Special Meeting: At 5:00 p.m., Suzie Hahn, Board of Education President, convened a Special Meeting with Board liaisons and volunteer groups. The group discussed their experiences this year and what the Board can do to support the work of the groups and their mission.
Special Meeting: At 6:00 p.m., Ms. Hahn convened a Special Meeting. The Board entered into an Executive Session to discuss matters related to the employment history of a particular person(s).
Special Meeting/Tenure Recommendations: At 6:30 p.m., Ms. Hahn convened a Special Meeting for the conferral of tenure, noting that all Board members were present including Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet.
In recognition of School Principal’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, and National School Nurses Week, Dr. Patrick acknowledged the incredible work of every one of our teachers, nurses, principals, assistant principals, and all those in supporting roles who complement the work of our educators to make our schools such a special place for children to learn and grow. He also thanked the PTAs who expressed gratitude and appreciation for our faculty in fun and festive ways.
Dr. Patrick provided a brief background of the tenure process and the significant accomplishment earned after completing a rigorous probationary period; and he acknowledged the 22 teachers, 2 guidance counselors, 1 school psychologist, and 1 administrator that have been recommended for tenure. Ms. Troy and President Hahn, on behalf of the Board, also commented on the incredibly dedicated educators and their remarkable achievement of attaining tenure, and they congratulated the candidates. A ceremony followed with District and Building leaders sharing a few words about each candidate that exemplify the skills, heart, and talent they bring to Scarsdale students and the community. The Board voted unanimously to grant tenure to the following:
Name |
School |
Tenure Area |
Name |
School |
Tenure Area |
Bellas Tsouristakis, Jennifer |
SMS |
Counseling |
Lanfredi, Carolyn |
SHS |
Psychology |
Candullo, Frank |
SHS |
Social Studies |
Moscoso Bueno, Fernanda |
SHS |
Foreign Language |
Cannone, Michael |
SMS |
Mathematics |
Paul, Ethan |
SHS |
English |
Catania, John |
SHS |
Art |
Pecora, Danielle |
SMS |
Social Work |
Davidson, Kelsey |
HE |
Elementary |
Quentin, Caroline |
SMS |
Agriculture |
Felix, John |
FM/ED |
Phys. Education |
Tagliaferri, Amanda |
FM |
Elementary |
Frazin, Shana |
SMS |
Library Media |
Towle, Jessica |
SHS |
Science |
Garrelick, Gerri-Ann |
FM |
Elementary |
Vella, Brittany |
SMS |
Mathematics |
Gundling, Amanda |
SHS |
Music |
Visconti, Andrew |
SHS |
Science |
Heffernan, Sarah |
QR/HE |
Gen. Spec. Ed. |
Widelec, Ron |
SHS |
Social Studies |
Hench, Jennifer |
SHS |
Art |
Yang, William |
DW |
K/12 Coord. Dig. Learning & Lit. |
Kerrigan, Kristin |
SHS |
Counseling |
Zeliger, Daniel |
SHS |
English |
Lakhaney, Aly |
SHS |
Social Studies |
Zeller, Brian |
SHS |
Music |
Statutory Budget Hearing: At 7:23 p.m., Ms. Hahn convened the Statutory Budget Hearing, noting that all Board members were present including Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet. Dr. Patrick provided the highlights and key accomplishments of the proposed 2025-26 budget and he noted the following important information and pertinent dates:
Budget information and details can be found at scarsdaleschools.org/budget. Voting information can be found on the District website/Voter Information icon. May 13: Deadline to register to vote. May 13: Deadline for Absentee & Early Mail applications by mail. May 19: Deadline for Absentee & Early Mail applications in person. May 20: Deadline for completed absentee and early mail ballots, by 5:00 PM May 20: Budget Vote and Board Election from 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM, SMS Gym
Members of the live and virtual audiences were invited for public comment on the 2025-26 proposed budget. Two people spoke in person. One person spoke remotely.
Wrap-Up Items: In response to a comment, Mr. Lennon provided clarification on the EV bus component in the proposed 2025-26 budget and provided information on the District’s contract with Highland Electric Fleets.
| BUSINESS MEETING/CABINET UPDATES/CONSENT AGENDA |
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Business Meeting: Ms. Hahn called the Business Meeting to order at 7:39 p.m., noting that all Board members were present as well as Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet.
Ms. Hahn provided a brief recap of the earlier meeting with Board liaisons and volunteer groups. She thanked the leaders of CHILD, Maroon and White, PT Council, the Scarsdale Action for Youth (SAY), the Safe Coalition, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service, and the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation for attending the meeting and sharing their organization’s important work this year.
Ms. Hahn also spoke about the earlier tenure ceremony where 26 faculty members received tenure and on behalf of the Board, she extended sincerest congratulations to those who attained tenure.
Ms. Hahn reminded community members to vote next Tuesday, May 20th, at the Middle School Gym from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm; she thanked the PTC, PTAs, CHILD, LWVS, and the Greenacres Parent Association for inviting members of the Board and District administration to attend their meetings and speak about the budget and answer questions; and she thanked Dr. Patrick, Mr. Lennon, Mr. Rauschenbach, and Board members for participating in these events.
In closing, Ms. Hahn provided a quick update on the process thus far for selecting student ex-officio Board members for the 2025-26 school year. She thanked the students who applied for this new role and reported that 4 juniors and 4 sophomores were vetted by the SHS student government for a general student election on Tuesday, May 20th. She noted that 1 rising senior and 1 rising junior will be elected to serve as student members of the Board, beginning July 1, 2025, and she thanked the SHS Student Government, Principal Bonamo, and faculty advisors for their work in this process.
Dr. Patrick added his welcome and started his remarks by wishing Dr. McIntosh and Mr. Bonamo well, as they both were unable to attend the meeting due to personal matters. He provided a brief review of items on the evening’s agenda and an overview of the Tri-State Consortium that will be held later this week. The focus of the 3-day visit will be on our essential question, “To what extent do our assessments align with our values as a community, as defined through the Strategic Plan?” Dr. Patrick said, “We look forward to getting helpful feedback at this very early stage in the implementation of our strategic plan which is of course centered on the big ideas for learning, living, and leading.”
In closing, Dr. Patrick spoke about the State budget that was adopted last week, stating, “I am happy to report that Scarsdale’s Foundation Aid number matches the Governor's proposal of a 2% increase, and reflects what we budgeted for 2025-26 to the dollar. Expense-based aids are down by $8,526 based on various +'s and -'s. Our proposed budget reflects an aid amount above the State's aid run (after removing UPK, a program we do not have) because the BOCES projection by the State does not reflect all of the expenses we expect to incur this year. Therefore, since the latest aid run is only $8,525 less than our proposed budget, we believe our proposed budget remains reasonable and attainable."
In Board members' reports, Ms. Dembitzer reported that on April 23rd, she and Ms. Hahn attended the NYSSBA webinar Leading Together - Welcoming and Supporting Student Leadership on your Board to help school districts successfully welcome their new student Board members. Ms. Dembitzer also reported that she and Ms. Hahn hosted a Board Coffee on April 24th and topics of discussion included the hours of the SHS Math Center and the draft policy for students and electronic devices, among others.
Cabinet Updates: Dr. Patrick introduced Cabinet Members to provide the following updates:
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Business/Operations: Mr. Lennon provided updates on the following:
Food Service Program: Following a review by the Food Service Committee and PTAs, the District will return to using My School Bucks as the primary source of funding for student meal accounts in grades K-12. We will continue to use the Nutrislice platform for all pre-ordered meals in September. Meals will be manually entered into My School Bucks daily. This adjustment will improve the ordering process for elementary parents, maintain safety for students with food allergies and dietary restrictions, and reduce the credit card fees charged to the program. Mr. Lennon provided a brief overview of the State’s Universal Free School Meals Program which is part of the newly enacted 2025-26 State budget; and the preliminary processes that the District will have to go through to take advantage of the program. He noted that though there will not be universal free meals in Scarsdale in September, the District’s Food Service Team will work to better understand the requirements of this new option and determine the next steps for the possibility of implementing them in the future. -
A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated High School Auditorium was held on April 28th. It is anticipated that the remaining ‘punch-list’ items to finalize the project will be completed this summer.
The roof replacement project in the High School band room was completed over spring break. The District received (13) bidders for the Heathcote chimney repair project. The three lowest bids were reviewed by BBS Architects and the District Facilities team. It was determined that the bid will be awarded to OK Construction Corp., which will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting.
Mr. Lennon announced the retirement of Mike Paterra, Director of Facilities, effective June 2025. Mr. Lennon noted that Mr. Paterra has served the District for 36 years and will be greatly missed.
Human Resources and Leadership Development: Ms. Troy welcomed and introduced probationary appointments on the Certified Personnel Report for the 2025-26 school year including the recommendation to appoint Dr. Lori Leibowitz as Assistant Principal at Fox Meadow Elementary School.
Public Comment: Members of the community were invited to address the Board. No one spoke in person or remotely.
Written Communications: Mr. Dugan reported the Board had received (18) messages since the April 7th Board Meeting, as listed in the Board meeting agenda, all of which received a response from the Board and/or District Administration.
Consent Agenda: The Board approved the items on the Consent Agenda, including the Personnel Report.
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| INFORMATION/DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS |
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Information Items and Discussion: The Board considered items under the Information/Discussion portion of the agenda:
Kevin Walsh, BBS Architects, provided an update on the work of the Capital Projects Steering Committee and answered questions submitted by Board members. Mr. Walsh noted that he will present a more extensive update at the June Board meeting, including the charge of the committee, and the input received from students on a potential 2026 Bond Referendum. Lisa Zareski, District Treasurer, presented the Treasurer’s Report for March 2025, the Revenue Status Report, and the Appropriation Status Summary Report. Ms. Zareski answered Board member's questions regarding the reports. In accordance with District Policy 6150, the Board of Education must approve all transfers of funds in excess of $25,000. Ms. Zareski presented the budget transfers that will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting. Education Report: Year-End-Updates on Elementary Math and the Rolling Gradebook: Laura Weiss, High School Assistant Principal, presented the SHS Assessment Committee Update and answered questions submitted by Board members. Dr. Patrick presented the report: Impacts from Feedback Related to Elementary Mathematics. Dr. Patrick addressed the questions and comments submitted by Board members. The video of the presentation can be viewed here. Ms. Hahn presented the third reading of draft Policy 2245 - Ex Officio Student Board of Education Member and Exhibit. Board members discussed the policy and exhibit, however, no further revisions were recommended, therefore, they will be presented to the Board for adoption at the June 9th Board meeting. Dr. Patrick presented the second reading of Draft Policy 5695 - Students and Personal Electronic Devices noting the new revisions made to the policy to comply with Education Law §2803, as described in the background information of the Board meeting agenda. Board members asked questions, sought clarification on the implementation of the new policy, and discussed advocacy opportunities and the timing of such. The policy will be presented to the Board for another reading on June 9th, and provided no further revisions are recommended, the policy will be presented to the Board for adoption. Westchester Putnam School Board Association (WPSBA) Administrative Budget and Board of Directors Slate, 2025-26: Mr. Schulhof, speaking as the WPSBA Board liaison, provided information regarding the District’s relationship with WPSBA and the services they provide. He then presented the 2025-26 proposed budget and Nominating Committee slate that will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting. Ms. Hahn provided background information on the annual process for Board succession for Board Officers for the upcoming school year as stated in Policy 2220 - Board Officers. She asked her fellow Board members to reach out with any interest in serving as an officer. An update will be provided before the July 1st Organizational Meeting. Ms. Hahn provided a brief overview of the Board’s process for evaluating the Superintendent annually, as outlined in Board Policy 0320 - Evaluation of the Superintendent. She also reviewed the two formal feedback structures in place, the 2024-25 Superintendent Goals and Evaluation instrument, and noted that the Board used the online platform SuperEval again this year. -
Dr. Patrick reviewed the gift proposals over $1,000 for the Board’s review and discussion:
With no further discussion or information requested, the gifts will be presented to the Board for approval at the June 9th Board meeting.
Action Items
The Board approved the 2025-26 District Safety and Emergency Management Plan, the 2025-26 WPSBA Administrative Budget and Board of Directors Slate, budget transfers, and gift proposals to Edgewood and Fox Meadow Elementary Schools.
Hearing From Those Present: Members of the public were invited to address the Board. No one spoke in person, two people spoke remotely.
Follow-Up Items: In response to a comment about an elementary math survey, Dr. Patrick shared that the parent survey is forthcoming and the evening’s presentation referenced other forms of feedback.
Adjournment: The Board adjourned the meeting at 10:03 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
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