Update on Superintendent Search, Push back on Decision to Hire Social Workers and More from the Board of Education
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 6246
The Scarsdale Board of Education held their third budget study session for the proposed 2022-23 school budget, on March 21, 2022, in advance of the community wide budget vote on Tuesday May 17, 2022.
2022-23 School Budget
There appears to be community wide support for the $173,291,393 budget which is 3.85% above the 2021-22 school budget, translating into a 2.43% increase in school taxes for Scarsdale residents and 3.68% for those in the Mamaroneck strip. The difference in these two rates is due to the variation in the equalization rates between the two towns. The 3.85% increase in the budget is the highest in the past ten years, and almost a full percent above the 2.99% increase in 2014-15.
There is favorable news on the revenue side where the district expects to receive $7.27 mm in state aid, up 3.22% from last year, $101,000 more in building use fees than last year and $1.8 mm in county sales tax, up $44,750 from 2021-22.
Though parents had hoped that the budget could fund the remaining work needed to renovate the SHS auditorium, this budget does not include funding for the seats or work to improve the acoustics.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Deb Pekarek and Jon Leslie, both Board members of Scarsdale Family Counseling Services, asked the board to reconsider the hiring of two social workers, one for the middle school and the other for the high school. They urged the schools to manage additional mental health needs by using staff from Scarsdale Family Counseling Services who currently runs the youth outreach program in the schools and has served the district for many years.
Pekarek said, “It has come to my attention that the school district is hiring two social workers. I am curious about what are mandated services when they relate to SFCS social workers. I understand that licensed social workers can provide services to students with an IEP. SFCS have provided these services in the past…. NYS does not require that these services are provided.”
She continued, “This is almost a 40 year partnership between the school district and SFCS and has been a collaboration that has worked and thrived…. I would venture to guess that if additional social workers are needed the Village Board would entertain financing this.” Discussing the financial implications, she said, “The SFCS model has been more efficient and has been in place for 40 years. I respectfully ask that you work within the framework of the existing process in a fiscally prudent fashion and work these additional social workers into the collaboration with SFCS.”
She concluded, “While we cannot predict the future, once you pull a thread, certain things are bound to unravel.”
Jon Leslie, also of 43 Greeanacres Avenue concurred. He said, “I know that COVID has led to increased mental health needs. The SFCS is in a unique position to address those needs. Setting up social workers at the Middle School and the High School is not the way to go. We have a way to handle these needs through youth services. SFCS concurs that more resources are needed. However you have decided to ignore the partnership and set up an unnecessary infrastructure at a higher expense.”
PTA presidents from both the high school and the middle school agreed with the administrations recommendation to hire two in house social workers.
Speaking on behalf of the PTA Executive Committee and the PTC , SHS PTA President Joey Silberfien said, “We reiterate our strong support for the two full time mental health workers. The district has identified significant mental health issues and they are only heightened now. We strongly encourage the BOE to maintain support for mental health, and to identify immediate needs and programming… we believe these needs will be met with two full time employees.”
SMS PTA President Leah Dembitzer said, “The PTA Executive Committee supports the increase in staffing as proposed by Principal Troy, including an in-house social worker. The pandemic is a catalyst for these requests. Principal Troy has requested this person for continuity and as a touchpoint.” She said, ”The need is immense. Our students require more attention than is currently available to them. We support SFCS and the new mental health workers.”
See the presentation and learn more here: https://vimeopro.com/scarsdaleschoolstv/boe-2021-2022.
Residents are invited to ask questions and comment on the budget at a school budget forum sponsored by the LWVS at 10 am on Thursday May 22 and at a budget forum on March 28 at the Board of Education meeting.
Superintendent Search
In other board news, Board President Karen Ceske updated the community on the search for an interim superintendent and for a permanent replacement for Dr. Thomas Hagerman who will leave in June. She said, “The board is identifying an interim superintendent. We set forth criteria for the position and reached out to the community. We received 108 responses which affirmed and added to our criteria. We are vetting interim candidates and making good progress.”
For the superintendent search, she said, “We have identified potential search firms and are making good progress on the RFP.”
Board news:
Board member Carl Finger, who is now serving his first three year term on the Board of Education announced that he would not seek a second term. He said, “I came to the difficult decision not to run for a second term on the School Board –- but I will still be around.”
Board President Karen Ceske also will not seek a second term and Ron Schulhof is up for re-nomination. The School Board Nominating Committee should be announcing their three candidates for School Board soon. Last year the nominations were announced on March 23, 2021.
Education Report
Assistant Superintendent Edgar McIntosh provided an education report, which among many exciting programs.
MTSS
McIntosh reviewed a new program that supplies tools and analytics to assess, track and provide student support called MTSS or Multi-Tiered System of Support. This system will allow the district to identify students who need additional academic, social, emotional and behavioral support. This program is cohesive and consistent and provides resources for the collection and recording of data that will allow the district to provide the right resources for student success.
He then summarized some educational programming at all levels:
-At the elementary schools, the technology team is educating students on media literacy and kindergartners are involved in decoding words while learning to read.
-For high school students McIntosh discussed a global learning program called Envoy Summits which allow students to hold virtual exchanges with students from other countries.
-A global entrepreneurship challenge asks students to identify climate change needs in their own communities and do case studies on solving climate challenges. They will ideate, test and iterate their solutions.
-A Scarsdale Saturday Virtual Summit on April 30th will invite experts to address students on issues around sustainability. There will also be input from student leaders and local experts.
International STEAM school partnerships will pair Scarsdale students with STEAM students from other schools in Buenos Aires and Paris.
-For the first time, the high school will hold a Non-Sibi Day of service on May 27 focused on wellness. Community groups and other non-profits will be invited to participate. There is a hope that this will become an annual event.
-Students at all schools are participating in gardening programs where they cultivate flowers and vegetables.
Watch the entire board meeting online here.
Early Morning Fire Guts Home on Madison Road in Scarsdale
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 4643
A fire was reported at a house at 260 Madison Road at 5:40 am on Friday March 4, 2022. A neighbor called 911 to report the fire and said the house was currently being renovated and was unoccupied. When firemen arrived they found the front porch and first and second floors of the wood framed house engulfed in heavy fire. After searching the house, they found it was unoccupied as reported. With the help of fire departments from Hartsdale, Greenville and Fairview, they knocked down the fire. They opened up the interior walls and ceiling on the first and second floors to access the fire in the walls and also punched a hole in the roof to ventilate the structure.
Con Edison was called to de-energize the electric line that had failed and was lying on the front lawn and to also to shut down the gas. The house appears to be heavily damaged.
The homeowners were contacted and came to the scene. An investigation to determine the cause of the fire is under way.
Commenting on the fire, Scarsdale Chief Christopher Mytych said, "We initiated an aggressive fire attack using two hose lines and extinguished the bulk of the fire from the exterior before transitioning to the interior. Fortunately, reports from neighbors that the home was unoccupied were confirmed following our searches. We were supported by firefighters from Fairview, Greenville, and Hartsdale. Units from Eastchester and White Plains stood by in our quarters until the arrival of off-duty Scarsdale firefighters. There were no reports of firefighter injuries."
The fire report says the home was under renovation and the property records show that there was an active building permit dated February 24, 2022 to legalize the basement, bedroom and office. The house as built in 1923, has four bedrooms and is 2,588 square feet on a .14 acre lot. It had an assessed value of $750,000.
(Photo Credit: Jonathan Bradlow)
Should the Village End Leaf Vacuuming? What Do You Think?
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 2914
In 2021 the Village adopted new laws that banned the use of leaf blowers from May 1 to September 30 and limited their use to weekdays during October, November and December. That was just one change recommended in an April 22, 2021 report from the Scarsdale Forum’s Sustainability, Municipal Services and Climate Resilience Committee on gas leaf blowers, leaf vacuuming and leaf mulching in the Village of Scarsdale.
At the time, the committee also recommended eliminating all fall leaf vacuuming conducted by the Village. Now that proposal, eliminating leaf vacuuming, is being considered as a part of the 2022-23 Village budget discussions. The matter will be reviewed at a February 16, 2022 work session of the Village Board.
Why does the Forum recommend the suspension of leaf vacuuming?
According to their report, the reasons are many.
In short:
-The Forum contends that leaf piles are hazardous for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians who have to navigate around them. Furthermore, “Wet leaves on road surfaces can make stopping difficult, and piles of leaves can obscure potholes, black ice, curbs and street markings. Leaves create slippery conditions after it rains or snows.”
-Leaf pile clog storm drains and block fire hydrants: “Storm water drains and street catch basins become blocked by leaves that impede the flow of water, causing back-ups and maintenance issues…. Leaves also block access to fire hydrants.
-Animal feces and litter are deposited in the leaf piles.
-Leaf vacuuming trucks are noisy and disperse polluting and unhealthy emissions of chemicals and particulate.
-Wet leaf piles grow mold.
How do they propose that leaves be treated? The Forum suggests that residents receive education about the benefits of mulch mowing, where leaves are shredded by lawn mowers and left on the lawn as fertilizer. If that is not feasible, they are asking the Village to require residents to bag their leaves and leave them at the curb for pick-up or transport them to the transfer station.
With planning for the 2022-23 Village budget in process, the Village asked the Department of Public Works to analyze the Forum’s recommendation and to come up with a point of view and cost analysis of replacing leaf vacuuming with pick-up of bagged leaves.
You can see the analysis below.
According to the slide below, the Department of Public Works recommends retaining the existing leaf vacuuming program rather than picking up bagged leaves weekly.
Essentially, they are saying that if the vacuuming program ends, the cost to dispose of the leaves will be transferred to private homeowners. Their analysis shows that if the Village ends the program they estimate that about 20% of homeowners will mulch mow, leaving another 4,800 to bag and transport their leaves. At a cost of $220 per year per property, the burden would shift $1,000,000 in expense to private homeowners who either cannot mulch mow or pay their landscapers to bag and transport the leaves.
According to their analysis, the Village would save $239,870 in labor costs, but the department would reassign those staffers to other tasks within the Department of Public Works, so there would be no actual dollar savings.
When the proposal was discussed in 2014-15, there were objections to the elimination of the program from people who rake their own leaves and felt they could not handle the additional burden and from others who live on smaller lots where there was not enough space to disperse mulched leaves. Others simply saw it as a cut in services.
On the issue of enforcement, it was not clear what would happen if landscapers or homeowners failed to comply and left leaf piles on the street. Would they be fined and who would dispose of the piles?
As an alternative, would it be possible to offer at incentive to those who bag or mulch their leaves rather than penalizing those who do not?
If you have views on leaf vacuuming please post comments below or email us at scarsdalecomments@gmail.com and we will post them below.
Diana Thulin said, "The challenges raised in 2014-2015 have not changed. The DPW has it right. We have had many other cost increases.. As far as leaf piles in the road, owners should be fined for creating a hazard. We shouldn't need to use taxpayer funds to reward appropriate behavior.
Letter From Your Ukrainian Neighbor Max Grudin
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 3500
Dear Scarsdale Neighbors!
I am from Ukraine.
Over the last few days I have received a lot of calls about the situation in Ukraine. I am grateful for everyone’s concern. I would like to reach many of my friends and neighbors to describe my understanding of what is happening and also suggest ways to help.
When on February 24 2022 I saw a line of tanks crossing the border into Ukraine I frankly thought that within four hours they would be in Kiev. So did most ordinary people and international leaders. However, to everyone’s surprise Ukrainian citizens decided to fight back.
I spoke to many residents in Ukraine with very different political views and I must say that they are fully united in their opposition to this invasion. Many people have signed up to “territorial defense” units. Many people form crowds to block the advance of the Russian military, and even in conquered towns crowds of demonstrations express their protest to the invading force.
It is that fierce defense of their country that has spurred many countries to set up crippling economic sanctions. In the meantime one urgent problem is lack of food and medical supplies. If you wish to help, I suggest you donate funds to non-profit organizations who can deliver help to those in need. Here are a couple of organizations. I understand your donations can be deducted.
● Razom for Ukraine https://razomforukraine.org/donate/
● Global Giving (Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund): https://globalgiving.org
● International Rescue Committee: https://rescue.org
This morning major news outlets showed videos of Kharkov being carpet bombed and of a ballistic missile hitting a Kiev suburb. Do I have words to describe my anguish?
A few words about my friends in Russia. Many Russian people did not believe that a military incursion might happen. Right now they do not have access to correct information. I think it would be unfair to blame the Russian people for what is done in their name.
I think energy policy is a key issue in this crisis. The transition to clean energy may take decades, and in the meantime cutting our production gives leverage to countries like Russia and Venezuela who use energy for political means. Perhaps we should not only be talking about having an abundant supply of clean energy but also about controlling demand. Our daily habits impact the world.
Thanks again for your support.
Max Grudin
Scarsdale
Astorino Claims There Is "Lawlessness" In Westchester, Despite The Statistics
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 3431
A video of a robbery at the Westchester Mall is being used by former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino in his campaign for Governor of New York State.
The video shows thieves mobbing the Louis Vuitton store on January 6, 2022 and making off with several handbags while the security guard looks on.
You can see it here:
Astorino posted the video on his Twitter page and said, ““The fact that it’s at The Westchester Mall as well just makes people open up their eyes that crime has to be stopped,” Astorino said. “We have to be tough on crime. What we are dealing with right now is the last two years coming home to roost where it’s basically been lawlessness.”
Despite Astorino’s charges, the fact is that crime has actually decreased in our area. According to White Plains Police Commissioner David Chong, “Crime is definitely not on the rise in White Plains,” Chong said. “Every crime statistic is actually down.”
About crime at The Westchester, the Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said, “The Westchester District Attorney’s Office is aware of report of recent thefts in The Westchester mall. We understand how incidents like this create fear and anxiety in the community. As is the practice in White Plains, the WPPD is investigating these incidents at this stage and my Office will be involved when and if charges are brought to us by the police, unless our assistance is required prior to that. If and when we receive such charges, we will evaluate them and, if appropriate, prosecute them fully with the bound of the law taking all circumstances into account.”
