child got shut out of AT Physics. The parents blamed these problems on the district’s failure to replace retiring teachers. “We shouldn’t be applauding that we were able to save all this money from attrition,” said one woman, “it’s coming at a cost to our childrens’ education.” Dr. McGill said he was going to look into the matter of the AT class to determine whether it was closed due to the limited number of teachers or for another reason. But the feeling was that it was due to the teacher losses.
Therein lies the essential argument either for or against the tax cap override. Since $1.5 million is relatively low compared to the initial estimated $8 million gap, a resident may figure these are problems we can learn to live with. As one resident at the meeting said, the tax cap can provide some discipline to our budget process and spur some serious discussions about teacher pay.
While he was in the clear minority in the room on Wednesday, he may speak for many others in town.
Alternatively, it becomes a death by a thousand cuts. Larger classes, students shut out of advanced courses, the loss of music programs or FLES, and so on.
There will be a lot of complaining and frustration but life will continue. But that’s 2012.
And the tax cap isn’t a one-time thing. The loss will be compounded. We are down just over 1% if the override doesn’t pass this year but that can be 2-3% the following year and so on until it snowballs into something much larger.
There was a lot of preaching to the choir on Wednesday morning. Many who attended were involved in the PTA or other organizations that support the schools. If the budget vote (which is slated for Tuesday May 15th) happened in that room on Wednesday, the override would win by a landslide. It’s unclear if the larger community feels the same way. Most people move to Scarsdale for the schools. The district’s commitment to excellence and the statistics that McGill and the Board present are nothing short of remarkable. Even with this high tax rate the numbers are extraordinary. 99% of last year’s graduating class went on to 4-year colleges, 62% of which were rated “most competitive.” That puts Scarsdale in the top fraction of 1% of schools in the nation. The teachers are clearly doing their job and doing it well.
Still, these are tough times and living within our means isn’t just a platitude it’s a necessity. Governor Andrew Cuomo has been vilified at these meetings for bringing about this ‘draconian’ tax cap plan. I think that Cuomo may have thrown the baby out with the bath water with this bill, but he has done a lot of good for the state. I know I’m in an ever shrinking minority today, but I’d like to think I can have a different opinion from someone without thinking they are evil or an idiot. I know, I’m nuts.
I see the point of having stricter discipline when it comes to school spending, but if you look at how the board lays out its case for where the money goes, any more cuts and your kids will start to feel it and will continue to. With very young children, and one who hasn’t even started school, that gives me a sinking feeling.
Many of the people at the meeting on Wednesday are pretty plugged in to what’s happening in Scarsdale and in the schools. Others in town, due to work, or their life stage or by choice are decidedly less informed. That’s fine.
If you want to know more about what’s at stake, check out the district’s plans and educational approach on its website Even if you don’t have children in the schools you will not only be impressed but likely proud of where you live. Scarsdale is a unique town. The schools are truly superb. Even if you don’t agree with a tax-cap override, read up on what the schools are doing and are planning. At least you won’t wave your hand and say, bah, they take enough of my money. You’ll see where the money is going. It may not change your mind, but hopefully it will.
Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.
(Photo credit top: Nan Berke)
Technology, Buildings and a Visit from Taipei --BOE Meeting Highlights from January 9, 2012
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The first meeting of the Scarsdale Board of Education in 2012 included a discussion by Superintendent Michael McGill on an upcoming seminar at Columbia University in which facility and students from Scarsdale’s A-school will participate. The seminar, to be held January 23, 2012, is entitled Kohlberg’s Baby All Grown Up and Thriving: The Just Community School in Scarsdale after 30 plus years. The presentation and panel discussion will demonstrate the way the A-School utilizes its structures--Community Meeting, Agenda Committee, Core Group, Advisor Meeting, Fairness Committee, and January Internship--to foster a just community and to promote growth in a suburban college-bound population of 80 students, grades 10 through 12. The director will provide a brief historical review of the school’s journey to its current status as a school-within-a school that elicits more 100 applications for the 26 spaces available in its sophomore class. Then, staff and students will present a portrait of how this very structured approach to character education, civic education, and academic education looks to those who “own” their education. Challenges faced by the school and research describing how the program affects its community members will be presented and referenced as part of the session.
Dr. McGill also reported that a number of staff members recently participated in presentations to the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents on the advancement of critical creative thinking through the use of technology. The overall feedback was very positive with one audience member stating ”… I wish I could send my son to a district like yours.”
Presenting his annual report on technology in the district, Director of Technology Jerry Crisci, highlighted that faculty continue to further their understanding of technology in education by attending conferences, including one held in September by The New York Times entitled “Schools for Tomorrow.” Mr. Crisci relayed that there has been a lot of “connecting” going on with our partners, such as the East-West Center in Hawaii. Also, teachers are receiving staff development using technology. For example, he showcased a recent meeting held over the Internet with a literacy expert discussing a program that teachers would be using. Furthermore, the Middle School was visited recently by a group from Taipei who came to see and hear about the work that students and faculty are doing with technology in the classroom.
Board of Education president Jill Spieler reported that thea discussion that the Board had prior to the meeting with several high school students about the use of technology in their lives at the High School. The Board learned first hand how helpful technology has been in students’ daily lives and how they use webtools to interact with other students and their teachers, organize themselves for the day-to-day demands of high school life, and better study and conduct research. Ms. Spieler was extremely impressed by the group, calling them very articulate and knowledgeable.
On another note, work continues on the Global Learning Network. Lynne Shain, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, recently had a meeting with the head of St. Mary’s School in Perth, Australia, which is part of the Network. She is also in communication with the head of an institute in Singapore that will be hosting a world colloquium next August. The head of the institute will be in the US in May and Dr. McGill and Ms. Shain look forward to talking with him on joint endeavors.
Linda Purvis, Assistant Superintendent for Business discussed long-term projections for facilities needs. Her approach is facilities “triage,” first taking care of immediate needs. For example, the Fox Meadow school stage needs new electrical wiring and the rigging at the Middle School stage doesn’t meet safety standards. Next, she seeks to improve building usage; and “optimize what we have.” Ms. Purvis would like to have all buildings handicapped accessible and bring current buildings up to code. She highlighted overcrowding in the High School cafeteria. Her next priority is long-term planning for educational programs. Ms. Purvis discussed what schools will look like in 2025 and suggested that teaching and learning will be more personalized. Second, in the future, students’ learning (at home, in school and outside) will blur into a seamless process. And finally, there will be more cross-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary learning.
The Board also approved a SEQRA resolution concerning the Fox Meadow gym mechanical ventilation project.
SBNC Candidate Bios For January 17 Election
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The election for the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee is just two weeks away. All Scarsdale voters are encouraged to participate in the selection of representatives from each of the five areas who will be charged with identifying candidates to serve on the Scarsdale Board of Education. Below please find the biographies of the candidates for the nominating committee as well as details on where and when to vote:
EDGEWOOD
KATHRYN CONLAN-212 Madison Rd. Resident for 10 years. Education: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (BS), Lehigh University (MS), Harvard Business School (MBA) Occupation: Stay at home mom, former Financial Analyst and Engineer Civic Activities: Current-Edgewood PTA Executive Board Member & Treasurer, Scarsdale Adult School Liaison, IHM Religious Education Board, IHM Religious Education Teacher, Girl Scout Co-Leader; Past-Edgewood School Class Parent. Children: 11 (SMS), 9, 7 & 5 (Edgewood)
JOHN CROMWELL-269 Nelson Rd. Resident for 17 years. Education: Grinnell College (BA), University of Wisconsin (JD) Occupation: Attorney. Civic Activities: Current-Scarsdale Forum, Neighborhood Character Committee; Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, Ritual Committee Chairman; Past-Board of Directors Bet Am Shalom Synagogue. Children: 17 & 15 (SHS)
MARY BETH EVANS-16 Edgewood Rd. Resident for 6 years. Education: Barnard College (BA) cum laude, Columbia University (MA) Occupation: Former Teacher Civic Activities: Current-Scarsdale Forum Education Program Committee Chair, SHS PTA Legislative Chair, PT Council Legislative Co-Chair; Past-SHS Compact Committee, SMS Speech Contest Judge, League of Women Voters of Westchester Communications Chair, Edgewood 5th Grade Yearbook Chair, Edgewood Cultural Arts Chair, Edgewood Compact Committee. Children: 18 (SHS ‘11) & 14 (SHS)
NEIL PIERSON-18 Bradley Rd. Resident for 7 years. Education: University of Rochester, SUNY Stony Brook Occupation: Project Manager, NHL.com Website Development & Support Civic Activities: Coalition for Scarsdale Schools, Founding Member. Child: 7 (Edgewood)
FOX MEADOW
DIANE BAYLOR-31 Cohawney Rd. Resident for 23 years (7 as adult). Education: Amherst College (BA), University of Chicago (JD) Occupation: Attorney (non practicing) Civic Activities: Current-Fox Meadow PTA: Update Chair, Publicity Chair, Garden Chair, Co-Chair After School Clubs; Scarsdale C.H.I.L.D. Liaison and Steering Committee Member; Scarsdale Adult School Publicity Coordinator; SW BOCES SEPTA Founding Member and Class Parent; Past-Fox Meadow PTA Nominating Committee Member & Principal Search Committee Member; SW BOCES SEPTA Nominating Committee Member. Children:10 & 7
MARY LOU D’SILVA-15 Axtell Drive. Resident for 10 years. Education: Stonehill College (BA) Occupation: Registered Nurse Civic Activities: Current-English as a 2nd language Teacher for International Cultural Exchange Program , Crane Berkley Neighborhood Assoc Board Member, Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp Past- Drug & Alcohol Task Force, Learning Leaders in Bronx Public School, Fox Meadow Abilities Awareness Chair. Children: 17,15 (SHS) & 11 (SMS)
JAMIE REIFFEL KEFER-4 Chesterfield Rd. Resident for 24 years (6 as adult). Education: Duke University (BA), Fordham University (JD) Occupation: Attorney (non-practicing) Civic Activities: Current-Scarsdale Forum Member, Duke University Alumni Interviewer , Fox Meadow PTA Committee Chair, Girl Scout Troop Leader, Fox Meadow & Kid’s Base/Little School Class Parent, Making Strides Team Captain, Young Families Committee Chair for Metropolis CC. Children: 8 (FM) & 5 (KBLS)
JOAN MAZUR-69 Brewster Rd Resident for 12 years. Education: Brown University (BS), NYU (JD) Occupation: Attorney Civic Activities: Volunteer at Dorot, SMS School Store, Food Bank for New York City, My Sister’s Place (Pro Bono Legal Services), NY City Business Solutions (Pro Bono Legal Seminar) and PT Council Young Writer’s Conference Children: 14 (SHS) & 12 (SMS)
GREENACRES
AMY LEWIS-18 Dobbs Terrace. Resident for 5 years. Education: Emory University (BA), Bank Street College (MS) Occupation: Teacher Civic Activities: Greenacres PTA, Westchester Reform Temple Religious School Committee Member Children: 6, 9 (Greenacres) & 2
DANA MATSUSHITA-33 Sage Terrace. Resident for 7 years. Education: Brown University (BA), Teacher’s College (MA) Occupation: Teacher (before children) Civic Activities: Current- Greenacres PTA After School Club Treasurer and Recess Club Coordinator, Greenacres Library volunteer, Brown University Alumni Interviewer. Past-Greenacres PTA Kindergarten Buddy and Lunch Volunteer, Alcott School class parent and parent volunteer Children: 5 & 8
MICHAEL McKENNA-32 Claremont Rd. Resident for 12 years. Education: Duke University (BA), UNC, Chapel Hill (MA), Columbia University (MBA) Occupation: Corporate Finance Civic Activities: Current-Community Food Bank of NJ Volunteer Past- Multi-Sport Coach in New Delhi, India, Jr Achievement Mentor. Children: 13 (SMS) & 9 (GA)
BARRY MEISELMAN -1230 Post Rd. Resident for 18 years. Education: University of Pennsylvania (BA), Cornell University (MBA) Occupation: Real Estate Investor, Co-Owner of a Medical Spa and Information Technology Consultant Civic Activities: Current-Board of Directors Greenacres Neighborhood Association Past-Scarsdale School Board Technology Advisory Council, Scarsdale Village Technology Advisory Council, Scarsdale Rec League Basketball Coach, Boy Scout Den Leader. Children: 25, 23,20 & 2 year-old twins
HEATHCOTE
AMY COHEN BAUMAN-102 Catherine Rd. Resident for 19 years, also grew up in Scarsdale. Education: Wellesley College (BA), Wharton School (MBA) Occupation: Early Stage Investor Civic Activities: Current- Officer of Murray Hill Middle Heathcote Neighborhood Association Past-President of Women of Reform Judaism at Westchester Reform Temple, Chair of Heathcote Food Program, Volunteer and Chair of Heathcote Learning to Look, Westchester Reform Temple Religious School Board. Children: 17, 15 & 11
PEGGY DaSILVA-12 Kelwynne Rd. Resident for 20 years. Education: Wellesley College (BA), Columbia University (MBA) Occupation: Real Estate Executive Civic Activities: Immediate past President of WX (senior executive real estate organization), Member of Urban Land Institute, Treasurer Heathcote PTA. Children: 23 (graduated Brown), 21 (NYU), 18 (Northwestern)
GARY SIMON-250 Mamaroneck Rd. Resident for 19 years. Education: Swarthmore College (BA, with high honors), Vanderbilt University (JD) Occupation: Attorney-Partner and Chairman, Securities and Capital Markets Group Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP. Civic Activities: Board Member, Vanderbilt University School of Law. Children: 15 (SHS) & 21 (University of Rochester)
GREGORY SOLDATENKO-9 Lenox Place. Resident for 11 years. Education: Teacher’s College, Moldavia, (BA) cum laude, Queen’s College (BA) Occupation: Business Owner, Co-Founder iSingapore Math LLC, former technical researcher and equity trader. Child: 12 (SMS)
QUAKER RIDGE
ALICIA FELDMAN- 8 Old Lyme Road. Resident for 2 years. Education and Work Experience: University of Maryland College Park, B.S. cum laude; Worked 20 years in corporate finance. Civic Activities: Current- Volunteer for the following Quaker Ridge PTA Committees: Learning to Look, Carnival Day, Book Fair, Class Parent and C.H.I.L.D. Liaison; Westchester Reform Temple: WRT's Religious School Board Young Families Committee, Chairman of Westchester Reform Temple Early Childhood Center Clothing Drive; Fundraiser for Foundation Fighting Blindness. Past- Fundraiser for United Way & Pancreatic Cancer. Children: 7 and 5
DEBBIE HOCHBERG-23 Grand Park Avenue. Resident for 5 years. Education: Harvard College (AB), Harvard Business School (MBA), Occupation: Homemaker Civic Activities: Current-Co-Chair Quaker Ridge PTA Learning to Look, Captain of Quaker Ridge Golf Club Tennis Team. Community Leader-Facing History & Ourselves, Board of Directors of The David Project. Past- Co-Chair Quaker Ridge PTA After School Clubs. Children: 8, 6 (both Quaker Ridge) and 2
TRACY NATHANSON-217 Griffen Ave. Resident for 8 years. Education: Barnard College (BA), New York University (MA, Journalism), Fordham University (MSW). Occupation: Social Worker Civic Activities: Current-Task Force on Drugs & Alcohol-SMS Representative Past- Greenacres Learning to Look Volunteer, Quaker Ridge PTA Executive Board : Co-Chair Carnival, Co-Chair Book Fair & Co-Chair Cultural Arts, UJA volunteer Children: 13 (SMS), 11 (Windward)
Also on the ballot will be six proposed amendments to the SBNC Governing Document. A detailed explanation of the amendments can be found at: http://scarsdalesbnc.com/press/ .
For questions, contact: Nan Berke [email protected] 472-8387 or Deb Pekarek [email protected] 723-6171
