Edgemont Grapples With Challenging School Budget
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Edgemont's December 13th Board of Education meeting was packed with residents, teachers, parents and students who turned out to learn about next year's school budget and how the NYS tax levy cap will impact the schools. A number of students spoke very passionately and asked that the BOE not cut programs at the schools, especially electives that they were planning to take during their senior year.
Assistant Superintendent Sue Shirken shared some new information that will affect the tax-cap formula, but many variables are still undetermined at this point such as the pension plan and insurance premium increases. The three principals, Dr. Barry Friedman (Junior/Senior High School), Dr. Ed Kennedy (Seely Place) and Ms. Jen Allen ( Greenville) presented recommendations intended to trim costs without harming the quality of an Edgemont education. Everyone is working together to figure out the best way "to do more with less."
Some of the recommendations at the high school level included increasing class sizes especially for electives and the honors/AP courses, eliminating Study Skills for Success class, eliminating some of the English and Social Studies electives, and eliminating the overnight 9th grade camp trip to Frost Valley every winter. The Science Scholars program would start in 10th grade (it currently starts in 9th grade) and there would be a re-structuring in the A-school. Also, certain electives would only be offered every other year. Some residents expressed concerns that the English curriculum would be impacted negatively if electives were cut (i.e. Modern American Literature and Speech). Dr. Friedman explained that there would be a new English 12 class that would replace the cut electives. This new class would combine parts from those electives.
At the elementary schools, the strings consultant appears to be saved much to the relief of the approximately 30 parents that had shown up to support the strings program but the percussion and brass music consultants will most likely be cut. The popular Washington DC (Greenville 5th grade) and Philadelphia (Seely 5th grade) trips are safe for now but 6th grade camp may be gone after this June. The principals also talked of decreasing teacher aides' hours and perhaps decreasing the Physical Education staffing by reorganizing how staff are used at the three schools. But this will not result in any change in the amount of PE that students receive.
Several parents asked about the possibility of a 60% vote override. One parent, whose children have already graduated from the high school, spoke in support of the superior Edgemont education that her children had received while in the schools. She said she encouraged the BOE to try for the override and not cut programs for the students. The BOE has not made any final decision yet and has said that they will consider all possibilities. They also reemphasized that there are no final decisions regarding any cuts in programs at this point. Right now there is a $1.8 million dollar budget gap to fill if the Board elects to stay within the lax levy cap and maintain all existing programs and services. The proposed cuts discussed by the building principals do not add up to a $1.8 million dollar savings so more cuts in various areas (perhaps in sports) will be discussed during upcoming BOE meetings. This month the administration will also have final numbers for the pension plan and insurance premium increases and these two numbers will help with determining the final budget gap, which will hopefully be substantially less than the current projection of $1.8 million.
Superintendent Nancy Taddiken, acknowledge that "this is a stressful time," and spoke about a superintendents group that has been working together to petition Albany for mandate relief, especially in the area of pensions. She will send a letter to the PTA and PTSA to encourage everyone to petition Albany for mandate relief. However, these discussions on state mandate relief will not result in any changes that will affect the 2012-2013 budget cycle. The next two BOE meetings are on Tuesday, January 10th and Tuesday, January 24th (both start at 8:15 pm in the high school's LGI room). Once again, everyone is encouraged to attend the meetings to learn about the upcoming budget and voice their concerns. Once the budget is adopted in April, changes cannot be made, so now is the time to ask questions and express opinions.
Tracing the Roots of Scarsdale's First Black Families
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An exhibit tracing the ancestry of Scarsdale’s first black families that was originally on display at Scarsdale Village Hall has now been moved to the Mount Vernon Public Library, where it will be on view until January 7, 2012. The exhibit is titled, "Early Scarsdale Along Saxon Woods Road" and was compiled by Phyllis C. Murray with contributions from Donna Lockley, Robinette Purdy Allen Robinson and Alfred Surya Peterson.
The display includes documents and photos from the Purdy African-American family that date as far back as 1850 and extend into the next century. Their descendants, friends and family lived along Saxon Woods Road. Included are photos of tombstones in the African-American cemetery in Rye, a display of matriarchs and their properties, and a military chronology from the Civil War to World War II.
The importance of education is highlighted with photos from the early days of the Quaker Ridge School which was always
Mount Vernon Public Library
28 South First Avenue
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Virginia McClellan Moskowitz Local History Room
Municipal parking across from South Second Avenue entrance.
http://www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org/First-Avenue-Window
Pictured at top: The Barry Avenue Church organized by Robert Purdy of Scarsdale in 1852. Erected in Mamaroneck, NY circa 1903. Photo from the Larchmont Historical Society.
LWVS News: CNC Election Review, Roundabout Study and Strauss is Honored:
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Procedure Committee Chair Michelle Lichtenberg and Vice Chair David Brodsky will discuss the recent Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee and the amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution at a meeting to be held by the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale on Monday, December 5th at 10:15am at Village Hall. The nonpartisan Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) selects candidates for the Scarsdale Board of Trustees and Mayor. Members of the community are welcome to attend the presentation Following the presentation, League members will seek consensus on recommendations to the Procedure Committee. Members of the community are welcome to attend the presentation. For more information, contact Sara Werder at (914) 472-6264.
LWV Honors Barbara Strauss: Scarsdale's Barbara Strauss was recently honored for her 50 years of membership in the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale. Ms. Strauss has greatly enjoyed her participation in the League and finds its mission of educating residents and studying issues to be very valuable. Scarsdale League President Marylou Green remarked, “For Barbara to remain involved in the League for 50 years is extraordinary. The League owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to our long-time members.” Ms. Strauss served as the President of the League of Women Voters of Westchester from 1981 to 1983. Her sister Eileen Innes originally recruited her to join the Scarsdale League. For many years, Ms. Strauss’ main focus was the League’s annual review of the budget of the Village of Scarsdale. She is currently a member of the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, which reviews the Westchester County budget.
Roundabout Statement: In other League news, the Scarsdale League recently issued their consensus statement regarding the construction of a 5-legged roundabout at the Heathcote Five Corners.
In their statement they find that the benefits of a new roundabout outweigh the challenges of the construction, finding that a roundabout would have the following potential benefits:
- Shorter queuing, leading to a reduction of gas emissions
- Improved intersection capacity during all times of the day
- Reduced traffic speed in intersection and approaches
- Improved NYSDOT LOS grade
- Reduction in number and severity of accidents
- Provision for emergency vehicle access
- Improved pedestrian safety by incorporating safer crossings
- Potential increased business for local merchants as a result of increased pedestrian traffic
- Aesthetic improvements
However, they also noted the following concerns:
The proposed 105-foot diameter of the roundabout is 10% smaller than the smallest roundabout studied by Creighton Manning in Phase 1.
- The location of entrance and exit points are challenging due to the proximity of some of the legs. The roundabout must be designed with great care in order to attain the desired safety and traffic improvement benefits.
- The Village must dedicate appropriate resources to provide significant and plentiful public education regarding the traffic rules applicable to driving on the roundabout prior to, during and after its construction.
- Residents and businesses located in this area will be disrupted during construction. The League urges that they be inconvenienced as little as possible during the construction phase.
To read the entire statement, go to: http://www.lwvs.org/consensusstatements.htm
Pictured at top: Scarsdale League of Women Voters President Marylou Green with honoree Barbara Strauss
Homeowner's Delight
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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We have lived in our 1914 Arts and Crafts style home in Greenacres for over 20 years. And though the house is almost 100 years old, for the most part it has held up very well. Yes, when we moved in we quickly realized that our ancient furnace could only put out enough hot water for one shower. So when we recovered from the shock of the closing costs we put in a separate hot water heater. There have been other bumps along the way – a White Pine tree fell on the house, a leaky kitchen ceiling – but these were things that could be cleared up with a little angst and a few phone calls.
That was then, and now is now – and it appears that our luck has finally run out. The sad story began in October when temperatures dipped and my husband decided to turn on the oil burner. Little did he know that there was sludge in the line, the safety switch was broken and voila, … our oil burner was saturated with oil. First it smoked and then it really burned. Not realizing the seriousness of the situation, we tried to turn it off and headed out to dinner. By the time we got home, we had to call the fire department. Smoke billowed out of the burner and rose from the basement to the third floor. Five trucks arrived, we grabbed our valuables and stood shivering outside, wondering why we had never bothered to change the batteries in our smoke alarms.
Now what? After the smoke cleared we learned that the burner was kaput. The trusty steel box had to go. We thought it might be good to convert to gas, but with a full tank of oil underground, worth $2,400, we were reluctant to waste the oil. After much deliberation and conferring with the insurance company and several contractors, we decided to eat the cost of the oil and move forward with the conversion to gas.
However we didn’t realize that Con Edison could take months to approve the new service. While we huddled next to our electric heaters, days turned into weeks and we waited and waited. And who knew that a freak October snowstorm would intervene and knock out the power. Now we were without heat, without power and without a solution to our problem.
We moved in with gracious friends awaiting the return of the power as the temperature in the house fell to 46 degrees. Strangely, throughout the entire crisis, there was still hot water in our trusty hot water heater – so chilly days of despair could be cured with a warm bath.
Finally, after emails and phone calls, Con Ed gave us the go ahead and a new heating system was installed that warmed a good part of the house. Cleaning crews swarmed the house to scrub away the soot left by the smoky burner, scouring every item we owned, including the walls and the ceilings. The upholstery was steamed and all the rugs in the house was taken out for cleaning. But that wasn’t the end. It turned out that we needed a new hot water system as well – as we had been using the same water that heated the house for cooking and bathing for years without knowing it!
So now, though we do have heat in most of the house, we are still waiting for hot water. The 1,000-gallon oil tank needs to be dug out of the front lawn and we pray the excavators won’t find an oil leak.
Though I liken the situation to the plagues …. Oil, Fire, Cold Showers, Darkness, etc. my aunt would call these “uptown” problems. And she is right. We still do own a beautiful house – and maybe one day all systems will be go. This humbling experience has made me realize how lucky we are to have a home, especially one in Scarsdale. … plus the resources to correct our myriad problems.
Guess How Much You Pay in Westchester County Taxes?
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Though Scarsdale residents usually focus on their school and village tax bills, it’s a little known fact that 17.9% of your property tax bill goes to Westchester County, just a little bit more than the 17.6% you pay to the Village of Scarsdale. To get an idea of the numbers, consider this: a Scarsdale homeowner with a local tax bill of $25,000 is currently paying Westchester County about $4,475 per year.
From your payment to Scarsdale Village Hall you receive essential services such as police, fire and sanitation services as well as the use of the library and recreational facilities like the pool and tennis courts.
But what do you get from the county? At a meeting of the Westchester County League of Women Voters at the Scarsdale Library on Monday, November 28, County Budget Director Larry Soule presented an analysis of the staggering $1.8 billion Westchester County budget and there was precious little in store for Scarsdale.
Strapped with mandated pension costs and rising expenses, the county has been forced to eliminate many of
Though County Executive Rob Astorino made a valiant effort to get concessions from the CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association) who represent many county workers, the union leadership refused to negotiate. Currently the average county worker earns $71,324 in salary and makes no contribution to their healthcare costs. Astorino reports that the generous packages for county workers include health, dental and vision care with no employee co-pay, bringing the average cost for a county employee to $110,000 (including pension contributions). Astorino says that on average, these workers are better paid than other public or private workers in Westchester. Unable to negotiate with the union, Astorino was forced to cut 7.5% of the county workforce in the 2012-13 budget, reducing their number to 4,500.
For those not familiar with the work of the county here is where your dollars go. The county manages public assistance programs including Medicaid, provides healthcare, daycare, and special needs programs and employs safety and emergency workers, police and firefighters. It runs a large prison, the court and maintain parks and roads. The county also runs Westchester Community College and subsidize the Bee-Line bus system which is essential transportation for those who do not own cars.
Due to the budget shortfalls, the county was forced to cut funding for virtually all of the programs that benefit Scarsdale residents.
Several years ago Scarsdale received a grant from the county to assist with the flood mitigation project currently planned for George Field Park and Fox Meadow. However, there are no new funds for flooding in the 2012-2013 county budget –and therefore there is no county funding available to help solve the flooding of the Sheldrake River Basin in Heathcote.
Village Manager Al Gatta was hopeful that the county would allocate funds to assist municipalities with conducting a tax revaluation which is planned for Scarsdale. Yet in the proposed budget, the county has allocated nothing for revaluation, leaving Scarsdale on its own to foot the $1.75 million bill to conduct the reval.
Bicycle Sundays on the Bronx River Parkway had to be chopped from the budget as well, which will surely disappoint many riders. However, the county is looking for a corporate sponsor to fund Bicycle Sundays and hopefully someone will step up by the spring.
The County is charged with maintaining the Bronx River Parkway and the Bronx River Reservation that surrounds it. In better days they constructed a beautiful path and bridges bordering the river. But now that funds are short they have fired hundreds of employees and the area has been neglected. The storm sewers along the Bronx River are in need of maintenance and repair and the river and parkway often flood with raw sewage backing up onto the paths.
Westchester County formerly funded the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Valhalla that provides educational programs on horticulture, gardening and nutrition to name a few. For the coming year, the County’s $990,000 funding for the Cornell Cooperative has been slashed from the budget.
As the more fortunate residents of Westchester, some would argue that it is Scarsdale’s duty to pay more than our fair share to defray the costs for those in need -- and to provide funding to support Westchester’s infrastructure. But at a time when our own village is considering limiting garbage pick-up to once per week and letting leaves mulch to save money, it’s frustrating to pay the tab from the county and get so little in return.
Hopefully next year the county can lobby Albany to reduce pension and Medicaid costs. In addition, they should look for ways to consolidate departments and work with local municipalities to alleviate duplication of services. But in the short term, there’s not a whole lot to be done but write your check.
Pictured at top: Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino
