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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 13 May 2020

Created: 13 May 2020

Last Updated: 14 May 2020

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A rainbow on Fox Meadow Road: Photo credit: Susan GronerMayor Marc Samwick opened the May 12 Village Board Meet with the following update on the COVID outbreak, the re-opening process and an update on the possibility of paying school taxes in two installments: Here are his comments:

I would like to start with an update on the pandemic. Westchester County has had 31,384 cumulative positive cases of COVID-19, or about 9.3% of the statewide total. Devastatingly, the County has seen 1,227 fatalities. That is 1,227 people that were here two months ago and have been lost to this disease. We all know people who are included in this staggering number and we are worse off for their departure. One small modicum of positive news in this statistic is that the County’s fatalities total 5.7% of the statewide total, well below our percentage of positive cases.

Now, moving onto Scarsdale: The Village has had 345 positive Corona cases. The County Executive has been tracking “active cases” by subtracting the number of cases that we had two weeks ago. The assumption behind this methodology is that cases usually resolve within two weeks. Based on the County Executive’s methodology, Scarsdale is down to 6 positive COVID cases. Please keep in mind that all of the statistics I just shared are based on reported positive test results. There are a few reasons to believe that the reported statistics underrepresent the actual number of cases. First, not all positive cases are tested. Second, not all test results may make the State Department of Health list, including tests that occurred out of state or out of the County. From the start of the pandemic, it was clear that the statistics were not fully capturing the number of positive cases. While that remains frustrating, important information remains in the data we do have, namely, the trend – and that is unambiguously positive.

Based on the positive trends, the Governor has started the process of opening segments of the economy in portions of the state. The Governor has announced seven metrics that will dictate when the economy may start to reopen, including hospital and infection data and trends as well as testing and tracing capacity. Westchester County has satisfied five of the seven metrics and expects to meet the remaining two criteria within the coming weeks. Once a region is cleared to start opening its economy, there will be a four-phased reopening of business, starting with lower infection and higher economic impact industries, including manufacturing, construction and retail for curbside pick-up.

New York State, Westchester County and Scarsdale have fared better than original projections of COVID impacts. The single most important reason for the relatively positive performance is that we have collectively listened to the Governor and restricted our movement and social interaction. As we enter the next phase of addressing the pandemic, it is just as important that we follow the Governor’s direction. I found the Governor’s NY Forward – A Guide to Reopening New York and Building Back Better to be a useful document to understand the reopening process. You will be able to find the document on the Village website on the COVID-19 page should you wish to review it.

Please continue to wear face masks, wash your hands, social distance, and comply with the Governor’s guidelines. We will continue to have better outcomes if we comply with these guidelines. Our continued progress and ability to open more segments of our economy is directly linked to our cooperation.

School Taxes
The Town of Scarsdale is the billing and collection agent for real estate taxes paid to the School District. Historically, the School taxes have been collected once a year with a September 30th due date. Today, the Village received a letter from the School Board President in support of a transition to a 2-installment collection of School taxes, with collections in September and January.

This topic has been discussed periodically in Scarsdale. At this time of strong economic impacts resulting from COVID-19, we are all seeking ways to make it easier for residents to meet their tax obligations – through austerity spending measures, establishment of reserve funds, reduced tax increases, spreading out payments, and other measures. The Village Board has not yet had an opportunity to discuss any proposed change to the collection of School taxes, though the Village Board has steadfastly expressed its desire to provide relief to residents during this very difficult economic time.

I propose that staff prepare an analysis of the impacts of the proposed change in the collection of School taxes and that the Board conduct a work session on this topic prior to the regularly scheduled Village Board meeting on May 26th. There will be fiscal and operational impacts associated with the proposed change and it is important for the Village Board to have sufficient information to make an educated decision on this matter. To provide staff with a sense of the Village Board’s initial thoughts on the proposed change in collection of School taxes, I invite any Board member who wishes to do so to share a summary of their initial comments on this matter.

Commenting on tax payments in installments trustees said the following:

Justin Arest said, “We are united as Scarsdale Trustees to help provide relief to taxpayers during this incredibly challenging time. We should certainly proceed to installments. It will have impacts on our budget as well and we must be prepared. Anything we can for our most impacted residents and merchants must be discussed”

Lena Crandall said, “I am certainly in favor of a second school tax payment in January. I need to learn more about what our extra administrative costs might be. What do our neighboring villages do? If there is some way for us to recoup our extra administrative costs I would like to learn more about that.”

Jonathan Lewis said, “I think this is an important initiative. We are suffering through the greatest economic crisis since the depression – and it’s not just economic. It’s a threat to their families and their loved ones. It is incumbent upon to find out how we can help them. We need more information on how this would affect us. How would this impact our reserves? We need to model out these potential changes on reserve levels and find the point up to which we will not go and then be as innovative as we can to provide relief…. This is an opportunity for us to be evolutionary and revolutionary to help our neighbors with the relief that they need.”

Jane Veron said, “I want to lend my voice to my colleagues. These are extraordinarily difficult times and I want to do what we can to help our fellow taxpayers. We need to assess the impact – and I want to do what we can to help those experiencing hardship.”

Village Manager Steve Pappalardo announced the following:

Tax Roll

Village Assessor Victoria Sirota and her staff have been working on the Village assessment roll which will be filed on June 1, 2020. If you have questions about your assessment, you can schedule an online meeting with Sirota between June 1-12.

This year, the Board of Assessment Review will also be meeting online to review grievances. You can schedule an appointment by calling (914) 722-1133.

Parking Permits

Due to the closure of Village Hall, parking permits for Village-owned lots for the coming year we will be sold by mail, not in person. This will avoid long lines and social distancing issues at Village Hall.

Election

The election for Scarsdale Village Trustees has been rescheduled for September 15, per the Governor’s Executive Order.

Day Camp and Pool

Pappalardo said there has been no clear decisions from the government on whether or not the summer camp and pool can open this summer. The deadline for the Village is the next five days. They have already spent $30,000 on the pool in case it can open, but $25,000 of that is for supplies that can be kept for next year in the event the facility remains closed.

Time is ticking on the ability of the Village to open the day camp. Pappalardo said the Village needs a relaxation of the six-foot social distancing requirement to open the day camp.

However, he does anticipate that the Governor will relax orders on tennis and that the Village tennis courts can open soon. The staff is reviewing tennis protocols from the USTA to determine what rules might apply.

Paving

Manager Pappalardo announced that $498,0000 of repaving will be done on Fox Meadow Road, Ridgecrest East and West and Grand Park Road. This work is being financed by Con Edison who ripped up the roads when replacing utility lines and are now required to do curb to curb road replacement if they disrupt the roadway. The work will begin soon.

Village

Some Village restaurants have requested permits to open sidewalk cafés. Representatives from the Village will meet with selected members of the Scarsdale Business Alliance to discuss the current state of the Village and what would be needed to re-open.

Memorial Day

American Legion Post 52 is planning a short service to commemorate veterans at their memorial in front of Kid’s Base on Mamaroneck Road. Members of the public who want to attend should wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

Other Business:

Food Scrap Pilot Program

The Village Board passed a resolution to enter a pilot program for food scrap recycling with Westchester County. Food scraps from Scarsdale will be sent to the county’s Yonkers Transfer Station beginning in June 2020 for a period of six weeks. The Village currently pays tipping fees to send our food scraps to Ulster County. This pilot program will save the Village about $2,000 in tipping fees.

Personnel Changes:

Longtime Village Planner Elizabeth Marrinan is retiring and will be replaced by Greg Cutler. He is currently the Director of Planning for the Town of Mamaroneck.

John Clapp was appointed Chair of the Scarsdale Planning Board, replacing Dan Steinberg who resigned.

Larry Medvinsky was appointed Chair of the Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation.

Trustee Jane Veron thanked Liz Marrinan for 20 years as the Village Planner. She called her “an incredible font of knowledge.” She said, “I want to welcome Greg Cutler who has big shoes to fill but is up to the challenge.” She thanked Dan Steinberg and called him a “steady, intelligent force on the Planning Board, saying, “We are immeasurably grateful.”

Veron also thanked for Diane Greenwald who completed two terms as Chair of the Library Board, and later transitioned to an “architectural design wonder,” overseeing the construction of the library. Veron said, “Her term is up on the Library Board but her work continues.”

In public comments, Bob Berg claimed credit for suggesting installment payment for school taxes saying, “I suggested it to the school board at the time.” He called the Village’s late tax payment penalties “extortionary,” and said “Every single town in Westchester except Scarsdale has adopted the two-part tax payment plan for school and village taxes. There is no reason why we should not be doing it.” He suggested that in order to avoid additional processing costs, the Village mail one envelope with two payment coupons to be remitted in September and January.

Randy Whitestone thanked first responders and Village staff and made three points:

“First, what have we learned from this extraordinary period that will be instructive in running the business of the village going forward. We have learned to expect the unexpected in ways we could not have imagined three or four months ago. What this means in practical terms is that we should think of the budget in new ways, making it more modular and able to hinge spending based on circumstance – in essence, to ‘toggle’ spending. We will sorely need that flexibility in months to come, but if we rethink the budget process going forward, we can better incorporate this idea of “if-then” planning. …. And I do support analysis of allowing tax payments to be spread out into two installments.

Second, a rethought budget process should have as one of its pillars an openness to ideas and creative thinking. Should we think about different ways to bring thoughtful participants into the process? We have already seen how technology has spread a wide net for people to offer comments and ideas…. By the same token, I hope, continue to see going forward, is a continuing dialogue with residents about how to deal with this damaging shortfall we have encountered.

Finally, in future I’d like to see the village set strategic goals to guide its budgeting process, enunciating our priorities and what we stand for BEFORE we start talking about any numbers. Tactics flow from strategy and numbers should not be ends unto themselves, they should flow from what we are trying to accomplish as a village, both in the short and long term. Like the state slogan, let’s build our budget back better.”

Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez said she was happy to hear about the road repairs. As the secretary of the Old Scarsdale Neighborhood Association she asked to know more so that she could inform residents as soon as possible. She agreed with Randy’s comments about the need for a strategy and spoke in favor of installment tax billing, saying “Liquidity is paramount to the stability of residents.” She continued, “Thanks for stating that you want to do everything you can to help residents. The first option would have been to not pass the budget.”

Nicholas Thompson of Forest Lane said, “I am concerned that we are raising taxes on residents going through a crisis. I am curious about why our camp and pool might be open. I would like our village to go to a flat or zero tax increase. If we are the farm team for how the village is going to survive, we need a change.”

Sean Cohen thanked the board “for considering the dual tax payments.” He said, “Transparency is great. It’s nice to be able to give input but I would like to have dynamic discussion on that input…. Last week we didn’t get to the second public comments section.”
BK Munguia encouraged residents to reuse, recycle and repurpose. She said that local girl scouts would like to be involved in the safe re-opening of the Girl Scout House which has been closed since March. She thanked the Mayor and the other five trustees who voted yes on the budget and said, “I am grateful for this board’s dedicated service to this community and I applaud the village staff.”

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 20 May 2020

Created: 20 May 2020

Last Updated: 20 May 2020

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Dear Scarsdale Board of Education,
The Scarsdale High School PTA Executive Committee supports the proposed 2020-2021 school budget as adopted by the Scarsdale Board of Education on May 13th.

We extend our gratitude and appreciation to the Board of Education, and the District and School Administrations for all their hard work in developing the proposed School Budget for 2020-2021. This is a challenging process under the best of circumstances and the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 health crisis has made this year's budget process significantly more difficult. We feel that the Board and the District Administration have created a budget that not only provides the financial support to maintain the educational excellence of our schools and to preserve the property values of our homes, but also, with only a 1.19% increase over this year’s budget, responds to the real concerns of our taxpayers in these uncertain economic times.

In addition, we applaud the Board's decision to use $700,000 from Debt Service, that was earmarked in the 2014 School Bond for repairs and renovations to the high school auditorium, to complete several updates to the auditorium that are critical to the safety and education of our students. This use of funds accomplishes these much needed repairs with zero increase to the total budget.

We commend the Board of Education, the District and High School Administrations for their commitment to the education of our students and thank them for their time, expertise and responsiveness during this budget process.

The Scarsdale High PTA Executive Committee
Deb Morel, President
Leanne Freda, President-Elect
Rokaya Hassaballa, VP Membership & Events
Jennifer Rossano, VP Programming & Volunteers
Seema Jaggi, Treasurer
Beth Cukier, Recording Secretary
Dana Matsushita, Corresponding Secretary

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 05 May 2020

Created: 05 May 2020

Last Updated: 23 March 2021

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Below find comments from the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and the Executive Committee of the SHS PTA on the proposed School Budget 2020-21.

The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Board of Directors, (the “League Board”) acknowledges, with appreciation, the substantial time and effort that goes into developing the proposed 2020-21 Scarsdale School Budget (the “Budget”). We thank members of the Board of Education (the “Board”) and District Administration (the “Administration”) for the detailed, rigorous work and discussion involved in the budget process. The League Board is appreciative of the District’s leadership, focus and the complicated work undertaken during this uncertain and challenging time. As mentioned in a previous League Board comment, the League did not hold its annual membership and consensus meeting on the School Budget this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, the following comments are the views of the League Board of Directors.

Revised Proposed Budget Overview

At the April 20 Board Meeting, in response to the COVID-19 health and economic crisis and following community input and Board discussion, the Administration revised the proposed Budget, reducing the Budget initially drafted in February from $166,850,850 to $162,508,332. On May 4, the Administration presented a further reduction of $110,000 due to a decreased projection in student enrollment, revising the Budget to $162,396,316. These reductions in proposed expenditures signify a budget-to-budget increase of 1.00%. According to Board President Pam Fuehrer, this is “among the lowest in our peer group,” and represents the second lowest percentage in the Scarsdale School District’s school budget growth in 10 years. The corresponding revised proposed tax levy now represents a 2.08% increase. The Administration’s current proposed Budget includes all but one of the spending reductions presented at the March 23 Board meeting. The early payoff of a computer lease is the sole potential Budget reduction discussed on March 23 that was not included in the April 20th proposal. However, this possible reduction of an additional $406K would have served merely to defer by one year, not eliminate, this expenditure item.

The League Board understands that the economic impact associated with the COVID-19 health crisis has affected Budget revenue projections, including an anticipated reduction in State Aid, sales tax, and investment earnings, warranting significant revisions to the Budget initially proposed in February. We recognize that the COVID-19 crisis has altered the financial reality of the Scarsdale community, and we acknowledge the importance of responding to the complex and challenging economic environment in a manner that recognizes the potential continued impact on Scarsdale residents, while prudently planning for additional future budget uncertainties in years ahead.

At the same time, the League Board seeks to ensure that our students continue to receive the high level of education that will best enable them to meet the challenges of an uncertain future. The League Board supports and encourages the District’s continued pursuit of forward-looking curricular initiatives and program enhancements that provide opportunities and environments to stimulate innovation and educational excellence for both students and teachers. The League Board further recognizes that our local schools are the product of decades of consistent community investment and urges the Board to maintain Scarsdale’s long tradition of educational excellence.

The League Board offers its views and recommendations regarding certain budgetary items as well as the budget process, and we hope that our comments and recommendations will be considered.

Assigned Fund Balance/Reserves

The League Board supports a general approach to budgeting to ensure the stability of school finances, and the current proposed Budget’s prudent level of reserves and assigned fund balance. Such an approach could prove critical to the community’s ability to sustain its commitment to educational excellence in what are likely to be even more challenging budget years ahead.

The League Board understands that the District’s credit rating can also be negatively affected if either the undesignated reserve or total fund balance drops below a certain threshold, an important factor in the District’s ability to issue bonds in the future. The League Board further notes that, as recently as 2015, the District, with the support of the community, took measures to rebalance and stabilize the budget and thereby address a 2014 Moody’s downgrade that was related to the District’s declining fund balance and over-reliance on non-recurring revenue.

SHS Auditorium Project Deferral

While the League Board understands the Administration’s economic rationale for eliminating the $1.9 million in proposed expenditures for the SHS Auditorium renovation from the initially drafted budget, we hope that the District will consider alternative means to finance the project. The auditorium renovation project was originally included in a Bond proposal approved by voters in December 2014. That Bond proposal provided funding to resolve water intrusion issues, as well as to install a variety of seating, light, and sound upgrades. Since the actual cost to resolve the water issues far exceeded the estimates on which the Bond relied, the District was not able to complete any of the other auditorium renovation projects included in the Bond. Although subsequent voter-approved school budgets included proposals to fund individual aspects of the auditorium renovation, the majority of the voter-approved renovations remain unaddressed.

Security

The 2020-21 Budget line for Security is $1,220,071, which is an increase of $103,040 over the current year due primarily to an increase in funding for the purchase of security-related supplies and equipment. The League Board reiterates a past request that benchmarking information and other research be made public to educate and contextualize Budget funding in the area of security. The League hopes that through this information, the community will have the opportunity to better understand how similar schools in Westchester and beyond have approached increased security. Further, by viewing District recommendations within the context of benchmarking and research, the community would be able to understand which measures have been considered and found to be most appropriate and effective for districts like Scarsdale.

The League Board recommends that the Board create a means for the community to gauge not only whether implemented security measures incorporate best practices but also whether they reflect and connect to the values of the entire Scarsdale community. We continue to encourage the Board to engage in broad community outreach in order to understand how the community at large views the complex issue of school safety and increased security measures.

Staffing

The League Board notes that the Administration and Board continue to support the elementary class size policy and the Middle School house structure. The League Board continues to recommend supporting traditional class sizes and norms at all levels in order to ensure a classroom environment most conducive to student learning and the achievement of the District’s educational goals as outlined in the strategic plan.

The League Board believes that the inherent flexibility required to meet student needs and the ability to reassess student needs are essential components of a Scarsdale education and that both are time- and labor-intensive for teachers and guidance counselors. Furthermore, the League believes that individualized instruction and the opportunity for student research are hallmarks of a Scarsdale education. To create and promote these opportunities for students, the League Board acknowledges the importance of protecting class load and scheduling for teachers and guidance counselors as well as preserving class size.

The League Board reiterates that classroom teachers are the first line of defense in regard to observing student social/emotional issues, and a teacher’s ability to detect and address problems or refer the student to a counselor must be supported by appropriate staffing. The League recommends that the Administration and Board continue to provide appropriate staffing to protect the high academic standards of the High School. The League believes that staffing should be reflective of an underlying high school culture that supports academic choice, allows each student to forge a personal connection to an educator and provides a safe, healthy environment in which students can develop and grow.

The League Board continues to encourage the Administration to communicate proactively and clearly with the parent community and the community at large regarding the importance of supporting special education students in Scarsdale Schools. We would like the Administration to continue to address appropriate staffing needs as current elementary-aged special education students move through the Scarsdale school system.

Budget Process/Community Input

The League Board commends the Board for creating the opportunity, in the past several budget study sessions, for continued public input into the Budget. The League believes that a more complete picture of community feedback, combined with relevant expert opinions and research, will serve to enhance Board decisions on complex issues and their implementation as well as facilitate community understanding and appreciation of Scarsdale Schools.

We commend the Administration and Board as well for voicing support for advocacy at the Board table and for including the parent community in initiatives to advocate for legislation that directly impacts Scarsdale Schools and public schools in general.

The League Board further commends the Administration for creating a Budget Book; initially on February 3, and in a revised form on April 20 and May 1. The Budget Book allows a comprehensive view of the myriad components of the Budget and through this tool there is an enhanced understanding of the Budget itself. We thank the Administration as well for posting League questions from the budget process on the District website. The League Board further commends the Administration for the detailed, thorough and difficult work of planning for anticipated economic changes as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Budget Vote

On March 29, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.13 postponing any School Board Election that had been scheduled for April or May until at least June 1, and stating further that such an election is subject to further directive as to the timing, location or manner of voting.

On May 1, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 202.26 stating that School Board/Budget Elections are scheduled for June 9 and will be held via mail with return postage included. Each district will send out a postcard notice which details the date of the election, date of the Budget hearing, the definition of a qualified voter and an absentee ballot.

Thank you for taking our comments and recommendations into consideration.

Sincerely,
Board of Directors, League of Women Voters of Scarsdale

Scarsdale High School PTA

The Scarsdale High School PTA Executive Committee appreciates this opportunity to comment on the proposed 2020-2021 School Budget. We hope everyone here and in the Scarsdale community is doing well. We also appreciate what a difficult time this is, and thank the members of the Board of Education and both the District and the High School Administrations, and our faculty and staff for their commitment to the education of our students and for their time, expertise, and responsiveness during the budget process.
The High School PTA Executive Committee stands by its previous statements of support for all of the High School administration’s requests, but we acknowledge and agree that some of those requests, while necessary, are more appropriate for future budget cycles.

We fully support the District’s recommendation against personnel cuts in the 2020-21 school budget. We expressly do not support reductions to faculty or staff at the high school that would increase class sizes, decrease curriculum offerings or negatively affect critical support resources for our students.

With respect to the high school auditorium project, we continue to support the full project as necessary for the safety and education of our students and community members who use the space. We disagree with the board’s decision not to transfer from Debt Service the approximately $730,000, earmarked in the 2014 Bond for the auditorium, to the project fund to at least start some of the most critical items on the auditorium project list in the coming year. There are glaring safety and curriculum-related issues in that space that need to be addressed; to ignore them is to put our children at risk.

We remind the Board and the community of the following facts:

● Our schools are the crown jewels of Scarsdale.
● The well-being and success of our children, not to mention our property values, directly correlate to the quality of those schools.
● This proposed budget is for the ​entire ​upcoming school year-- a year in which we hope our students and faculty will enjoy using our educational facilities to their full potential.

With those facts in mind, we must develop and pass a budget that can support optimal learning and maintain the educational excellence of Scarsdale schools, even in these uncertain times. Again, we appreciate your time and efforts on behalf of Scarsdale High School, our students, and the larger community, and your consideration of our comments this
evening.

The SHS PTA Executive Committee
Deb Morel, President,
Leanne Freda, President-Elect
Rokaya Hassaballa, VP Membership and Events Jennifer Rossano, VP Programming and Volunteers
Seema Jaggi, Treasurer
Beth Cukier, Recording Secretary
Dana Matsushita, Corresponding Secretary