Greenacres Residents Press BOE to Preserve School

The fate of the Greenacres School continued to be a focus at the BOE meeting on 9-21, when Board President Lee Maude clarified the Board's position and timeline and residents continued to press the Board to take any discussion of tearing down the school off the table.

Board President Lee Maude addressed the issue of the future of the Greenacres Elementary School and the process for coming to a decision. Though the Board had originally planned to pass a resolution to reconvene the Greenacres Feasibility Committee they postponed it to give residents an opportunity to address the board at the meeting.

At the opening of the meeting, Maude read a statement outlining the board's position on Greenacres which can be viewed in its entirety online here. In her message, she stated repeatedly that no decisions had been made or would be made until the Greeancres Feasibility Committee and the District-wide Building Committee met and made their recommendations. The timetable for a bond referendum on the issue is now planned for mid-2017.

She said that the board had received many letters opposing Option C, which is to build a new school on the field, and appreciates residents' involvement. She assured the group that all letters were read and considered and that no decisions had been made.

She explained that the administration is reconvening the Greenacres Feasibility Committee to propose priorities and recommendations and that the committee will be expanded by three residents and three staff members. According to Maude, "Educators should have meaningful input into plans for the building. We collaborate with our teachers and staff." She said that the administration will seek broad representation on the committee and has turned to the Greenacres PTA and the Greenacres Neighborhood Association to find "fair and open minded" residents that are representative of the community.

She said that the PTA had chosen two for the committee who oppose the demolition of the school and asked residents to work with their neighborhood association to select their representatives.

However, Maude said, "At some point we need to let this committee meet. We prefer not to delay the reconvening of this committee. Hopefully at our October 7 meeting we will adopt a resolution to reconvene the building committee."

She then listed the following "facts."

• The architects have made no recommendations.
• Russ Davidson from architects KG&D says that 99% of the time his firm renovates rather than build new schools and much of the school infrastructure is 30 years beyond its useful life.
• All engineering reports are available online.
• The Greenacres Feasiblity Committee will report to the school administration, not the school board.
• Building committees are usually selected by the administration, not the board.
• The Board of Education has had limited discussion about the study.
• Between now and then building committees will work with the architects on a building master plan for the district. The district wide steering committee will begin their work in June 2016.
• The issue about how to address the aging building will not come to the board until the Greenacres Feasibility and the District-wide steering committee have completed their work.
• No decisions have been or will be made by the board for months to come.
• A referendum will not happen until mid-2017.

She concluded by saying, "We respectfully ask that you let the committee complete its work. Its task is to find the best solution for educating the children of Greenacres. The members of the committee are well aware of the neighbors desire to keep the Green space in Greenacres.... The Greenacres Feasibility Committee has not done its work so we are not in a position to eliminate option C which is the potential of constructing a new facility. We understand that the residents of Greenacres are frustrated by the length of this process. We hope to share a formal timeline for this decision with the community later in the fall. We have a long road ahead of us and we hope at some time in the future the residents of Greenacres come to trust this process. I am optimistic that at the end of the day our paths will meet.

In the public comments section, Greenacres residents continued to ask the Board to save the existing school.

Meredith Gantcher who Co-chairs the Committee to Save Greenacres asked that two more reports be released. She asked to see the long-term demographic study that back ups an assumption of 415 students rather than a decline in enrollment to 352 students. She also asked to see the architect's cost assumptions on a new building versus a renovation.

Claudia Uribe of 162 Brewster Road had questions about the engineer's
Building Condition Report. She said that the school has been well maintained and that the architects should explore options to upgrade existing systems rather than tear down the school. Though the survey says all systems are 30 years past their useful life, she pointed out that the electric system was upgraded in 1997 and this is not reflected in the report.

Vivienne Braun of Kingston Road asked if there will be two representative from the Greenacres Neighborhood Association, or two additional representatives? Maude said, "No, there will still be two." Braun said, "It still seems to me, that anyone without a child in the school is not represented on that committee."

Madeline Hauptman of 150 Brewster Road said that she designed the Greenacres lawn signs and that 200 people have posted them at their homes. She said, " I am very disturbed by this threat. It appears that the administration and the architects equate a quality education with a brand new building. If we look at the premiere educational institutions like Oxford Cambridge, Harvard or Yale, they do their utmost to preserve and renovate the buildings that define their ethos and history and pass that on physically to the next generation."

Hauptman continued, "KG&D has based their work on a flawed study that emphasizes square footage per child. There is no proven link between educational performance and classroom size. The unproven validity of that formula needs to be questioned now. Private schools don't offer data on square footage but emphasize parent-student ratio and teacher quality, which are proven to enhance academic achievement. There is no need to tear down the school and spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. I hold a masters in education from University of Pennsylvania and I am a realistic oil painter. The Greenacres playground is integral to my decision to stay in Scarsdale for the peace it offers me as an artist. I am not alone in wanting to keep the green in Greenacres. 840 people, more than 50%, have signed a petition to save the Greenacres School. Heed our call."

Barbara Wenglin of 152 Brewster Road said "We are empty nesters who choose to remain in our homes. There are more than 50% like us who no longer have children in the school. We are important stakeholders who pay much and cost little. We have chosen to stay despite the tax burden because of the neighborhood character and the Greenacres field at its heart. The field is our village green. When our grandkids visit they play on the field and admire their mother's historic school. Many of us with grown children are feeling disconnected from the decision making process. We can't join the PTA so we look to the Greenacres Neighborhood Association to hear us and represent our views. But they will not represent our views and will only act as a conduit of information. We are not sure what that means. Why won't our neighborhood association express the concerns of more than 50% of Greenacres households who want to save the field? Yes our neighborhood association should hear all points of view. They should convey our views to the reconvened Greenacres Feasibility Building Committee now as it considers the various options. The BOE should also hold sessions to receive community input. We empty nesters want to be heard now, we are still here, we are the majority and we vote."

Amy Stern of 10 River Road said she was also an empty nester who lives a 15 minute walk away from the school. She said she came to support those who want to keep the green in Greenacres and that the field was a draw when she moved here. She said, " It draws people into the neighborhood, helps property values and I hope future generations can continue to enjoy it."

Lisa Hassan from Sage Terrace lives right next to the school. She asked if the 100 year-old school had landmark status and asked the Board to consider "other options than taking the school down." She added, "Maybe close Huntington Avenue and add something there."

David Schatz of Montrose Road asked the board to be sensitive to community wishes. He said, "Over 50% of GA families have signed the petition not to build on the field. We have already spent $75,000 on studies. Why should the rest of Scarsdale have to pay to build a new school on the field, if a majority of Greenacres residents do not want a field on the school?"

Karen Schatz, also of Montrose Road said, "There is an assumption that new is better than old. I don't think that's true. The school can be updated and expanded. When we looked for a home, we loved the feel of the green in Greenacres."