Praise for Heroic Efforts by School Staff During Rainstorm
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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At the Board of Education meeting on Monday October 2nd, the room was filled with gratitude and appreciation for all of those who went above and beyond to help during the weather emergency on Friday 9/30. BOE President, Ron Schulhof, began the meeting by stating:
“Before going into my specific comments for tonight’s meeting, I would like to thank all of the faculty and staff around the District for managing our schools on Friday and ensuring everyone was able to safely get home. I would especially like to thank our custodians, bus drivers, security guards, and the many other people who were out in the rain helping our students safely get into the buildings in the morning and then get home during dismissal. I think the community would also appreciate knowing that even after most people went home, there were custodians in all seven of our buildings that stayed overnight to ensure any additional rain or flooding was managed. While this is some of the work we don’t often see as parents, these efforts are what keep our buildings running in all types of weather and keep our students safe.”
Our Superintendent, Dr. Drew Patrick, echoed these sentiments and expressed his appreciation for the countless number of faculty and staff who jumped in to make Friday’s dismissal go as smoothly as possible, adding that many stayed late into the day even though they had their own long, treacherous drives home. Dr. Patrick also took time to recognize the efforts of the athletic department in conjunction with the maintenance, custodial, and grounds staff in swiftly repairing and preparing Butler Field after the storm, in order to host a football game on Sunday afternoon.
During the Building Report, Andrew Lennon, Assistant Superintendent for Business, first conveyed his deep appreciation for our bus drivers and all those who work in the transportation office. He described the commotion that resulted from the unexpected severity of Friday’s storm that left multiple phones ringing off the hook and the need for a myriad of drivers to make quick accommodations in order to respond to the weather emergency. Lennon explained how the entire team pulled together to work collaboratively and creatively to ensure that they deliver all of our students home safely. He commended the team on their flexibility and dedication to the safety of our students saying the teamwork of our drivers and transportation staff, their “can-do” attitudes, and their willingness to jump in, was incredibly impressive and left him in awe.
In addition, Mr. Lennon reported that during the weather event on Friday, multiple known “troubled areas” throughout the district were expertly attended to. Because of the attention and hard work of our custodial staff, we were able to keep leaks and water at bay in these spots and there is no new, major water damage to report. He also described how many custodians stayed in the buildings and worked continuously through the night on Friday to ensure the safety of our school grounds.
Both Dr. Patrick and Mr. Eric Rauschenbach described that administrators, faculty, and staff will meet with our DERT team in order to debrief about Friday’s weather event and to review their Emergency Response Plan. They hope to identify areas of strength as well as areas that may need improvement.
During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, PTC president Leah Dembitzer read a statement of gratitude in regard to the storm response:
“Good Evening. On behalf of the Scarsdale PT Council Executive Committee (PTC EC), which is comprised of the four PTC officers and the Presidents of the seven schools, I would like to extend a deep thank you to the District and Building Administration as well as the faculty and staff of our seven schools for your care of our community’s students and District Buildings. A special thank you to our building custodial teams - the best teams around. As it is National Custodian’s Day, the PTC EC would especially like to highlight the incredible hard work and care put forward by the building custodial teams.
The impact of Friday’s storm was unexpected and harrowing for so many in our community. The PTC EC thanks you for your sincere efforts and active communication under difficult and complicated circumstances.”
Dr. Patrick responded by stating that he was proud to be a part of such a supportive and wonderful community.
Other meeting highlights:
The BOE quickly reviewed the external audit report and the corrective action plan and later in the meeting resolved to accept the external audit report for the 2022-23 fiscal year as prepared by EFPR Group LLP and management's corrective action plan (CAP).
In addition to detailing current happenings at each of the elementary schools, in his update Dr. Patrick described a touching memorial service given at SMS for former Principal Mike McDermott. Fox Meadow elementary school will also hold a memorial for former principal Joan McCann.
.-Dr. Patrick congratulated Greenacres Elementary School on being named a National Blue Ribbon School.
-Dr. Patrick also announced that he will hold three Strategic Plan Public Sessions. The Scarsdale Public Schools are launching a series of public engagement sessions to discuss how best to prepare our students and our schools for the future. All community members are invited, and your input will be used to inform our next multi-year Strategic Plan. Please join us -- your voice matters! It's Our Future, Together. For more information and to sign up for one of the sessions please see: https://www.smore.com/ev921-our-future-together?ref=email
BOE Member Jessica Resnick-Ault, reported that the SAFE Coalition met on Monday 10/2 and discussed that October is National Bullying Prevention Month. They also discussed the “Everyone Knows Someone” program to be held on 10/27. For more about the SAFE Coalition click here:
Another BOE member Suzie Hahn who is also the liaison for the PTC, reported that a Special District Share Out Series will take place on Wednesday November 8th at 7:30pm in the Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium.
The PTC, SHS and SMS PTA joint program committees invite you to join us for an informative, two-part program as presented by district administrators. First Dr. Drew Patrick and Dr. Edgar McIntosh will introduce the Belonging Survey. Building on our theme of Connecting our WIDE (well-being, inclusion, diversity, and equity) Community, Dr. Patrick and Dr. McIntosh will outline the District's plan to engage students, parents, faculty, and staff this fall in a survey focused on belonging. They will explain how the survey fits into the district's DEI work, describe the survey measures and elements, and review the timeline for survey administration. They will also discuss how the results will be communicated and utilized to inform next steps in the work. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions during the session.
Next, Jeannie Crowley, Director of Technology and Innovation and William Yang K-12 Coordinator of Digital Learning & Literacy will share a selection of the survey results from the Technology Survey administered in June 2023. The Technology Department solicited survey responses from faculty, parents, SMS students, and SHS students. The anonymous surveys were collaboratively developed by the Technology Department, the PTC, and the STA. In their presentation, Ms. Crowley and Mr. Yang will highlight how the data artifacts can be used by parents, administrators, faculty, and students to learn more about the technology experiences of Scarsdale Public Schools community members.
A short Q & A session will follow the Tech Survey presentation. All are invited to submit questions prior to the presentation via this form:Technology Presentation Question Submission Form
The presentations will take place on Wednesday, November 8th at 7:30 pm in the Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium following the SMS PTA and SHS PTA meetings beginning at 7pm.
Dr. Edgar McIntosh reported that all of the fifth grade classroom teachers and PE teachers are working collaboratively to update the fifth grade Health Curriculum. When the update is complete, the new curriculum will be made available to parents.
-All NY State Test scores have been made available for parents to view. Though the state has not given the go ahead for any school district to discuss trends, or what the scores indicate for a particular district, as soon as the state gives clearance, McIntosh will present the findings.
Eric Raushcenbach related that the District Emergency Response Team (DERT) recently met to review all emergency response plans and conducted a tabletop exercise to practice what to do if there is a gas leak.
-Raushchenbach also reported that after the injury of an opposing team’s football player at our homecoming game, DERT met with the people who were present and administered care to the player, to debrief and review the response. The team evaluated response times and records and deduced that the timeframe from injury to the ambulance was 12 ½ minutes, in line with an expected timeframe. Raymond Pappalardi, our Director of Athletics, also described how Scarsdale goes above the state requirements and has a M.D. and athletic trainers at every football and hockey game. Dr. Patrick happily announced that the injured player is fully recovered.
Director of Athletics, Raymond Pappalardi presented an Athletics update for the BOE. Among many items, Pappalardi shared a thoughtful Statement of Purpose and also reported:
-In regards to the Field Study, two firms have been identified and are being evaluated.
-Fall enrollment in athletics is up this year and at the highest it has been in 5 years.
-All of our coaches take part in specialized DEI training.
-The Athletic Department is creating a survey that will be distributed to coaches and players before and after each seasonal sport. The department hopes to make sure that they are meeting the needs of all athletes and reaching appropriate goals.
To conclude the business portion of the meeting, the BOE discussed several information and discussion items, including a second reading of policy 5152 (Admission of non-resident students). The Board then voted to approve previously addressed policies, a new textbook for SMS titled Yellow Face, and gift proposals for Scarsdale Middle School, Scarsdale High School, and Quaker Ridge Elementary School.
Seeking Candidates for School Board Nominating Committee
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The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is seeking candidates to participate in Scarsdale’s vital non-partisan process. The SBNC consists of residents elected from across the Village for the role of recruiting, vetting, and nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education.
All residents who are qualified voters and interested in maintaining the excellence of Scarsdale schools are strongly urged to consider running for an SBNC position. Each year, two members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a three-year term on the Nominating Committee, followed by two years on the Administrative Committee. Terms begin in January 2024.
The SBNC Election will take place on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at Scarsdale Middle School. The election snow date is Wednesday, January 10.
If you are interested in running for the SBNC, please visit the Join SBNC – Scarsdale SBNC page on our website for more information and biographical and petition forms. Alternatively, you can pick up forms at Village Hall or the Scarsdale Public Library.
The deadline for candidates to submit materials is Monday, November 13, 2023. Questions can be directed to Deborah Skolnik via email at sbncelection@gmail.com.
BOE Announces New Hires and Reviews Policy on Tuition for Non-Resident Students
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Students are just going back to school this week but the Board of Education, and many of our District’s faculty and staff, have been hard at work all summer to ensure a smooth start to the school year. Much of this work was discussed at the Board of Education meeting held on Monday August 8th, 2023. Here are just a few of the highlights:
BOE President Ron Schulhof outlined planning, hiring, cleaning, orientations and so much more work done during the summer months. Schulhof also made note of the progress being made to improve telecom cell service in and around the high school and Fox Meadow. Work with Verizon on Post Road is currently underway and the BOE looks forward to continuing to partner with the Village to bring improvements from the other carriers they met with over the summer.
Dr. Edgar McIntosh presented on the “Rolling Gradebook” a new pilot program being implemented at the high school. For more details on the program, please see our article SHS Pilots New Grading System here.
In the Human Resources department there have been many new hires.
Faculty appointments include:
Timothy Leddy has been recommended for appointment in the tenure area of Special Education. He holds a BA from Hunter College and a Masters from Manhattanville College. Mr. Leddy holds New York State Certification in Students with Disabilities Grades 5-9, English Language Arts Grades 7-12, and Students with Disabilities Grades 7-12. Prior to joining Scarsdale, Mr. Leddy has been a special education teacher in the Eastchester School District.
Aimee Baez has been recommended for appointment as a Leave Replacement faculty member commencing on August 29, 2023. Dr. Baez will be working as the school psychologist at Scarsdale Middle School while Dr. Hasler is out on leave. She holds New York State Certification as a School Psychologist and in Childhood Education Grades 1-6. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Bard College, a Masters in Science General and Special Childhood Education from Bank Street College, and a Doctor of Psychology from St. John University. Dr. Baez was previously an intern at the middle school and more recently served as a psychologist at the School at Columbia University.
Neil Epstein is recommended for appointment as a Leave Replacement faculty member commencing on August 29, 2023. Mr. Epstein will be the 7th grade social studies teacher at Scarsdale Middle School while Ms. Rothman acts as Interim Assistant Principal at the middle school. He holds New York State Certification in Social Studies Grades 7-12 and Social Studies Grades 5-6 Extension. He earned his BS in Finance from the University of Delaware and a Master of Secondary Social studies Education from Queens College. Mr. Epstein recently taught social studies in the Great Neck Public Schools.
Brandon Shea is recommended for appointment as a Leave Replacement faculty member commencing on August 29, 2023. Mr. Shea will be the 7th grade science teacher at Scarsdale Middle School while Ms. Mastroianni is out on leave. He holds New York State Certification in Biology 7-12. He earned a Bachelor of Science from SUNY of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Masters of Science for Teachers from Pace University. Brandon previously worked as an intern and student teacher at both Scarsdale Middle School and Scarsdale High School.
Jennifer McPherson is recommended to fill the position of long-term substitute teacher at the daily rate of $200 beginning August 29, 2023, and continuing as long as services are satisfactory and needed, but no later than October 31, 2023. Jennifer will be assigned to Scarsdale Middle School covering for Melissa Zeiler who will be on leave.
Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services, Eric Rauschenbach gave an Update on our Day Automation System Integration (Lockdown system) and said that the new system is set to be up and running by October 16th of this year.
During Public Comments, SHS Senior Rick Yang advocated for the creation of a Tier One Wellness Center in our district. Yang quoted startling statistics that support the need for a wellness center in addition to outlining the specifics of Governor Hochul’s grant that allocates $8.3 Million to Create and Support New School-Based Mental Health Clinics. Dr. Patrick thanked Yang for participating in the public comments and asked Mr. Yang to please email him directly to continue the discussion.
Non-Resident Students
While there were many other business and action items discussed at the meeting (if interested, you can find those action items if you scroll through the meeting agenda here), one point of interest was information item 11.09 Policy 5152 - Admission of Non-Resident Students where the Board engaged in a discussion of the payment of tuition by non-resident students experiencing exceptional circumstances. Dr. Patrick gave an example of one such exceptional circumstance describing a student in their senior year, who is no longer able to afford to live in the district but has spent their entire academic career here. The BOE would like to bring forward a draft proposing an amendment to the existing policy in order for the Board to have power to offer continued education here in Scarsdale in extreme circumstances like this. Many of the BOE members spoke in favor of bringing forward such a draft saying, “It is in the best interest of the student.”
The discussion of admission of non-resident students brings to mind another recent headline detailing statements from the New York State Attorney General's Office and the state Education Department. "Our offices write to remind school administrators that all children and youth in New York between the ages of 5 and 21 have the right to a free public-school education, regardless of immigration status, language proficiency, or whether the student is living in a shelter, migrant camp, or other temporary housing," they announced.
For better understanding on this topic we reached out to Ron Schulhof who said, “My understanding is that the letter issued from Attorney General James and Commissioner Rosa outlines already existing Federal and State laws. The Board and Administration regularly review District Policies to ensure compliance with the appropriate laws. For example, last year the Board adopted Policy 5151 - Homeless Children to address changes in the requirements of the McKinney Vento Act and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). At this time, the Board has not been notified that any specific policy regarding admissions requires an update based on the letter from the Attorney General and State Education Department.
Unrelated to the letter from the AG and SED, the Board did engage in a policy discussion at the August 28th, 2023 Board meeting regarding Policy 5152 - Admission of Non-Resident Students. The discussion related to this policy focused on payment of tuition by non-resident students experiencing exceptional circumstances. The Board came to consensus to have the Administration present a draft update to this policy that would add that authority to provide exceptions to the required tuition payment by non-residents under exceptional circumstances. Currently, Policy 5152 does not provide the Board nor Administration such authority if a student experiences an exceptional circumstance that results in loss of residency. As of note, the authority for the Board to provide such an exception already exists in the Policy for the children of District employees upon the death of the District employee while the child is still a student in the District. Should anyone wish to watch the full Board discussion, please visit the Scarsdale Board Video Page. The video of Board meetings is usually posted within a few days of the meeting. The Board anticipates discussing a first draft of this policy update at the September 11, 2023 Board meeting.
Financial Risk Assessment
A presentation of the Review of the Risk Assessment Update Report was given by the District’s internal auditor Richard Coffey of CPA Cullen & Danowski, LLP. As described by the BOE in their agenda, “As part of the NYS Comptroller’s five-point plan to strengthen financial accountability, school districts are required to engage an internal auditor to perform risk assessments and help boards of education in developing internal controls to reduce financial risk. The purpose of the Updated Risk Assessment Report is to annually review the critical business processes of the District including governance, accounting, revenue and cash management, payroll, purchasing, facilities, student services, and student-related data.
After their review, a recommendation is made to the Board of Education for acceptance of these reports. In addition, the Audit Committee, upon consultation with the Internal Auditor and Administration, recommends an area of intensive review for the upcoming year to be included in the Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures Report.”
Mr. Coffee’s presentation detailed many aspects of the report including positive attributes where the District is doing well, in addition to highlighting recommendations for areas of improvement in their Corrective Action Plan. The Corrective Action Plan suggested nine recommendations including:
Recommendations:
We recommend that the District strengthen the cash receipts process related to funds collected at athletic events during the evenings and weekends by developing procedures to require that a designated administrator assist with having these receipts safeguarded in the safe with the schools’ main office right after the event. This would reduce the potential loss or theft of these funds while being held by a person from the event until the receipts are deposited a day or several days later in the safe.”
However, Andrew B. Lennon, Assistant Superintendent for Business, explained that eight of the nine recommendations have already been completed and the ninth is pending and actively being assessed. You can read the full Risk Assessment Update Report here and see the recommendations and the management responses here.
Mr. Coffee also presented the Detailed Testing Audit Report and Management's Corrective Action Plan. The report explains, “We note that the District has protocols in place related to the processing of payroll transactions that includes a Payroll Process document with detailed steps covering various procedures and internal controls designed to mitigate the inherent risk within the payroll process (e.g., Payroll Clerk is unable to set up employees in SMARTS) and the Business Office understands the need to have proper controls in place. We also found that the employees we interviewed demonstrate a positive attitude towards improving procedures and are knowledgeable about the requirements related to their responsibilities.” The report further states, “We found some opportunities to improve operations as a result of our engagement.” The six recommendations for improvement and our District’s management response can be found here.
Mr. Lennon explained that a great deal of work has taken place to improve this area of business in our district, which can be attested to by the management’s responses to the improvement recommendations.
Scarsdale Boys’ Soccer: Top Dogs, But Still Hunting
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At some point during the Fall 2022 soccer season, the consensus was that the Scarsdale Raiders were the best overall team in New York State. Behind an inspired season from then-senior Nico Galeano, Scarsdale won the NYS title and ended the season with a record of 21 wins to 0 losses. The accolades, both team and individual, speak for themselves. The team closed out the season ranked among the top five teams in the country according to the United Soccer Coaches poll. Seven players received All-League honors, and three players - Lorenzo Galeano, Leo Khang, and Nico Galeano, were named All-Section and All-State. Nico Galeano became the most decorated player in Scarsdale history, being named the Section 1 Player of the Year, Gatorade NYS Player of the Year, and an All-American. Lastly, head coach Marcos Monteagudo was the NYS Coach of the Year and the Northeast Region Coach of the Year.
With such an astounding year of accomplishments, it is no surprise that the Raiders have had a target on their back to start this season. Coach Monteagudo is determined to change the mentality, however. He has often told his players, “Everyone is trying to hunt us down, but we’re the hunters.” The mantra has instilled a sense of confidence in Scarsdale players, leading them to a strong start to the season.
So far, all 3 games of the ‘23 season have gone according to plan. On Tuesday, August 29th, the team headed to Harrison High School, where they routed the Huskies 6-0. Next, they hosted Irvington on Friday, September 1st, again winning comfortably, 4-1. On Tuesday, September 5th, they were engaged in a more low-scoring affair, not scoring until the second half, when Lorenzo Galeano put two penalties away before the Raiders conceded one goal. The 2-1 victory was less of a dominant triumph, but it went down in the win column nonetheless, proving that this team is not afraid of the pressure of a close game.
Despite the losses of an especially strong senior class from 2022, the ‘23 team has shown they have the ability and motivation to contend for a second straight state title. Junior Lorenzo Galeano has played a key role in filling the hole left by his elder brother, stepping up to be the leading goal scorer on the team so far. Many other juniors have also stepped into a larger role this year. Winger Yusuke Sato has improved as a scorer, developing into a solid one-on-one player. Center-back Marc Hajjar has become a physical presence in the defensive realm, and midfielders Lev Stahl, Miles Newman, and Daniel Cisneros have progressed as dribblers and on-the-ball presences. Newman, especially, has been winning a lot of critical tackles.
The senior leadership has no doubt been vastly important to the team’s early success. Captains Henry McAllister, Zach Ruback, Alex Duval, and Lucas Kantor have all embraced their roles, contributing to an intense atmosphere in practice and a confident attitude. Having moved up from No. 3 in the preseason national rankings to No. 2, it is evident that the high school soccer community has confidence in the Raiders’ ability.
It seems that the Raiders have taken their roles as hunters to heart, so far displaying a sharpness on the field and a like-minded focus on defending their state title. They have remained the top dog in the state despite significant senior losses, prompting one to question whether the program’s success does not depend on any one player or group, but instead on a culture of excellence.
Such a culture, aided by Coach Marcos Monteagudo’s drive to inspire confidence, could mean that the Raiders’ program is in the early stages of becoming a powerhouse for years to come – a prospect that should excite all fans of Scarsdale athletics.
Schulhof and Pascutti to Lead the Scarsdale School Board
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The Scarsdale Board of Education unanimously elected new leaders and welcomed two new assistant superintendents to the dais at their July 6, 2023 meeting. Last year’s Vice President Ron Schulhof was sworn in as Board President and Suzie Hahn Pascutti as Board Vice President. Former Board President Amber Yusuf will serve for an additional three-year term as will Board member Bob Klein.
The tone of the meeting was a marked departure from last year at this time when the school district was in crisis. In the spring of 2022, the public learned about a series of mistakes in payroll processing resulting in a tax lien and penalties from the IRS. Though all fines and penalties were ultimately returned, the board and the community were deeply shaken. The Superintendent resigned in January 2022 and then again in May 2022 saying the IRS matter was “too much of a distraction.” In an effort to unravel the debacle, the Board retained a consultant to investigate what happened and engaged additional consultants to conduct the search for the next superintendent. At the July 2022 meeting they questioned the activities of their auditors and discussed the retention of additional auditors to review payroll processing procedures.
This year the group was calm and poised to begin the 2023-24 school year with Dr. Andrew Patrick at the helm as superintendent and seasoned board members in place.
New additions to Patrick’s cabinet are Meghan Troy who was promoted from Principal of Scarsdale Middle School to Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Leadership Development and Andrew Lennon as Assistant Superintendent for Business who replaces Stuart Mattey who retired after eight years in that position.
With their new leaders at the head of the table, the Board held their organizational meeting, approving routine matters including the appointment of officers, district consultants and themselves as the audit committee for the 2023-24 school year. Andrew Lennon was assigned to certify all payrolls and to hold a district credit card and the Scarsdale Inquirer and the Journal News were named official publications for legal notices.
Code of Conduct
During a public hearing on the district Code of Conduct, PT Council President Leah Dembitzer asked if any potential changes were considered.
Patrick and Eric Rauschenbach said that the bulk of the conversation was about artificial intelligence and whether or not the district needed disciplinary measures around AI. They concluded that cheating and academic dishonesty are already covered in the Code of Conduct under plagiarism. Patrick said, “We thought it was premature to put it into the Code of Conduct but expect it to be an ongoing issue.
After thanking the Board and welcoming Troy and Lennox Patrick said that summer program improvement work is now underway and that over 70 meetings have already taken place between the end of school and now. He said the work “Includes a deeper dive into Reveal Math units of study, enhancing the ecosystem, Chat GPT and AI as a tool for World Language classes, incorporation of current events, media literacy and multi-modalities and literacy instruction and designing an interdisciplinary financial literacy course.”
The Treasurer reported that district revenues are over budget by $1,000,000 due to excellent interest rates.
Additionally Juneteenth has been added to the calendar as a district-wide holiday.
End of Year Tributes
Patrick and Board members thanked Amber Yusuf and Ron for their leadership during the 2022-23 school year.
About Yusuf, Patrick said, “Over the past two years, you've brought a strong and clear growth mindset to the work of board leadership. And you've understood well the important differences between being a board member and acting as a board is critical. You've been able to create an environment that allows for consensus to emerge. From thoughtful dialogue and from sharing, considered viewpoints. You've been supportive and in ways large and small, often behind the scenes to this new superintendent, and you've really helped to regain the confidence and trust of our community.”
To Schulhof he said, “Beyond bringing order to the function of Zoom public comment, your thoughtful questions, and clear explanations of your own thought processes serve as a model to both the board and the public. In education, we call this making your thinking visible and it's an important strategy that helps people learn. This is your approach to the work of board membership and leadership by making visible your decision-making processes you help illuminate the student-centered priorities that matter most to you, which ultimately makes the work for the board more transparent and accessible to our public.”
Shulhof credited Yusuf with her leadership on updating the school calendar, the renovation of the high school auditorium and in the search for a new superintendent.
Pascutti said this about Yusuf, “You know that “Profile of a Scarsdale High School Graduate” that we aspire to for our students? …. To me you are the very model of these qualities. A smart and critical thinker, a skillful practitioner, a lifelong learner, a compassionate leader, and a non sibi community member. You genuinely care about our students and school community and do this hard work for all the right reasons with grace and dignity and integrity. Your commitment to education and the whole child has been evident in how you approach everything you do and to guide our board work.”
Board members noted the team’s leadership through a difficult transition year and lauded Yusuf for continuing to serve in a non-leadership role for an additional three years.
Gifts
The Board accepted gifts for several schools, most notably a gift of $70,000 from the Greenacres PTA for work on the long-neglected courtyard of Greenacres School. The goal of the project is to provide outdoor space for whole-class learning, flexible spaces for small groups and independent work, and space to support students' mental health and wellbeing.
Phase one will cover all groundwork and will include improvements to the existing pavers and the addition of surface materials including pavers, synthetic grass, rubber surfacing and wood chip/mulch ground cover. Phase two will include outdoor tables and chairs for whole class learning, sun protection and other outstanding upgrades for an additional estimated cost of $48,000.
The Board accepted a gift of $70,000 to transform the courtyard of Greenacres Elementary School.
Take a look at the project plan above.
Additional gifts included
-$497 from the SHS PTA for non-sibi day stickers.
-$10,419 from Maroon and White to provide athletic banners for the high school and lamppost banner to celebrate athletic team successes.
-$10,000 from the Edgewood PTA for new cafeteria tables
The Board’s next meeting will be held on Monday August 28, 2023.
