Community Provides Feedback on Proposed $146 MM School Budget

Staffing, technology, communications, and facilities topped the list of concerns at the Board of Education meeting on Monday March 18. A sudden snowstorm did not deter community leaders from venturing out to weigh in on these four areas and the proposed 2013-2014 Scarsdale school budget. Guggenheimer reminded the public that the BOE is in a "listening period" with another meeting planned for April 8. Although the weather precluded a performance by the high school's a cappella group, "In Good Measure," it did not prevent involved parents and other community members from expressing their opinions on the Board's plans for next year.

First to step to the microphone was Gayle Hutcher, president of the Scarsdale Parent-Teacher Council, speaking on behalf of the PT Council Executive Board. Hutcher thanked the board for crafting the budget, answering questions and reaching out to district families. She went on enumerate areas of specific interest to her group. First, while thankful that the BOE has maintained the class size practice at the elementary school level, PT Council is concerned that the bump in enrollment that will be caused by a large incoming freshman class at the high school will lead to an "unacceptable" 11.9% of classes with over 25 students. Similarly, PT Council asked the Board to address the overcrowding in the high school library, which will be exacerbated by the influx of the large ninth grade class in the fall.

Hutcher also stated that PT Council would like to "better understand the responsibilities of the new communications officer, and would like a more detailed job description to better understand this expense," a proposed addition to the administrative staff that would cost the district upwards of $115,00 all in. "A fitness center project has been in discussion and been budgeted for many years, and, over the years, concerns over cafeteria, library and study space have also increased," even more so with the upcoming increase in the SHS population. Though the proposed renovation of unused and unfinished space for new fitness center meets long-term needs, we're concerned that short-term needs are not being addressed". Finally, regarding security, Hutcher stated that "budget dollars dedicated to new door locks and technology are welcomed. We want more information on the proposed greeters at SHS and want to understand why none are allocated for the middle school."

Guggenheimer asked Dr. Michael McGill to respond to Hutcher's statement and he brushed aside PT Council's concerns, stating that currently the percentage of classes with more than 25 students is at a historic low, and that even if the prediction for next year of 11.9% actually bears out, it will still be under 12%, the number that the BOE has traditionally used as its upper limit.

McGill defended the need to add a communications position to the staff, saying that the current communication plan is decades old, and that they have tried without success to use using existing staff to keep the website updated and utilize social media. Regarding security, McGill stated that the important objective is to restrict entry so that you have case-by-case admittance. While this has been implemented at the elementary schools and the middle school, the open campus at SHS makes locked doors and electronic entry impractical. "We will make decisions based on the reliability and effectiveness of the options at hand."

Jacquie Walter, president of the high school PTA, then approached the microphone. She, too, thanked the board for their time, energy and efforts which are "applauded by the SHS executive committee." Walters questioned how the district would manage several years of rising enrollment at the high school while reducing the number of faculty members and librarians. She also questioned how the district planned to address the immediate need for greater cafeteria seating, more timely food availability and increased communal learning space ... all of which had funding approved for solutions in the last budget cycle but for which there is still no implemented solution. Walters also asked the Board what specific existing security concerns they thought would be addressed by the addition of security aides.

In regards to cafeteria seating, McGill responded that that the district had gotten the fire marshal's permission to increase seating in the cafeteria and the Commons area. He said the district was also considering asking students to eat lunch during their 4th period if they had a free period, and that using one of the gymnasiums as a dining area was also a possibility.

With regards to the "grand plan," McGill said that they do have an outline of a long term plan to address educational needs, but it would be contingent upon funding. "The district's bond issue debt will be falling off in the next two, three, four years, and interest rates are at historical lows, so we may consider financing that way," he said. Guggenheimer went on to say, "We have not been able to invest funds in facilities in recent years at the level we would like to do if the economic circumstances were different; we've been far below the 2% of budget recommended by the National School Board Association for the last several years. We are mindful of the taxpayers' needs, but also want to do what helps the kids and will enrich their education."

Charlotte Carr, co-president of Maroon & White, Scarsdale's sports booster organization, stood up to express Maroon and White's unanimous support for the district's proposed high school Wellness Center. Six audience members raised their hands when asked to show who else in the audience came as members of M&W to support the district's proposal.

Bob Berg of Tisdale Road took the mike to reiterate his opposition to the budget as it currently stands, namely as it exceeds the 2% tax cap. Berg asked the board to cut the budget by $1.7 million to get it under the tax cap, saying the board "owes a duty to taxpayers to stay under the tax cap." He suggested that they do so by cutting the proposed Wellness Center and "Twitter communications officer" (sic) to save $1.3 million, and take the additional $400,000 out of reserves. He urged the board, if they felt the Wellness Center was a necessity, to finance it with a bond and put it up for a separate bond vote. "The board doesn't believe that a separate bond will pass for the Wellness Center, so they stuck it in the operating budget. I don't think it will pass a separate vote either – prove me wrong."

Berg reminded the board that the margin for passing a budget over the tax cap was stricter than that of a separate bond vote – 60% of voters, or a "supermajority," must approve a budget that is over the cap implemented by Governor Cuomo last year, while only 50% of voters would be needed to pass a separate bond issuance.

The Board of Education will next meet on Monday, April 8 at 8pm in Room 172 at SHS.

Tracy Jaffe is a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Business. A past president of Heathcote's PTA and Scarsdale PT Council, Tracy has 3 children in the Scarsdale school system, and currently sits on the boards of Scarsdale/Edgemont Family Counseling Services and the League of Women Voters.