Scarsdale School Budget Goes Down Big Time

A galvanized base of fiscally-concerned residents turned down the proposed Scarsdale School budget for 2013-14 by a vote of 1,720 against to 1,502 in favor on Tuesday May 21. Though Scarsdale school budgets usually pass handily with approvals rates upwards of 70%, for the first time since 1970 Scarsdale voters turned down the proposed school budget. Voter turnout was at an all time high with 3,222 votes cast in the election. Last year only 725 voters turned out, but this year campaigns by the Coalition for Scarsdale Schools, Robert Berg of Tisdale Road and emails from Parent Teacher Associations and the PT Council resulted in a four-fold increase in votes.

As late as 8:45 pm, voters were lined up to vote before the 9 pm deadline and earlier in the evening some waited an hour to cast their vote. The crowd ranged from parents with young children, to empty nesters with college-age kids to the elderly --- and from the look of the voters it was difficult to assess which way the vote would go.

Even after the polls closed at 9, it took election officials another hour to tally the vote and open over 50 absentee ballots.

Throughout the wait, school board members, former board member, friends, and the PTA leadership remained hopeful that the budget would pass with the required 60% approval rate. When Chair of the District Meeting for the Budget Vote and Election Linda Hillman Chayes and District Clerk Lois Rehm emerged to announce the results, the room fell into a stunned silence as everyone learned that the budget had only garnered a 46.6% approval rate.

Why did the budget go down?

Community leaders cited several possible reasons for the surprising results:

• Funds for a hotly-debated Wellness Center were included in the budget – and though this amounted to only .2% of the budget it became a lightening rod for disenchanted voters who questioned the need for enhanced fitness facilities. Critics dubbed it a "health spa" and ventured that additional funds would be needed for equipment and instruction and would ultimately add even more to the bottom line.
• The proposed 2013-14 exceeded the NYS tax cap by just over $700,000. Critics argued that the Board and administration were out of step with the fiscal concerns of residents and questioned why Scarsdale was one of only a few districts in the lower Hudson Valley that failed to comply with the cap.
• Last, Robert Berg, with the support of Jim Labick and others launched a highly effective campaign to bring "no" voters to the polls. They reached out to long-time residents and empty nesters who traditionally fail to come to the polls. Arguing that the budget would "blow-through" the tax cap he encouraged them to "vote no and protect their financial ability to remain here."

The Coalition for Scarsdale Schools, the school administration, the District PTA's and PT Council all launched aggressive campaigns to bring parents with children in the schools to the polls. Parents received snail mail, countless emails and reminders to vote and the School Board even used YouTube to offer the community visual tours of the space for the proposed wellness center.

However, they were not able to convince enough parents with children in the schools to vote to support the system.

Commenting on the results, Assistant School Superintendent Linda Purvis said, "The community will get the schools that they want." Looking somber, School Board President Liz Guggenheimer said, "The schools will open tomorrow with the same excellent programs, dedicated teachers, and involved students as we continue our efforts to pursue the Scarsdale education for tomorrow. I am very pleased that there was a strong turnout and appreciate everyone's participation in the process and welcome continued participation and comments in the future."

Earlier in the day, the mood was tense as advocates from both sides battled for school budget votes. As early as 7 am supporters and critics of the proposed $145.2 million school budget were out in force at the Scarsdale and Hartsdale train stations urging commuters to vote yes or no.

Supporters mobilized by the Coalition for Scarsdale Schools sported signs with apples while those against the budget dispensed with graphics and carried large VOTE NO signs. For the most part the discourse was civil but the situation threatened to erupt when a well-dressed man seized a "Vote No" sign on the bridge in Hartsdale and flung it over the side onto the train tracks below. Another man stopped his car on the bridge, rolled down his window, took a picture of a volunteer for the "Vote No" team and shouted, "You're disgusting."

By 8:30 am School Board President Liz Guggenheimer was engaged in lively discourse with Robert Berg who lead the opposition to the vote. She challenged Berg on his facts long enough to cause him to miss a surge of commuters boarding the 8:30 train.

For the first time it appeared that residents had formed two political coalitions to promote their views on the budget. The groups engaged formerly apathetic residents and ultimately had a tremendous impact on the vote.

What now? The board and administration will re-work the proposed budget and submit a revised budget on June 3rd for a June 18th election.