No Holds Barred At Board of Ed Listening Session

Scarsdale residents spoke directly to the Board of Education (BOE) and administration at the first of two public meetings last Thursday night. Grappling with the meaning of the first budget defeat in the district in 40 years, members of the BOE were trying to ascertain just why the voters gave a resounding no to their proposed 2013-2014 school budget. At stake is almost $5 million in funds that will have to be cut from the budget if the second proposed budget does not meet with voters' approval on June 18.

Those who came to the meeting represented many different segments of the Scarsdale community. There were empty nesters, parents of children not yet in the schools, and parents of children in all age ranges. Some had voted yes, others voted no. Attendees sat in a circle, and BOE president Liz Guggenheimer walked around with a microphone, listening to all those who spoke, but not answering questions raised. Rather, this was meant to be a chance for the administration and BOE to listen, and Guggenheimer promised that notes were being taken and answers would be given at a later date.

Vivienne Braun, Scarsdale PT Council Vice President and opponent of the original budget proposal, said, "Over 1700 people voted against the budget because they believe the board can do better and propose a budget that we can support." More than one person, noting that the budget missed its mark by 13% of voters, called the defeat a "landslide," and many called the board "tone-deaf," specifically in their inclusion of a proposal for the Center for Health, Fitness, and Learning (originally called the "Wellness Center"). Said Susan Grosz, "The Wellness Center was a symbol and a lightning rod, but pay attention to the underlying message."

What was the underlying message? There seemed to be different opinions on what would have to be done for the BOE to "do better." While there is obviously some sentiment to stay under the tax cap imposed by Governor Cuomo, not everyone felt tied to that specific number. "The cap-breaking aspect was not the issue," said Linda Killian, an older resident who said she was a part of a small group who organized to defeat the budget. "The issue is that the school board and administration are failing to recognize the real world in which we live. People are deeply angry that the board and administration continued to waste money on ill-conceived and frivolous projects," said Killian, giving the wellness center and sustainability as two examples of such projects.

Killian went on to say, "This historic rejection is not a matter of being misinformed or ill-informed and we made it our mission to make sure this happened."

Frustration with teacher compensation was also raised by a number of attendees, and was seen as especially important in light of the current contract negotiations currently in process with the teachers' union, whose contract expires at the end of this school year. Michael Otten, a member of the Board of Education in the 1990s, noted, "Everyone wants fine education and responsible management," he said. "Our teachers did not have the highest salaries in the 1990's and we had fine teachers... I hope you will talk about the structural issues – there is a long-term problem that needs to be addressed." Another resident, Jim Laubick, saw the vote as directly related to the contract negotiations. "I got everyone to vote no to send a message to the unions – you don't have a blank check," he said. "Unless you feel comfortable that the board and the administration will take your perspective to the negotiations you should vote no. We need a two-year freeze – not just the COLA but the steps and the lanes which are 5 ½% per year," said Laubick, referring to the salary increases built into the contract.

While many people in the room voiced their dissatisfaction with the level of compensation and benefits provided to Scarsdale teachers, both as compared to their understanding of what teachers in other districts receive, and also as compared to compensation in other professions, there were those who voiced their support and appreciation of Scarsdale teachers. Said Deb Pekarek, Greenacres Neighborhood Association president, "We have extraordinary teachers. They teach and protect our children. We need to respect our teachers and say thank you to them. I believe that the teachers are here because it is an extraordinary environment in which to teach – not just for the money."

According to Pam Rubin, past president of Fox Meadow PTA and incoming PT Council president, Scarsdale spends a lot per student but gets value for it. As she put it, "We need to continue to put money back into our schools. Student-teacher ratios are important and class sizes in the high school are growing. Small classes will continue to make Scarsdale an attractive place to live."

It is unclear what the Board will take away from the discussion, given the lack of consistency in views expressed. Where there did seem to be consensus among those who voted no was that the Board faces both a short-term and a long-term problem. In the short-term, the BOE will need to come up with a budget that is lean enough to satisfy those expecting the Board to eliminate "bloat", but meaty enough to satisfy those who say they moved to Scarsdale for the schools and don't want to sacrifice quality to save a few dollars. In the long-term, those present and dissatisfied are looking for the BOE to bring Scarsdale's spending in line with peer districts in Westchester County, and to have more evidence of long-range planning, beyond the year-to-year budgeting currently done.

Carolyn Stevens, a former Scarsdale mayor, admitted that while she voted for the budget and signed a letter of support, she had reservations. "The main problem is that people felt that we were just supposed to accept what we were told. The community needs to be engaged in a long-term plan. Everyone moved here because we wanted the best public education available," said Stevens. She encouraged the audience to understand that the fight over school budgets should be redirected to Albany, since most of the school budget goes to pay for costs mandated by the state and out of the local school board's control. For example, pension payments are dictated by the state and are controlled by the state comptroller, according to Stevens, "We've petitioned for change, but that will not be forthcoming."

One more public session will be held on Wed, May 29, at 7:30 pm in Room 172 at Scarsdale High School. The Board will once again be listening, as it tries to understand what the budget needs to look like in order to pass muster with Scarsdale voters. The proposed budget will be presented to the public at the Board of Education meeting scheduled to take place on Monday, June 3 at 8pm in Room 172 at the high school, and the vote will be held on Tuesday, June 18 from 7am to 9pm in the gym at Scarsdale Middle School.