SCHOOL BUDGET

Thursday, March 11, 2021
9 am via Zoom
Meeting ID: 839 5437 9665
Password: 985514

LWVS held its annual general membership information session regarding the preliminary 2021-22 Scarsdale School District Budget. Superintendent of Schools Thomas Hagerman, Assistant Superintendent for Business Stuart Mattey, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Drew Patrick, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Edgar McIntosh, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services Eric Rauschenbach, Director of Instructional Technology Jerry Crisci, and Board of Education President Pam Fuehrer were present to answer questions. The Information session was open to the public. A consensus discussion followed immediately for LWVS members only. The 2021 LWVS School Budget Consensus Statement was presented at the Community Budget Forum on Monday, March 22, 2021. Follow this link to view the proposed 2021-22 School Budget.

Follow these links to the LWVS Questions and District Responses (March 10, 2021) and to the LWVS Consensus Questions for the meeting that followed the information session. Follow this link to the LWVS Budget Questions and District Responses from the November 18, 2020, Budget Forum. For purposes of the Zoom presentation and discussion, attendees were strongly encouraged to review these materials in advance.

The current draft 2021-22 School Budget is $166,862,755, up 2.56% from the approved 2020-21 School Budget. The projected increase in the tax levy is 2.15% and the tax cap is 2.16%. The projected tax rate increase is 1.93% for the Town of Scarsdale and 6.28% for the Town of Mamaroneck. The current draft of the 2021-22 School Budget is $19,065 below the tax cap.

Some highlights of the draft 2021-22 School Budget are: 

• Contractual salary increases for all employees, 15.0 FTE teacher retirements, and proposed increased staffing, totaling $2.167 million. Increased staffing includes:  
  • 1.0 FTE Elementary School Special Education Integrated Co-Teaching
  • 1.0 FTE High School Special Education Learning Resource Center 
  • 0.4 FTE High School Speech Teacher
  • 0.2 FTE Middle School Psychologist’s Secretary
  • 5.0 FTE Cleaners, one for each elementary school
• District’s self-funded medical insurance budget anticipated to increase by 5.5% due to plan experience and employee contributions, totaling $922,000.
• Budget appropriations funded by assigned fund balance (no tax impact) totaling $800,000 for Covid-related contingencies including:
• 2.0 FTE teachers for remote learning, totaling $220,000
• Funding for other unanticipated non-recurring costs associated with COVID-19, totaling $330,000
• Elementary summer enrichment program (2021), totaling $250,000

For more information, please contact Suzie Hahn, LWVS School Budget Chair, at LWVSschoolbudget@gmail.com.

LOCAL, COUNTY, AND STATE LEAGUE PROGRAM

On Monday, February 8, 2021, LWVS held its annual general membership and consensus meeting to discuss programming for LWVS (to be proposed for adoption at the LWVS Annual Meeting in May), for the Westchester County League for the upcoming year (to be communicated to the LWVW board for its consideration), and for the State League (to be communicated to the LWVNYS board for its consideration).

Follow this link to the full agenda for Healthcare Concurrence and Program Consensus Meeting, complete with links to all supporting material.

Follow this link to the LWVS Proposed Local Program for 2021-22 to be presented for adoption at the annual meeting in May. Follow this link for the LWVW Program for 2020-21 and the LWVS Comments to LWVW re the County Program for 2021-22. Follow this link for the LWVNYS Program Planning Packet for 2021-23 and the LWVS Recommendations to LWVNYS.

UPDATES TO TWO LWVNYS HEALTHCARE POSITIONS

On Monday, February 8, 2021, LWVS held a concurrence meeting for the purpose of considering updates to two LWVNYS Healthcare Positions. Follow this link to the LWVS Response.

The concurrence questions addressed were:

• Do you accept the new position on Healthcare?
• Do you accept the new position on Financing of Healthcare?

An answer of “no” to either question retains the current position; “yes” accepts the proposed new position.

Attendees were encouraged to review the following materials in advance:

• LWVNYS Update on Healthcare and the Financing of Healthcare (2019-21) Materials
• LWVNYS Participant Guide for Concurrence on Two Proposed Updated Positions

For LWVW held three free informational workshops for attendees To learn more about the two healthcare positions and the concurrence process, view the LWVW informational workshop recorded on January 11, 2021.

SCHOOL ELECTION SYSTEM

On Monday, January 25, 2021, LWVS held its annual general membership information session regarding this year’s School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) election. Kathy Gray, current SBNC Administrative Committee Election Chair, was present to answer questions. The Information session was open to the public and is posted below. Follow this link to the SBNC Administrative Committee Election Chair’s Written Report. Follow this link to the LWVS 2020 SBNC Election Consensus Statement.

For more information, please contact Jyoti Ruta, LWVS School Election System Chair, at LWVS.ses@gmail.com.

VILLAGE ELECTION SYSTEM

On Monday, December 7, 2020, LWVS held its annual general membership information session regarding this year’s Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC) election. Procedure Committee Chair Sarit Kessel Fuchs presented and answered questions with the assistance of Procedure Committee member and past chair Madelaine Eppenstein. The information session was open to the public and is posted below.

Follow this link to the Information Session Agenda with Procedure Committee Written Responses. Follow this link to the LWVS 2020 CNC Election Consensus Statement.

For more information, please contact Diane Baylor, LWVS Village Election System Chair, at LWVS.ves@gmail.com.