A Shared Vision for Scarsdale Schools: Hahn and Brown on the Year Ahead

School Board Leaders Colleen Brown and Suzie HahnThis is not the first time Scarsdale’s School Board President and Vice President have worked together. In fact, the two have been in lockstep for years, since they chaired the PTA Calendar Committee in 2016-17. When School Board President Suzie Hahn was PTA President at Quaker Ridge, Colleen Brown was Vice President. Fast forward, they were both elected to the Scarsdale School Board in 2002, re-elected in 2025 and are now both serving for their fifth year. Their boys are both SHS juniors – and two of their children share a birthday. They say that even their kids are similar in many ways.

It was clear that they’re in tune on many key issues during a recent conversation we had at Scarsdale Library to open the school year.

Hahn is now doing her second year as Board President – with Brown as a second year Vice President. They explained that the majority of the board is serving their first terms, and by taking on another year of leadership, Hahn and Brown were giving newer members time to learn the rules and gain some experience in order to ensure a succession plan for future years.

In addition to serving as President of the Scarsdale School Board, this year Hahn is also the President of the Westchester Putnam School Board Association, a group that provides training and networking for school board members and advocates for public education.

What’s top of mind for the two? Following a tumultuous spring, their goal is to focus on “bringing the community together so that we are one Scarsdale … that celebrates our differences.”

They discussed a partnership with a group called “Common Circles” that gathers personal profiles and artwork from community members and creates an interactive exhibit specific to Scarsdale that will be displayed in the Great Hall of the Scarsdale Middle School in February. In addition to the exhibition, the program includes an AI component which allows users to interact with those portrayed, asking questions and sharing stories. A classroom curriculum is built around it as well. The program is funded by the Scarsdale Education Foundation.

Turning to dollars and sense we discussed the tax cap and the limitations it has placed on school spending. Asked if she thought the tax cap might be repealed, Hahn said, “I think it is here to stay. As a community we might decide to go beyond it.” She noted that the 2026-27 school budget was able to preserve elementary class sizes and the house system at the middle school but some requests had to be put aside. Extra social workers at the elementary schools, the expansion of the ICT program at the middle school and an additional math teacher at the high school all had to be omitted from the budget in order to come in below the state mandated tax cap.

Hahn noted that some were questioning proposed additions to the staff at a time of flat or decreasing enrollment. She said, “We are actually cutting staff through attrition due to retirements. But people should also know that students are taking more courses. Some students sign up for multiple STEM classes such as engineering, AT statistics and computer science. Some kids have no free periods.” The school needs the staff to teach these courses.

On the other hand, Brown and Hahn were happy to say that the new common lunch program at the high school, where the entire school has the same lunchtime, has been a big success. The longer lunch hour allows club meetings, meetings with teachers and works for those who are busy with athletic practices after school. Given the longer time period, there is not a mad rush for food and upper classman have the chance to go out for lunch if they like.

Funds from the 2026 bond referendum will be used to renovate the Little Theater into more flexible space with flexible furniture that can also be used for a lunch venue.

Speaking just a few days before the first School Board meeting, we asked what they hoped for the coming year.

Brown had a ready reply: She said, “We would like to encourage the community to engage with the Board, to attend Board coffees, attend Board of Education meetings, talk to your PTA liaisons and email us.

They also asked everyone to sign up to receive emails from the district here Scarsdale Schools Emails Signup so that you won't miss future school community communications.