The Budget: Knowing the Unknowns for the Schools

No one can predict the future. With the recent economic crisis, it has become even more difficult to plan ahead. Many families are grappling with issues they didn’t think of just a few years back, such as how to pay for college, job security and putting off purchases until they feel more secure about their financial situation.

The economy is also causing the Scarsdale Public School district to deal with a set of unknowns and best plan for the students’ future with less money.

In a meeting last week, Curriculum, Technology and Special Education outlined their plans and budgets. Lynne Shain, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum laid out the goals and methods of teaching in Scarsdale schools. Overall, the effort is to have Scarsdale schools stand apart from others in terms of performance. The goal is to have a stronger, more holistic education and to show a progression in learning that is tangible. There is a strong emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving. One area that the district particularly wants to improve upon is student writing. The district had tested some writing samples of Scarsdale students and found that they came up a bit short compared to other high performing schools in Westchester. This department requested $300,000 for teacher’s to work on curriculum development and assessment in this area during the summer months.

But there is, as Ms. Shain puts it, a ‘black cloud’ looming from Albany. The concern is that the state may mandate tests and ways of showing results that are at odds with the philosophy of Scarsdale schools. Race to the Top is also another unknown in that in what will be asked of the schools and how to illustrate performance.

At other school districts, there is a sense of hunkering down and waiting for the axe to fall from Albany and morale is low. Ms. Shain says at this time this is not true of Scarsdale and the teachers are enthusiastic about the way this district is teaching its students. However, everyone is keeping a close eye on these state and federal plans and how it may affect the curriculum here. As of now, it does not look like it will change.

There are other unknowns facing Scarsdale schools that will affect the budget. The board is still unclear on the number of teachers retiring this year. The board is also unsure how resident tax adjustments for residents will affect money budgeted to the schools. As one board member points out, it is a rather cloudy crystal ball right for what the future holds for these aspects of the budget and how it will affect the schools.

Albany is also an unknown for technology in Scarsdale schools. In his budget presentation, Jerry Crisci, the Director of Technology for the district showed how he could cut his budget by 10% but warned of a “tech squeeze” the schools could face. This is when technology demands go up as money is being cut. State funds could be cut for instructional software for the district, which would cut into money for online databases for the students as well as the ability to collaborate online. There could also be a spillover affect in terms of how this could cut money into repairs and innovation. Another concern that is vexing school districts throughout the state is that Albany may have more intense reporting demands for testing and that would require new computers or systems Again, this is expected, but the details are unknown.

The use and distribution of Smart Boards were discussed at the budget meeting. Crisci explained this is transforming how math and science are being taught in many classrooms, perhaps creating inequity for those classes that do no have them.

Crisci however is quite savvy on how to save the district money while keeping up innovation. He talked about saving money by changing lease agreements and software budgets. He noted in his presentation that nearly every teacher in the district is expanding his or her presence online and the parent portal gets nearly 1000 hits per week.

Special Education is a unique situation, because not only do students utilize it 12 months a year, it also gets the greatest amount of funds from the state and the county. Director of Special Education Dr. Michael Mendelson, explained how Scarsdale takes a layered approach to meet the needs of each student versus just putting the student into a specific track. Mendelson laid out his budget and unlike others, showed a surplus.

Crisci and Mendelson were very strong in terms of showing the needs of each of their department and where nearly every penny is spent. Shain gave a very clear sense of what the teachers are working to accomplish and the challenges the schools face. Still, it is a bit unclear as to what constraints the schools will face from the state and federal government in terms of testing and aid. While “Scarsdale is better positioned than most” was a popular refrain that evening, there is a sense of foreboding about what lies ahead.

Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.