Scarsdale Schools Budget Vote Looms
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You've talked about it, read about it and now it's time to vote on it. On Tuesday May 17, Scarsdale will hold a vote on the school budget. The proposed $138 million budget keeps budget growth at 2.75%, two-thirds due to state mandated retirement costs. This year's budget protects the core curriculum, initiatives in critical thinking and begins Mandarin in the high school. The budget also allows for class sizes to remain the same in the elementary schools and for a second school nurse at the Scarsdale Middle School.
The budget reduces most non-salary costs by 10 percent across the board and makes major cuts in facilities' maintenance and minimal salary increases.
School Board President, Jill Spieler says that the Board has tried to balance the current financial challenges in a difficult financial environment.
Scarsdale has a strong record on passing school budgets. The last time a budget faced an initial defeat according to the school district was in 1970. That budget finally passed after a third vote.
If this current budget is voted down, the Board explains that the community may vote on a defeated budget a second time, with or without revision as determined by the Board. If it fails a second time, the Board must adopt a so-called "contingent" budget, which is subject to a state-imposed budget cap.
There are also state-imposed restrictions on how money can be spent.
For 2011-12, the contingent budget cap is 1.92 per cent. This would require a $1.74 million budget reduction, resulting in job layoffs, and extensive, lasting harm to education. Among the areas that would be affected are interscholastic athletics, transportation beyond state minimum distances, and community services spending; things to strongly consider when at the voting booth.
Two new school board nominees; Jonathan Lewis and Sunil Subbakrishna will also be on Tuesday's ballot.
Voting is open Tuesday the 17th of May from 7am to 9pm at the Scarsdale Middle School and everyone is encouraged to participate.
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.
Scarsdale BOE Considers Exception to the District Gift Policy
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The Board of Education considered a one time exception to their gift policy of capping gifts from the PTA’s to the schools at $10,000 at their May 9th meeting. The issue arose when the Greenacres PTA and the Greenacres Neighborhood Association proposed a one-time gift of $25,000 to repair the basketball court and fencing at the school.
Karen Ceske, Greenacres PTA President reported that the PTA has safety concerns about the basketball court and field as the metal supports for the nets are rusted, the blacktop is cracked, there is a large sinkhole, new baskets are needed and the old metal fencing that surrounds the field needs to be replaced. This year a fourth grader ran into the fence and badly cut his lips and cheeks. Unlike the other elementary schools, the Greenacres playground has not undergone a renovation.
Ceske encouraged the Board to allow the PTA to give a onetime gift of $25,000 to the school for repairs and also volunteered to put additional funds into a pool for the middle school and high school to ensure parity between schools.
Board member Elizabeth Guggenheimer studied the issue and framed the conversation for the Board.
She proposed a one time exception to the gift cap of $10,000 to allow school PTA’s to fund needed projects since the district’s facilities budget had been severely reduced. She suggested that a one time additional gift of $25,000 plus $5,000 for a middle school and high school fund be permitted this year. Since some of the PTA’s have cash reserves these extra funds could be used to benefit the entire district
She posed the following questions which the Board discussed at length:
- Should there be a timeframe for accepting these gifts?
- Should there be limitations or parameters on how these funds should be used?
- Who will decide how money will be spent?
- What kind of review process should there be?
Following the discussion it was agreed that a proposal for this one-time exception should be submitted in writing and the Board would vote on it at their next meeting. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that the gift would benefit the school. One potential issue was raised by PT Council President Tracy Jaffe who reported that all five elementary schools may not be able to contribute. She relayed that some had problems with fundraising this year and may not be in a position to make a gift at this time. If so, the condition that all schools be treated equitably could prove to be a problem.
NYS Teacher Evaluation System Is Ill Considered
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Here is a letter that Scarsdale School Board Member Linda Hillman Chayes wrote to the NY Times last month concerning teacher evaluations: To the Editor: Why is it we can’t have a meaningful discussion about education without degenerating into sound bites, “false dichotomies” and calcified narratives? One discussion (among many) that has gone awry is the one on teacher evaluation.
Of course it makes sense to evaluate teachers on how well they educate our kids, and there are many school systems and students that have floundered without meaningful teacher evaluations. But New York State’s hasty and ill-considered point system for teacher evaluation based on year-to-year student performance on standardized tests is so wrong it is hard to know where to begin — and the Education Department has ignored feedback.
Our already financially starved schools will see more unfunded mandates imposed to carry out these reforms. Teachers will have even greater incentive to teach to standardized tests rather than focus on the kind of critical and analytic thinking our children need to succeed in our world. It is hard to imagine how you make this work given the differences in class baselines and how it would make any sense in some districts where differences on standardized tests are minuscule.
I have to believe that we can think more deeply about these complex problems, work more collaboratively with all constituents and spend our money more wisely as we address the inequities in educational opportunities as well as improve the overall quality of education in our country.
LINDA HILLMAN CHAYES
Scarsdale, N.Y., April 11, 2011
The writer is a member and past president of the Scarsdale Board of Education.
Quaker Ridge School Highlights Learning Activities
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Students and faculty at Quaker Ridge School greeted residents at an Open House on April 28 with a Celebration of Learning event. The Quakerbill program guide outlined the broad range of attractions for children of all ages and local residents.
Visitors were greeted at the school entrance by a student performance of chamber music and the Environmental Fair Club promoted tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle. Students in other parts of the building gave demonstrations on Spanish fun and games and Web 2.0 learning tools including online Scrabble. Fourth graders dramatized historical world explorers in the faculty room while fifth graders waltzed to ballroom dance in the auditorium. Visitors also perused the
Longtime community residents and newcomers alike were treated to fresh perspectives on Scarsdale academics and got a sense of the enthusiastic learning community at their neighborhood school.
Pictured at top: Fifth Grade Greeters
Angela Manson is a licensed real estate salesperson with Prudential Centennial, Scarsdale, Manson volunteers with local civic organizations and often writes about the community. She welcomes and assists buyers and sellers in Scarsdale and neighboring communities. She may be reached at 914-420-9878 or at [email protected]
Scarsdale School District Notes
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Here’s some news from the Scarsdale School District: Principal Update: An April 20th email from Superintendant Mike McGill welcomes SHS Principal John Klemme back to school to finish out his term before his retirement in June. In his absence, the trio of Assistant Principals, Fred Goldberg, Kelly Hamm and Sue Peppers has led the school and they will continue to manage day-to-day operations adding Mr. Klemme to the conversations.
McGill reports that the district has begun the search for a new Principal but anticipates that it will take some time to identify the right candidate. To allow ample time for the selection process, McGill has put a one year interim management team in place for 2011-12. During this period, Assistant Principal Fred Goldberg will be the Acting Principal broadly responsible for student affairs, parent relations, and community relations. Assistant Principal Kelley Hamm will have authority over internal operations such as the schedule and curriculum and Assistant Principal Sue Peppers will continue to be responsible for student behavior and for aspects of student life such as the ninth grade transition.
Recent High School Grads Needed for Student-to-Student Night at SHS
The SHS PTA and the Counseling Center will host Student-to Student night on May 31 from 6:45 – 9 pm. The event gives high school juniors the chance to meet with current college freshmen and sophomores to learn more about the colleges and universities they attend.
Last year over 70 alumni returned for College Night. They currently have over 50 college students registered and would like as many graduates to register by April 30 as possible. They are especially interested in finding students who attend the following schools popular with SHS students which are not yet represented.
- Barnard
- Boston College
- Carnegie Mellon
- Emory
- Georgetown University
- George Washington
- Harvard
- Muhlenberg
- Princeton
- SUNY Albany
- SUNY Binghamton
- Tufts University
- UMass Amherst
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Wisconsin
Please ask students to register here by April 30th. For further information or questions, contact [email protected]
Celebration of Learning at Quaker Ridge School:
On Thursday night April 28, 2011 from 6:00-7:30pm, Quaker Ridge School will host a celebration of learning. Friends and neighbors are invited to the school to tour the school’s hallways which will be filled with displays and presentations representing K-5 learning experiences.
Visitors are invited to:
- Singapore math activities-how do we do math these days?
- What makes our kids so tech savvy? Learn about the latest
- Who says kids don't write these days? Wait till you read what they wrote in our Hallway of Writers
- Watch some of our fourth grade explorers present for you
- Join the fifth grade ballroom dancers
- Learn how to be a greener you
- Get in shape with the phys ed. teachers
- Admire the art gallery
- Have a cup of coffee, talk to the PTA and chat with some BOE members about the upcoming budget (this will be at 7:15pm)
