Special Meeting: At 6:00 p.m., Suzie Hahn, Board President, convened a Special Meeting. All Board members, including Dr. Drew Patrick and members of his administrative Cabinet, were present. The Board entered into an Executive Session to discuss matters related to collective bargaining negotiations and the employment history of a particular person(s).

Budget Forum: At 6:35 p.m., Ms. Hahn convened the Budget Forum, noting that all Board members, including Dr. Patrick and his administrative Cabinet, were present. She thanked Dr. Patrick, Mr. Lennon, Lisa Zareski, District Treasurer, and Cabinet members for their work on the draft budget and presentations. 

Dr. Patrick and Mr. Lennon shared a brief overview of the 2025-26 Budget Plan, including budget accomplishments, frequently asked questions, and the estimated tax impact. Dr. Patrick said, “As it currently stands, the proposed 2025-26 school budget reflects important priorities outlined in our Strategic Plan. It was influenced by challenging financial headwinds requiring difficult decisions, including the continued use of fund balance to maintain a tax levy at the cap. This particular recommendation was made as part of a balance that aims to implement priorities while maintaining the core education we provide to students. Achieving a budget that includes all of the programs and supports for students in the tax cap era is extremely difficult, but we think this budget does that.”

Hearing From Those Present: Ms. Hahn opened the floor to public comment on the DRAFT 2025-26 Proposed Budget. Fifteen people spoke in person. No one spoke virtually.  

Board Discussion/Wrap-up Items: Board members asked clarifying questions and expressed support for JV Ice Hockey. Ms. Hahn thanked those who spoke, especially the student athletes who took the time to advocate for their sport. Dr. Patrick echoed Ms. Hahn’s thanks to the speakers and conveyed that Ms. Parrott had sent an email earlier stating the current challenges with the JV Ice Hockey team and the efforts in place to find solutions. 

Ms. Hahn provided information about the Board letter that goes into the Budget Insight each year. The Board reached a consensus for President Hahn and Vice President Dugan to draft the letter for discussion at the April 7th Board meeting.

Business Meeting: Ms. Hahn called the Business Meeting to order at 8:00 p.m., noting that all Board members were present as well as Dr. Patrick and his administrative Cabinet. 

Ms. Hahn reported that earlier in the evening, the Board held an Executive Session followed by a Budget Forum, which provided the community the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed 2025-26 budget. She said, “We appreciate all of the hard work Dr. Patrick and his team have put into creating the proposed budget, and would like to extend a special thank you to Assistant Superintendent Andrew Lennon and Treasurer Lisa Zareski. Thank you all for your efforts.” She also thanked the League of Women Voters (LWVS) for hosting their Annual School  Budget Information Session on March 17th, and she thanked the many organizations, including the PTC, Maroon & White, and the LWVS, for providing the Board and District administration with thoughtful questions and feedback on the proposed budget.

Ms. Hahn closed her remarks with a brief update on the State budget process, the education-related highlights, and she thanked NYSSBA, WPSBA, and LHEC for advocating for student resources.

Dr. Patrick added his welcome and thanked the community for their input throughout the budget process and the Board for such thoughtful discussion and deliberation. 

Dr. Patrick reported that on March 15th, eleven Science Research students, consisting of SHS juniors and seniors, competed at the Regeneron Westchester/Putnam Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF) (the largest high school science fair in the U.S.), with (6) of our students earning honors out of 800 students. Dr. Patrick congratulated all of the students and awardees for their achievements. 

Dr. Patrick also provided an update on the District’s website migration, which will launch on April 2nd. He said, “We have been working hard to review information on our current site, migrate our content thoughtfully, remove outdated content and material, and present it in a user-friendly format. Please keep in mind that this was a migration, not an overhaul. The new platform is very flexible, so we will have the ability to grow and change. We look forward to introducing the site and inviting feedback as we make the transition. I want to express gratitude to Jeannie Crowley for her leadership on this project, along with William Yang and our Technology team.”

In closing, Dr. Patrick announced that on May 8th, the 50th Anniversary of the Middle School CHOICE program will be celebrated with a picnic in the Middle School Great Hall at 6:00 p.m.; and he shared some important dates:

• March 31: Eid Al-Fitr (schools closed for students), Superintendent’s Conference Day for staff

  • On that day, faculty will be sharing performance assessments and other types of assessments as part of our evidence collection process in advance of the Tri-State Consortium visit in May. Elementary faculty will also be giving feedback on our math program. 

• April 1: Spirit Week begins and runs through the end of the week.

Board members presented the following reports:

• Ms. Yusuf reported that she attended the 3rd Annual Ramadan Iftar dinner on March 13th, and she thanked the SHS Muslim Club for hosting the event and for their important work in educating fellow students and the community.

• Ms. Brown reported that she and Ms. Yusuf attended the March Madness fundraiser on March 20th, hosted by Maroon and White; she thanked them for inviting Board members to the event and for their continued support of our athletes.

• Mr. Klein provided a brief update on the District Safety Team Meeting he attended on March 18th, noting plans for future projects, traffic concerns addressed by the Scarsdale Police Department; and changes made to the District-wide Safety Plan that are required by NYSED and will be presented to the Board in May for approval, following the 30-day public comment period that begins on April 7th. 

• Mr. Dugan reported that he and fellow Board members attended the Sensory Path Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Fox Meadow School on March 21st.

The Board considered items under the Information/Discussion portion of the agenda:

• Dr. Patrick introduced and thanked Dr. McIntosh and District Elementary Math Coordinators Carrie Orgera and Vivian Robert for their work on the evening’s Education Report presentation: Scarsdale Elementary Math Learning. Board members presented questions that were addressed by Dr. McIntosh, Ms. Orgera, and Ms. Robert. The video of the presentation can be viewed here.

• School districts in the State vote on their BOCES annual administrative budget and for BOCES Trustees annually. Ms. Hahn reviewed the 2025-26 Administrative Budget and Trustee Candidate Information in advance of the Board’s Special Meeting on April 22nd.

• Ms. Hahn provided an update on the Board Discussion: Ex Officio Student Member of the Board that was held on March 10th. Dr. Patrick presented the draft Policy 2245 and Exhibit for the first reading, noting that the policy was derived from the NYSSBA sample, ensuring that the language required by the State law is included in the policy. Board members presented questions and comments regarding the policy and process, and suggested revisions were made to the policy/exhibit.    

• Dr. Patrick provided an overview of the current legislative requirements, potential revisions, and presented draft Policy 5695 - Students and Personal Electronic Devices as a starting point for further discussion. He proposed gathering input on the policy from parents, students, faculty, and staff through a survey. Board members presented questions, comments, and suggested edits to the policy. Ms. Hahn pointed out that the Board will be meeting with a group of high school students before the next Business Meeting, which will be a good opportunity for student feedback. 

• Dr. Patrick and Mr. Lennon reviewed the gift proposals over $1,000 for the Board’s review and discussion:

  • Fox Meadow Elementary School

  • Scarsdale Elementary Schools and the Middle School

  • Scarsdale District Fields

With no further discussion or information requested, the gifts will be presented to the Board for approval at the April 7th Board meeting.

• High School Auditorium Project Change Orders: According to Board Policy 7335, Mr. Lennon explained that during the High School Auditorium project, several existing conditions or necessary changes were identified that required change orders for the work to be completed. The change order that exceeds $50,000 will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting.

Action Items

The Board approved the change order presented earlier in the evening and gift proposals to Fox Meadow Elementary and the A-School.

Hearing From Those Present: Members of the public were invited to address the Board. Eleven people spoke in person. Four people spoke remotely. 

Follow-up to Public Comment: Ms. Hahn clarified an earlier comment she made regarding the draft Policy 5695 - Students and Personal Electronic Devices. 

Adjournment: The Board adjourned the meeting at 11:15 p.m. The Board meeting may be viewed on the District website, Board of Education VOD.

*Note from the Board of Education: Please email your feedback, questions, or comments to boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org