SMS and SHS PTA Support the Proposed 2026-27 School Budget

(Here is a statement from the SMS PTA President Gina Chon, delivered to the school board on Monday March 23, 2026.)

Good evening. My name is Gina Chon, and I am speaking this evening in my capacity as President of the Scarsdale Middle School PTA on behalf of the Executive Committee.

The SMS PTA Executive Committee would like to thank the District Administration and the Board of Education for the opportunity to comment on the proposed 2026-2027 budget, and for scheduling forums that allow for community input.   After careful review, we are supportive of the proposed budget and appreciate the thoughtful consideration given to balancing districtwide priorities.

We understand that there is not sufficient room in this year's budget to support the hiring of an additional Special Education FTE, and while we are disappointed that this position cannot be accommodated this year, we hope it will be seriously considered in the near future. We believe the co-teaching model across all four core subjects in sixth grade is a valuable support for students, and we hope the district will be able to sustain and expand this level of support as students move into seventh and eighth grade.

Although not every priority could be accommodated in this year's budget, we remain appreciative of the district's commitment to the health, safety, and educational experience of our students. The SMS PTA Executive Committee supports the proposed 2026-2027 budget, and we thank the district for its openness to parent feedback and meaningful community engagement throughout this process.

(Here is a statement from the SHS PTA, delivered by Erika Rublin)

Statement for Budget Study Forum

March 23, 2026

My name is Erika Rublin and I am speaking on behalf of the High School PTA Executive Committee and Budget Study Chair. We thank Dr. Patrick, Mr. Lennon, others in the Administration, and the Board of Education for your hard work thus far on the Proposed Budget for the 2026-2027 school year.

We would like to begin by expressing our support for the proposed budget. We understand the BOE’s decision to prioritize budgeting to the tax cap, taking into account the capital spending requested for the upcoming bond and the Village pool project. Thus, we believe that the possible within this constraint.

While we support the proposed budget, we are disappointed that the current budget proposal does not include the previously recommended Math FTE position for the High School. You have heard from both parents and students, including the student board members, who have expressed how the large math and physics class sizes have negatively impacted the classroom experience and the ability of students to meet with teachers. The suggested alternative of eliminating sections of math electives impacts the programs of study available to our students, and we are concerned that it will not completely eliminate the class size problem.

It is clear that we are now at an inflection point where budgeting to the tax cap necessitates cuts to our current programming and hamstrings the District’s ability to deliver on Scarsdale’s core values of class size, appropriate level of instruction and a robust program of study. Since families move here for the schools, we believe that the community will ultimately support a budget that includes sufficient resources to preserve these values and to continue to offer a “best in class” education to our students. We recognize that this year is not the year, but we hope the BOE will prioritize the student experience and Scarsdale’s high standards in future budget decisions.

While this budget falls short of incorporating a highly valued addition to staffing, it reflects a thoughtful and deliberate effort by the administration to maximize existing resources within the current constraints. Not adopting this budget risks triggering significant reductions that would jeopardize the quality of our student’s educational experience. We encourage the community to vote yes for the budget on May 19.

Thank you again for your hard work.

Scarsdale High School PTA Executive Committee and Budget Study Chair

Erika Rublin, SHS PTA President
Megan Simon, President ElectKelli Halyard, Corresponding Secretary
Jenny Simon Tabak, VP of Directory/Membership
Melissa Brown Eisenberg, Recording Secretary
Tina Lin, VP of Programming
Radhika Dewan, Treasurer
Diksha Mudbhary, Budget Study Chair