Proposed School Budget Preserves Academic Excellence: Vote on Tuesday May 20

(The following letter was written by Scarsdale School Board President Suzie Hahn and Board Vice President Jim Dugan)

Dear Scarsdale Community,

The Scarsdale Board of Education is pleased to present the proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year. The vote for the 2025-26 budget will be on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Scarsdale Middle School from 7 AM - 9 PM. Parking is available throughout the day at the lower circle, reached from the school driveway on Kelwynne Road.

The proposed budget is the culmination of a careful and collaborative process, led by the Board and Administration. Deliberations and decisions by the Board were guided by a focus on students and on the District’s Strategic Plan of Learning, Living and Leading, with thoughtful input from the school community. We believe this budget reflects judicious fiscal management while maintaining the educational program that reflects our community’s core values and prepares our students to succeed and thrive.

Budget Accomplishments

The proposed budget preserves our tradition of academic excellence and care for the whole child, while continuing to manage the fiscal challenges facing many school districts such as ours.

Highlights include:

● Continued prioritization of social and emotional learning support at all levels, including social worker support K-12 and Responsive Classroom training

● Sustained support for elementary math program improvement

● Expansion of our special education program for children currently in-District along the continuum of services

● Construction of a synthetic turf practice field at SHS, to be used by hundreds of students

● Initiation of an exciting elementary school playground redesign and replacement program at FM

● Strengthened Safety, Security, and Emergency Management (SSEM) measures throughout the District with the continued addition of door-ajar sensors and security cameras

● Acquisition of 3 EV buses and the associated installation of charging infrastructure as the first phase in a long-term program to fulfill the mandated zero-emissions vehicle requirements established by NY State

Our investments in teaching and learning include funding an exceptional level of instruction through small classroom sizes at the elementary level, the house and team structure at the Middle School, and a rich offering of programs of study at the High School. The proposed budget achieves efficiencies in staffing, with a net reduction of 7.5 FTEs, as well as a 10% reduction in teacher aide support.

Budget Process and Community Engagement

The Board’s budget process began, as in past years, with a public listening session in November for the community to share their budget priorities for the upcoming school year. The feedback from this session helped inform the Administration as they prepared an initial budget proposal to the Board. Multiple presentations and Budget Study Sessions afforded opportunities to take a deep dive into each aspect of the District. Members of the Board also attended Budget information sessions hosted by community groups and have received and responded to numerous questions regarding the budget from the community. Community feedback on the final proposed budget was shared during the Budget Forum on March 24th. The Board voted to approve the budget in April and has attended meetings at each school to discuss it and answer questions.

Public Vote on the Budget

The vote for the 2025-26 budget will be on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Scarsdale Middle School from 7AM to 9PM. The projected tax levy is 3.4%, which is within the state-defined tax cap, requiring the support of 50+1 percent of those voting in order to pass. This levy equates to a 1.77%, or $415, increase for the median assessed home in Scarsdale. For homes in Mamaroneck, the median assessed home would see a reduction of 0.23%, or $62, in their tax levy from 2024-25.

SCARSDALE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Suzie Hahn, President
James Dugan, Vice-President