Special Meeting: At 5:00 p.m., Suzie Hahn, Board of Education President, convened a Special Meeting with a group of high school students. Topics discussed were the community lunch pilot program, the rolling gradebook, grading transparency, the students and personal electronic devices draft policy, and having an ex-officio student member on the Board of Education.   

Special Meeting: At 6:00 p.m., Ms. Hahn 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.

Audit Committee Meeting: At 6:31 p.m., Ms. Hahn convened the Board as the Audit Committee and noted that all committee members were present except for Mr. Schulhof. Mr. Lennon introduced Dimitris Bantileskas, Nawrocki Smith, LLP, who presented the Internal Audit Executive Summary/Initial Risk Assessment Report - December 2024, the Corrective Action Plan (CAP), and reviewed the report, summary of ratings and recommendations, and the recommended internal focus audit areas for consideration for the 2024-25 school year. Audit Committee members reviewed and discussed the recommended areas and reached a consensus to select the area of health insurance benefits reconciliation. Mr. Lennon pointed out that the three recommended areas indicated in the CAP are in progress.

The Audit Committee voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Education acceptance of the Internal Auditor’s Report/Annual Risk Assessment Update Pertaining to the Internal Controls of District Operations and the CAP. 

Business Meeting: Ms. Hahn called the Business Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., noting that all Board members were present, except for Mr. Schulhof. Dr. Patrick and members of his administrative Cabinet were also present. 

Ms. Hahn reported that earlier in the evening, the Board met with student representatives from the High School, noting that the meeting is a good opportunity for the Board to hear from the students directly and discuss topics. The group discussed the community lunch pilot program, the rolling gradebook and grading transparency, the draft policy for students and personal electronic devices, and having an ex-officio student member on the Board of Education. Ms. Hahn thanked the students for sharing their perspectives with the Board, and she thanked the students who contacted the Board with feedback during the budget process.

Ms. Hahn also reported that just before the Business Meeting, the Board met as the Audit Committee to hear reports from the District's Internal Auditors, Nawrocki Smith, regarding their Risk Assessment Report and Corrective Action Plan for identified items. The Audit Committee voted to accept the reports that will be presented to the Board for action later in the meeting.

Dr. Patrick added his welcome and, with a heavy heart, shared the news of the unexpected death of Julia Queck, a Heathcote first-grade teacher. Dr. Patrick spoke about Julia and her contributions to Scarsdale Schools, “Julia and her co-teaching partner, Deborah Rubin, provided a warm, nurturing, supportive environment for students as they have developed throughout the year. Julia leaves behind a loving husband and two young children. This is a heartbreaking loss for her family, and for our students, staff, and parents. -- We extend our deepest sympathy to the Queck Family. I ask you all to join me in a brief moment of silence for Julia.”

Dr. Patrick updated the community with the background, status, and actions taken regarding two payment penalties received from the IRS. He stated that the District’s tax counsel has been consulted, and we await a response from the IRS and will provide an update at a future Board meeting. 

Dr. Patrick also shared that the SHS Math team had another stellar performance at the annual NYS Mathematics League (NYSML) Championship, he thanked the coach and chaperones and congratulated the team. Students also recently performed well at the NYS Speech and Debate Championships, and Dr. Partick reviewed the results and congratulated the student participants. He also reported that end-of-year events are starting to take place, including the SHS Science Symposium and the annual student talent showcase, Jabberfest, that will be held in the newly renovated SHS Auditorium. He extended a public thank you to Mr. Lennon and the Facilities Team; Mr. Bonamo and the High School Administration; Dr. David Graybill, Theater Director; and our partners at BBS for all of the work that led to this exciting opening. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on April 28th at 7:00 p.m., before the SHS Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble spring performances.

In closing, Dr. Patrick noted the upcoming important dates:

• April 12-20: Passover

• April 14-18: Spring Recess - Schools Closed

• April 20: Easter

• April 22: Earth Day

• April 24: Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day, anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

In Board members' reports, Ms. Dembitzer, speaking as the liaison to the Safe Coalition, provided information on the spring program entitled It Ends With Us: A Film Discussion, led by SFCS Youth Outreach Workers. The program will explore the film’s depiction of domestic violence and examine whether it gives the audience an accurate illustration of the complexities surrounding this topic. The program will be held on Wednesday, April 30th, at 7:00 p.m. and will also be livestreamed. More information can be found on the Scarsdale Library website.

Information Items and Discussion

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

• Lisa Zareski, District Treasurer, presented the Treasurer’s Report for February 2025 and answered questions submitted by Board member(s). 

• Mr. Lennon introduced Kevin J. Walsh, Partner at BBS Architects, to provide an update on the work of the Capital Projects Steering Committee. Mr. Walsh presented an overview of the firm’s preliminary processes, which began in January, to refamiliarize themselves with the District’s buildings and facilities, and to build a consensus on the potential scope of work for a bond referendum for the Committee’s review. Mr. Walsh presented the considerations for the scope of work, prioritizations, the continuation of past capital projects and innovative spaces, the timeline, and next steps. He noted that there is a meeting this week with high school students to gather feedback and gain a better understanding of what students are looking for and the most efficient use of multipurpose spaces. Board members asked questions that were addressed by Mr. Walsh.  

• Mr. Rauschenbach provided an overview of the District’s process and State requirements to review and adopt the District-wide Safety & Emergency Management Plan annually. He reviewed the 2025-26 District Safety Plan Updates and explained that the evening’s discussion begins the State-required 30-day public comment period on the Plan before its adoption on May 12th. Mr. Rauschenbach encouraged community members to email comments to Eric Rauschenbach or the Board of Education. Board members provided comments and asked questions that Mr. Rauschenbach answered.

• Before Dr. Patrick’s first reading of draft Policy 5695 - Students and Personal Electronic Devices, Ms. Hahn stated that the process for this policy differed from other policies in that community members’ comments and feedback were sought to better inform the development of the policy. Dr. Patrick reviewed the edits made to the policy based on the feedback received, and Board members presented questions, expressed concerns, and sought clarification regarding the implementation of the policy. The second reading of the policy will be presented at the May 12th Board meeting.

• Ms. Hahn presented the second reading of draft Policy 2245 - Ex Officio Student Board of Education Member and Exhibit. Ms. Yusuf read remarks expressing concerns about the residency requirement currently outlined in the policy, noting that, as written, she would not support it. Board members echoed Ms. Yusuf’s concerns, reached a consensus to remove the residency requirement from the policy, and provided additional revisions to the policy. Ms. Hahn thanked her fellow Board members for their feedback and confirmed that the revisions will be added to the draft policy for the second reading on May 12th.

• Board Budget Insight Letter: The Board reviewed and approved the draft of the annual Board letter that will be included in the District’s budget newsletter -- Insight, the informational guide to the proposed 2025-26 budget.

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

  • Fox Meadow Elementary School

With no further discussion or information requested, the gifts will be presented to the Board for approval at the May 12th Board meeting.

Action Items

Each Board member shared their thoughts and conveyed support for the 2025-26 Budget Resolution prior to the Board adopting the 2025-26 Budget Resolution, Property Tax Report Card, and gift proposals to Fox Meadow, the five elementary schools and the Middle School, and the District fields.

Hearing From Those Present: Members of the public were invited to address the Board. One person spoke in person and one person spoke remotely. 

Wrap-Up Items: Dr. Patrick reiterated that the policies presented earlier in the meeting will be revised according to the feedback received and presented for another reading at the next Board meeting. 

Adjournment: The Board adjourned the meeting at 9:34 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