Scarsdale Public Schools

Dear Scarsdale Schools Community,

One of the most important partnerships that our school district has is with the Village of Scarsdale. While our work intersects in a variety of ways, perhaps the most important area of collaboration is around safety, security, and emergency management. To that end, we thought it important to reshare the Village of Scarsdale emergency notification communication sent on June 28, 2023. It is important to note that the Village of Scarsdale and the Scarsdale Public Schools maintain distinct emergency notification lists. For example, this message was distributed through the Scarsdale Public Schools notification system.

We strongly encourage you to follow the steps outlined to register to receive emergency alerts and press releases and other general announcements from the Village of Scarsdale. For further details, please read this letter from Mayor Arest.

In partnership,

Sincerely,
Drew

Dear Scarsdale Community,

Good morning. I am writing to let you know that the improvement in air quality has allowed us to resume normal activities today, including those held outdoors. Of course, we recognize that the current conditions may still pose a challenge to some with respiratory conditions, and will accommodate individuals accordingly. We will continue to monitor air quality throughout the day and will adjust our activities as conditions warrant. I realize the poor air quality this week meant events and trips were postponed or canceled, causing disappointment among our students and staff. We are doing everything we can to make sure as much planned programming takes place as possible, and we hope the improvement in the air quality continues. With any luck, I won’t need to send another message on this topic! In the meantime, thanks for your continued patience, and enjoy the weekend.

Sincerely,
Drew

Dear Scarsdale Community,

Good morning. I am writing to provide a brief update. We have extended yesterday's approach into today, including indoor PE, recess, lunch, etc. A number of field trips and activities have had to be postponed, including our HS Boys Lacrosse state semi-final, which will now take place tomorrow in Albany. This level of disruption can feel frustrating and difficult to those impacted. Of course, this event also brings with it a level of worry for some, as well as potential health challenges for those with respiratory vulnerabilities. As we navigate another day of this, please know we will be keeping a close eye on our students and are ready to support anyone that requires it. Please reach out to your building administration if you have specific concerns. 

I have reminded our faculty and staff that expressions of empathy and understanding go an extra-long way in situations like this, as do expressions of appreciation. Our custodial and facilities teams have been working hard to maintain the air quality in our buildings, and I appreciate their efforts. The latest forecast calls for improving conditions into this evening with a chance of thunderstorms. We will continue to monitor the situation and look forward to improved air quality as we get closer to next week.

Sincerely,
Drew

Dear Scarsdale Community,

Good afternoon. I am writing to share a few thoughts related to the air quality situation that addresses some of the questions that have been raised by community members.

• First and foremost, we continue to monitor the situation, and acknowledge that this is a weird one. The haze, sepia toned sky, and smoke is disconcerting, if unavoidable.
• Our facilities team has been in contact with our head custodians to review best practices with respect to our air handling systems, and we are engaged in these practices. 
• Mechanical systems that bring fresh air into our building pass that air through MERV13 or HEPA filters, filtering out particulates including PM2.5, the predominant pollutant with these fires.
• The smell of smoke is not able to be filtered out, unfortunately. We are keeping windows closed so as not to introduce outside air containing smoke or particulates into our spaces.
• While there is no particular reason to encourage or require masking indoors, we have a supply of masks and are happy to make them available to students or staff members who request them.
• There is nothing in particular that makes school any less safe than home at this point in time.
• There are no plans for an early dismissal, and any planned after-school activities will continue indoors.

Once again, I thank you for your support and cooperation as we navigate this environmental challenge.

Sincerely,

Dr. Drew Patrick
Superintendent of Schools

Dear Scarsdale Community,

Given the persistent poor AQI (Air Quality Index) today, we have decided to restrict outdoor activities in order to limit student and staff exposure. Activities that would normally take place outdoors will take place inside today, including PE classes, recess, and lunch. We have also adjusted scheduled outdoor programs, including gardening activities, to take place indoors. Offsite activities, including field trips scheduled for today, will continue with adjustments or modifications to limit time spent outdoors.

We will monitor conditions throughout the day and will make a decision about tomorrow’s activities following approximately the same time frame as today. For more information about AQI, please visit this link or this link. 

Thank you for your support and cooperation as we navigate this environmental challenge.

Sincerely,

Dr. Drew Patrick

Dear Scarsdale Community,

Since the announcement of current principal Meghan Troy’s appointment to the position of Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, we have been engaged in a search process to identify an Interim Principal for Scarsdale Middle School. I am pleased to tell you that the search has concluded and that Chris Coughlin, Assistant Principal of Scarsdale Middle School, has been selected to fill the role for the 2023-2024 school year. Chris will be recommended for appointment at the June 5, 2023, Board of Education meeting. Please join me in extending our congratulations to Chris, along with our thanks and appreciation for his interest in helping to continue the outstanding work that takes place every day at SMS. Since joining the Scarsdale community four years ago, Chris has been able to draw upon his wealth of experience to make important contributions to the school while learning with and from the amazing SMS community. His passion for students, knowledge of teaching and learning, and a strong commitment to collaboration will ensure a successful transition and a positive year ahead. Once approved, Chris will officially assume the role of Interim Principal on July 1, 2023.

Of course, appointing Chris to the role creates a new vacancy. We will begin the process of searching for an interim assistant principal for the 2023-24 school year immediately upon his appointment on June 5. I also want to acknowledge the feelings of uncertainty that a change in leadership can conjure. In addition to the supportive transition conversations Meghan Troy will have with Chris, I will also be actively supporting Chris, Assistant Principal Rochelle Hauge, and the entire SMS community throughout this transition year. The goal of this support will be to ensure that the needs of the school community are met. Even as Chris commences his service in the role of Interim Principal, we will begin to organize ourselves for the search process for the permanent leader of Scarsdale Middle School. That process will include collaboration with and input from the SMS community to define desired characteristics, describe strengths and practices that should continue, and identify opportunities for growth and improvement. I am confident that with this process, and with Chris’s leadership, SMS students will have a fantastic year, and the school will be set up for success going forward.

In partnership,
Drew

Dear Scarsdale Community,

This past Monday we had the opportunity to update the Board of Education on the lockouts that took place on April 24, 2023, and we are writing to share that update with the community.

On April 24, 2023, at approximately 2:50pm, the District was made aware of a developing situation involving a fugitive evading police in the confines of the District, specifically in the area around Quaker Ridge and Heathcote. We made the decision to place both Quaker Ridge and Heathcote Schools into our lockout protocol due to the police activity in the area near these schools. As a reminder, in a lockout, the school recovers all students from outside the building, secures the building perimeter, locks all outside doors, and restricts visitors from the building. Within the school, activities proceed as usual. After a relatively short time, we made the decision, in consultation with the Scarsdale Police Department, to end the lockouts. The lockout at Quaker Ridge ended first, prior to regular dismissal time, and they moved ahead with their normal dismissal procedures. The lockout at Heathcote was lifted about fifteen minutes later, after their regular dismissal time. Once lifted, they too followed their standard dismissal protocol.

While the building leaders handled the practical logistics of the lockout and eventual dismissal, the district administration drafted and disseminated communication to the community. A total of three communications were sent, two to the Heathcote community (at 3:17pm and 3:28pm) to inform them of the lockout and the delay to regular dismissal and one to the entire school community (at 3:38pm) to give an overall picture of the situation. A separate message was not sent to the Quaker Ridge community because their dismissal occurred on time and we prioritized informing the entire community of the situation.

This incident, like others, provides a real-life test of our procedures. Almost as soon as the event was over, we began to reflect on our decisions and actions. We also began to hear questions from community members, staff, and cooperating agencies. Raising such questions is an important part of our process of continual improvement. Some of the questions surrounding this particular incident have included:

How were the decisions to lockout, and then release students made?

• In all emergency situations involving a police response, the District communicates and collaborates with the Scarsdale Police Department. Given the unknown whereabouts of the fugitive at the start of the incident, the decision was made to place the proximal schools in a lockout in order to allow the police to assess and respond to the situation. As the police gained information including sightings of the individual and an understanding of where agency resources were deployed, Scarsdale Police Department felt that the area was sufficiently secured to allow for the dismissal of students.

Why were students allowed to walk home or be dropped off in neighborhoods that were part of an active police investigation?

• The District got word of the situation after Scarsdale Middle School had already been released for the day and buses were already in the area. The decision to dismiss both Heathcote and Quaker Ridge was made in consultation with the Scarsdale Police, who had stationed officers in the area and felt that the area was sufficiently secured to allow for dismissal.

Do we have the ability to communicate with our buses once they have left the schools?

• Yes, all of our vehicles are equipped with radios that are in contact with the transportation dispatch office on Secor Road.

As a matter of practice, the District and Village engage in post-incident debriefing to assess the response and identify areas of improvement. At this time, the District has completed those debriefs with the elementary schools involved, Scarsdale Police Department, Scarsdale Village, and Scarsdale Neighborhood Associations representing the areas where the incident took place. These debriefs raised the following areas for discussion and reflection:

• Alignment of Village, Police, and School communications internally and with the public;
• Response options for student dismissal, including school busses already engaged in routes when an emergency occurs;
• Identifying established channels of communication that residents can easily access to reduce the possibility for inaccurate information to spread

In the coming weeks, the District Emergency Response Team will synthesize the information from these debriefs and make recommendations for future emergency responses. We would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Village, our Police, building staff, and the community for their response and care in keeping our students safe.

Thank you,

Dr. Andrew Patrick, Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Eric Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services

Dear Scarsdale Schools Community,

Today, I am writing to express my gratitude on behalf of the Scarsdale School District for your strong support of our schools expressed through Tuesday’s school budget and auditorium bond vote results. Your overwhelming endorsement will have a significant and lasting impact on the quality of education we are able to provide to the children in our care.

The Scarsdale School District has long been committed to providing an exceptional educational experience for our students, empowering them to explore their passions, develop critical skills, and cultivate a love of learning. This vision is made possible through the collective efforts and collaboration of our dedicated educators, involved parents, and engaged community members.

The Board will be certifying the results of the vote and election at their meeting Monday. The results that will be entered into the record are as follows:

• Budget: 555 yes; 91 no (approval rate of 86%)
• Auditorium Bond Proposition: 536 yes; 108* no (approval rate of 83%)
• School Board seats:
  • Ms. Yusuf was re-elected with 571 votes
  • Mr. Klein was re-elected with 559 votes 

*note this was mistakenly reported as 180 in an email sent on 5/16

The community’s support for the school budget enables the expansion of access to mental health support for our students, continues the rollout of our Reveal Math curriculum, and funds an athletic field study jointly with the Village. Additionally, the approval of the Scarsdale High School Auditorium bond reinforces the importance of the arts as an integral part of a well-rounded education. We will transform the auditorium into an enhanced, modern, safe, and accessible facility that will serve as a hub for creativity, self-expression, and civic engagement for our students and for the wider Scarsdale community. We expect work to commence in approximately one year from now, and conclude in January 2025. I invite you to visit the auditorium website to see the full project scope and timeline.

I also write today to congratulate Amber Yusuf and Robert Klein on their re-election to the Board. Both have worked tirelessly throughout their first terms, collaborating with their fellow Board members to make thoughtful decisions based on careful study and insightful questioning. As Board President, Ms. Yusuf has provided steady, capable, student-centered leadership throughout this year. I am excited to work with Ms. Yusuf, Mr. Klein, and the entire Board to keep the positive momentum going in 2023-24! 

In closing, it is a privilege and an honor to lead a school community that values outstanding education and actively works to shape a brighter future for the next generation the way Scarsdale does. Together, we will continue to foster an educational environment that celebrates our WIDE community and equips students for success in our complex, ever-changing world.

With gratitude,
Dr. Drew Patrick