School Board Discusses Election Rules and Admittance of Non Resident Children
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Last May the Scarsdale community was faced with an unusual situation in regard to the election of members to the School Board. Typically candidates are vetted and nominated by the School Board Nominating Committee and designated to fill certain seats on the board. For example if Candidate A is nominated by the SBNC, Candidate A is nominated to fill a specific seat that is being vacated by a current board member.
In the spring of 2018, Alison Singer was nominated to fill the seat formerly held by Pamela Feuhrer, while Woody Crouch was nominated to fill the seat being vacated by board member Art Rublin. When Feuhrer decided to run as an independent candidate for a second term on the board, she had to pick a specific seat for which to run. Rather than run against Singer for her own seat, Feuhrer decided to run against Crouch, leaving Singer to run unopposed.
Feuhrer earned more votes than Crouch and won back a seat on the board. But voters were faced with an unusual ballot showing Singer in an uncontested election for one seat, with a choice of Feuhrer or Crouch for the second seat.
Some felt it would be fairer for candidates to run at large. At the BOE meeting on October 1, the board discussed a rule change that would require candidates to run “at large” for board seats with the candidates who receive the most votes winning the seats. There would be no designation of contests for specific seats.
The Board discussed this at their meeting on July 10 and asked their attorneys for an opinion which is included here.
In a discussion of the issue on October 1, all the board members who spoke favored the change.
Alison Singer said, “I strongly support the move for the board to consider changing this policy. The SBNC process would remain in place. They would continue to name and nominate candidates for every open seat and that would not change.
It is important to remember where this is coming from. It is related to the situation we had last year where we had an independent candidate who was not nominated by the SBNC who chose to run for election
Because of the current policy, which requires the candidate to name the seat for which they are running, Pam was required to choose one of the two SBNC candidates --either myself or Woody Crouch-- which meant that one of the candidates, which happened to be me, ran unopposed while the other equally vetted candidate faced a contested election. I think it was unfortunate and unfair. A more fair process would have been to have all the candidates run for seats at large with the ones receiving the plurality of the votes winning the seats. It would have been a more fair election and given residents a better opportunity to express their preferences.
In no way do I think this change would restrict or invalidate the work done by the SBNC. Their work is a highly valued part of this process and should continue.
I encourage anyone who is interested in serving on the board to apply through the well-established SBNC process.
I don’t think this will change the likelihood of contested elections. What it will do is in the event of a contested election voters would have the opportunity to choose from among the candidates.
For those reasons I think it is important to engage the community on this issue.”
Chris Morin agreed. He added, “The seats are identical. There is no reason to make a distinction between them because we have not had contested elections. Almost nobody understands how SBNC and the CNC and Village elections work – there are few people who follow this. It is very confusing to voters. I think this change would simplify the election and make it consistent with the Village elections.”
Nina Cannon said, “I wholeheartedly agree with Alison and Chris’ remarks. It makes it clearer for the community and for those who want to run independently. I support reaching out to the League and other stakeholders and moving forward with this.”
Board President Scott Silberfein summed up and outlined his next steps, saying, “It sounds like the Board wants to move forward. I will speak to the lawyers about the timing and the wording of the referendum. I will ask for public input and find out what we need to know to post a referendum for a May vote.”
If the board does decide to move forward, a referendum on the new rules would be put to a community wide vote in May 2019.
Non-Resident Students
The board also revisited its policy on the attendance of non-resident children at the school after the untimely death of an employee this summer. The man’s children attended the Scarsdale Schools and under the previous policy they would lose their right to attend the Scarsdale Schools when their father passed away.
After many people voiced concern, the Superintendent and the Board agreed to amend the policy to allow discretion by the Superintendent in these circumstances.
The policy was revised to include the following text:
“In the event that a non-resident child has been attending the District under this provision, and the District employee who is her/his parent/guardian passes away, that student may be permitted to continue attendance on a tuition-free basis for some period of time subject to the recommendation of the Superintendent and approval of the Board.”
Make a Difference in Our Schools
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The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is seeking candidates to run for committee positions with terms beginning in January 2019. The SBNC is a committee of citizens elected from across the Village for the important purpose of nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education. SBNC members serve a vital function within our village and we strongly encourage all residents interested in maintaining the excellence of Scarsdale schools to consider running for an SBNC position.
Each year, two members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a term of three years on the Nominating Committee, an additional year on the Administrative Committee, and a final year on the Joint Committee.
If you’re interested in running for the committee more information and biographical and petition forms are available on the SBNC website, https://scarsdalesbnc.com/join-the-sbnc/.
Scarsdale Students Recognize 9/11, 17 Years Later
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- Written by Sydney Albert
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Tuesday September 11 marked the 17th anniversary of the attacks at the World Trade Center. A day that will live in infamy, 9/11 is typically commemorated in Scarsdale Schools in order to honor those who lost their lives on that day. Though none of the students in the school can remember that day, many were disappointed and angered when Scarsdale High School failed to acknowledge the anniversary of this tragedy in 2017.
Last year, on September 11, 2017 students at Scarsdale High School carried out a typical school day. Teachers and administrators failed to acknowledge the important events that took place sixteen years ago. This neglect angered students who wanted to ensure that the story of 9/11 continues to be passed down to younger generations that did not live through it. In prior years, the day had been discussed in SHS history classes but was not recognized in 2017.
In response to criticism from the student body, Scarsdale High School returned to its practice of commemorating the tragic events on September 11th. Although school was not in session for this year’s anniversary due to Rosh Hashanah, a moment of silence was held on Friday, September 7. Many teachers extended the commemoration into their classrooms, discussing the lasting effects 9/11 has had on the country. Some teachers even chose to share their experience from that day, making some discussions rather emotional.
Students were much more satisfied with this year’s anniversary. Becca Sklar, an SHS senior, shared her thoughts on how 9/11 should be remembered in the classroom: “Last year, I went home genuinely unsettled having not discussed the events of 9/11 in history class. It’s imperative to commemorate 9/11 and to remember the victims; it is a piece of our country’s history and should not be ignored. This year, being able to have a conversation and recall the devastating events that occurred that day gave closure to many students and was tremendously important.”
Students in general felt a sense of relief once they heard Principal Kenneth Bonamo announce a moment of silence on the loudspeaker during first period on Friday. Most felt that this was a day that should be recognized as our country continues to be affected by the attacks and the repercussions of terrorism. In commemorating this day, students felt a sense of unity. It was comforting for them to feel the support of the school wide community in remembrance of the many local residents who lost their lives.
SHS Class of ’19 Gets Their Chance to Chalk
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- Written by Becca Sklar
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The SHS Class of ’19 particpated in one of the rites of being a senior. On Friday September 14, Scarsdale High School seniors crowded around the Brewster Road entrance to participate in the annual Senior Chalking event. Students arrived as early as 6:15 am to begin work on their masterpieces. Students collaborated with their friends to draw a saying or a picture on the pavement and there were hundreds of hands on the ground, covered in colors from smearing shades together.
The artists sported bright white senior t-shirts, each with a large “SEN19RS” on the front and “GO B19 OR GO HOME” on the back, creating a sense of community and spirit amongst the senior class. A special event for seniors, chalking is something SHS students look forward to from the very start of high school. “Chalking was an awesome experience because it made us all really feel like seniors. After watching older kids participate in the tradition for years, it was crazy to think we were really the ones doing it now,” remarked Kelli Rainer, an SHS senior.
Music played and enthusiasm filled the air as students were adding details to their brightly colored creations that involved some sort of pun with the number 19.
Despite the commonly perceived notion that chalking is highly exclusive, there was little evidence that anyone was left out. Seniors walked around with wide smiles on their faces spreading nothing but warmth. When the rest of the student body crossed the Brewster Road entrance to get to class, they were greeted by vibrant color designs drawn by groups of friends, teams, and clubs, completely obscuring the maroon and grey pavement that was beneath all of the chalk.
With the entire senior class actively involved and having fun the entire morning, Senior Chalking 2019 was a major success and will remain a tradition at SHS for years to come.
Promising Start to Raiders 2018 Season
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Co-captain Nayumi Parente-Ribeiro prepares to cross the ball during the first halfThe Scarsdale Girls Varsity A Soccer team has high expectations for the 2018 season, with a surfeit of talent returning amid hopes for a deep run in the Section 1 playoffs. The team began the season on a promising note with a 9-0 victory in its opening game against an overmatched Port Chester team, followed by a tough 3-1 loss against Somers High School.
The Port Chester game was played on Friday, August 31 at Scout Field. While the entire team played well, there were noteworthy performances by junior forward Olivia Bryant and senior mid-fielder Ella Ansell, each of whom tallied multiple goals, and several effective crosses by senior forward Nayumi Parenti-Ribeiro. Senior goalie Christina Coco played the first half and junior reserve goalie Sophia Caione played the second half. Neither one of them was tested. Every player on the Raiders’ roster saw meaningful playing time, enabling head coach Mindy Genovese to showcase the depth of talent that is the cause of so much optimism about the team’s prospects this season. 
Junior forward Olivia Bryant races down the field with a Port Chester defender in pursuit
The team faced a sterner test in its game against the Somers Tuskers on Wednesday, September 5 at Scout Field. Somers is a perennial top team in Section 1 and the Raiders knew they were facing a tough opponent. The contest was played in 90 degree heat and high humidity, with several dozen spectators in attendance. Throughout the game, Coach Genovese rotated players in order to ensure that everyone on the field was properly rested and hydrated. Scarsdale scored first, on a beautiful combination started when midfielder Ansell received a pass and sent a beautiful ball down the right side line to a streaking Kelly Rutherford. Rutherford was fouled as she closed in on the goal. The foul in the box resulted in a penalty kick and junior forward Olivia Bryant dutifully placed the ball in the top left corner of the net for a 1-0 Scarsdale lead. The game remained 1-0 at halftime. Shortly after the second half whistle, Somers scored on a header off a corner kick to knot the score at 1-1. About five minutes later, mid-fielder Allison Stafford sent a rifle shot from the top of the box toward the upper left corner of Somers’ goal, only to be thwarted as a Somers defender standing at the goal line managed to jump and head the ball just over the crossbar. Several minutes later, Somers took the lead on a misplay by the Scarsdale defense that led to a breakaway. Ansell had a chance to tie the score with a few minutes remaining in front of an empty net off a rebound in front of the Somers’ goal, but the shot went just wide. Somers scored late on a defensive miscommunication. Overall, the game was evenly played with neither team dominating in terms of possession. It was a game the Raiders could have, perhaps should have, won and there was some consolation in that the team demonstrated that it is capable of playing with the top teams in Section 1. 
Senior mid-fielder Kelly Rutherford takes on a Port Chester defender one-on-one
The next game will be against Section 1, Class AA rival North Rockland at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 7 at Scout Field. North Rockland traditionally poses one of the Raiders’ sternest challenges each season and this year promises to be no exception. Scarsdale10583.com will be there to follow and report on the action.
Photos by Jon Thaler – see more here: 
Co-captain Allison Stafford battles for possession against Port Chester
Co-captain Paige Barlow dribbles the ball up the left sideline
