Scarsdale and Edgemont Voters Say Yes to 2011-2012 School Budgets

School budgets sailed through in both Scarsdale and Edgemont on Tuesday May 17, and two new school board members were elected to serve in each district.

In Scarsdale, the $138.4 mm budget was approved by over 70%, with 615 votes for the budget and 262 against, for a total of 877 votes. In Edgemont, the $50.7 mm budget was approved by 78% of voters, where a total of 716 votes were cast, with 561 in favor of the budget and 155 against.

A subdued group of school administrators, school board and community members gathered at the Scarsdale Middle

School at 9 pm on voting day to hear the results which were announced by Election Inspector and former Mayor Carolyn Stevens and district clerk Lois Rehm. In last year’s election, when third party candidate Robert Harrison challenged School Board Nominating Party designee Suzanne Seiden for a seat on the Board, more than three times the number of voters turned out, casting a total of 2,714 votes. However in 2010 the budget passed by a similar majority of 72%.

This year without a contested election there was little need for campaigning, leaflets, and phone banks as most residents felt certain the budget would pass, whether they cast a vote or not. Voter participation returned to traditional levels. In 2009, 722 votes were cast and the budget passed with a 76% majority.

Why was there so little opposition in a year when Scarsdale taxpayers will pay almost 5% more? According to School Board President Jill Spieler, the Board “did their due diligence and responded to the community.” With drastic cuts in state funding and increases in mandated pension costs, the Board did everything possible to maintain class size and the educational program while holding the line on spending. Assistant School Superintendent Linda Purvis agreed, saying, “This is a community that supports its schools.”

The two new school board members also received a strong endorsement from voters with Jonathan Lewis getting 835 votes and Sunil Subbakrishna receiving 771 votes. Continuing a Scarsdale tradition, there were some write-in votes, one for Harrison who is currently serving as a Scarsdale Village Trustee. Both candidates were at SMS to receive the good news. When asked what their priorities would be as newcomers to the Board, Lewis said, “Scarsdale has a large school budget and I will listen, learn and absorb.” Subbakrishna concurred, saying, “ My first year will be a learning experience. This is a real enterprise with almost a $140 million budget and 5,000 students and faculty.”

Lewis and Subbakrishna will replace Linda Chayes and Barbara Kemp who will complete six years of service

in June. Both also served as President of the School Board and said that it had been an honor to serve and that they were sad to be leaving the Board.

In Edgemont, candidates Michaeline Curtis and Anish Nanavaty were elected to the school board with Curtis taking 578 votes and Nanavaty receiving 554 votes. Total voter participation in Edgemont was also lower than last year when a total of 986 voters turned out. Though voting day was rainy this year and last, local flooding may have contributed to the lower turnout on Tuesday.