Business Meeting: Mr. Dugan called the Business Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., noting six Board members were present, and two student Board members (Jim Dugan, President; Colleen Brown, Vice President; Leah Dembitzer; Suzie Hahn; Laura Liu; and Amber Yusuf; Lucy Eisenberg; Anish Mehta). Robert Klein was unable to attend the meeting. Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet were also present.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Dugan thanked those attending the meeting and, as the week-long holiday Sukkot began at sundown, he wished all those celebrating a happy holiday. 

Mr. Dugan provided some context on the Capital Projects Bond update that will be presented later in the meeting. He noted, “It is worth reminding ourselves that the proposed bond work is the result of a steering committee, composed of community members, parents, educators, BOE members, and students, which undertook a process over several months and multiple meetings, guided by our architectural firm, BBS Architects, of reviewing, in a detailed way, the capital needs of the District to address much needed repair and renovation work involving all seven of our buildings, as well as our playing fields. Their resulting proposal is now before us, and, as we indicated during our last meeting, we believe it is of vital importance to put their proposal before the broader community and to encourage public review and comment on it. To that end, the District has scheduled two listening sessions in the coming weeks: one in this room on Thursday, October 16, at 7:00 p.m., and one via Zoom on Thursday, November 6, also at 7:00 p.m., where people will have an opportunity to ask questions and offer their opinions. In addition, the District will be launching a detailed survey designed to capture the community’s reaction to various components of the proposal, including the overall cost. We very much hope that everyone will participate in this process to the fullest extent possible. Your voice is important.”

In closing, Mr. Dugan announced that the Board will be hosting two Community Coffees this fall -- November 19th at 10:00 a.m. and December 3rd at 7:00 p.m., and he encouraged all to attend.

Dr. Patrick added his welcome and, in recognition of the New York State School Board Association’s (NYSSBA) School Board Recognition Week (October 13-17), he acknowledged the contributions of our seven Scarsdale Board Members and two ex officio student Board members. Dr. Patrick added, “Board members engage in training, serve on committees, act as liaisons, read contracts, memos, and resumes, learn together in Board retreats, engage with community members throughout the Village, and much, much more. Their service to the public is demanding, and they are dedicated to improving the education we provide to our students. They serve as a vital connection between the community they represent and the educators who work toward our vision of a resilient and adaptable learning community that fosters the potential of students and adults alike to live well-balanced lives full of meaning, purpose, impact, and joy.” Each Board member was presented with a small token of appreciation, and on behalf of a grateful school community, Dr. Patrick thanked them for their service.

In closing, Dr. Patrick provided important dates to note: 

• October 6th, the Mid-Autumn Festival is observed by millions of people across East Asia on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

• October 6th also marks the beginning of Sukkot, known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, which is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days in the autumn.

• Schools are closed on Monday, October 13th, for Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day. 

• Schools are closed for students on Monday, October 20th, for Diwali. Dr. Patrick acknowledged all in our community who observe the Hindu festival of Diwali, which celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.

Board members presented the following reports:

• Ms. Hahn provided information on the Scarsdale Adult School program with guest speaker Scott Levy, author of Why School Boards Matter, which she attended on September 30th with fellow Board members.

• Ms. Yusuf reported she attended the 2025 Homecoming Football Game on Friday, September 26th, with fellow Board members, and she congratulated the team and coaches for their win. She also reported on the first exhibition of the Creative Photography Club at The Positive Space Gallery that she recently attended, noting that parents will have the opportunity to see the exhibit during the parent-teacher conferences at the High School.

• Ms. Brown, speaking as the liaison to the Scarsdale Safe Coalition, provided information on the upcoming Unity Day, on October 22nd, which raises awareness around bullying. People are encouraged to wear orange to express support and symbolize safety, ability, and unity.

• Mr. Dugan reported he attended the Quaker Ridge garden ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, October 1st, with fellow Board members. He added that it was a wonderful event.  

Student Board members gave the following reports:

• Anish Mehta provided an update on the implementation of the new policy - Students and Personal Electronic Devices at the High School. He reported that the use of phones has significantly decreased, and the implementation of the policy has been successful thus far.

• Lucy Eisenberg reported that she was one of four ambassadors who recently represented Scarsdale High School (SHS) at the Round Square International Conference in Dubai. She noted that SHS was the only public school (out of 155 schools located in 28 different countries) at the conference, and after attending the conference, she feels better suited to engage in meaningful discussions around combating global warming and finding relatable ways to communicate with others.

• Mr. Mehta provided a follow-up to his September 15th report on the plans for Student Board Member Reports in the digital editions of Maroon. He stated that the October 6th Board meeting will be the first one featured in the update once it is reviewed by the Board and District administration.

Cabinet Updates: Dr. Patrick introduced Cabinet Members to provide the following updates. 

• Curriculum: Dr. McIntosh invited all to attend the October 27th Education Report that will include a review of the State assessments, metrics, and college acceptance standardized measures; and the findings from the May Tri-State Consortium visit that focused on the question, "To what extent do our assessments align with our values as a community, as defined through the Strategic Plan?”

• Business: Mr. Lennon provided updates on the following and answered Board questions: 

  • The Food Service Committee, which is composed of representatives from the PTC and PTAs, District administrators from each level, food service management representatives, Tara Cook, Director of Dining Services, and the District’s consultant, met on September 30th. The Committee reviewed and considered updated information on the National School Lunch Program, including the timeline, and focused on four key areas: the menu and food offerings; operations and administration impacts; the financial analysis and stakeholder communication; and the allocation process. An informed decision and recommendation will be brought to the Board this winter. 

  • In September, Moody’s reaffirmed a triple-A rating on an existing bond and the High School Auditorium bond. 13 bids were received on September 30th, with the lowest bid having a total interest cost of 3.11%.

  • Due to a delay in receiving the actuarial report required for the audited financial statements, the meeting of the Audit Committee to review the External Audit report was moved to the October 27th Board meeting. 

Hearing From Those Present: Community members were invited to address the Board. One person spoke in person. No one spoke virtually. 

Follow-up to Public Comment: Dr. Patrick reviewed the preamble for public comment for newcomers and addressed the concerns voiced with respect to Edgewood and the feedback received thus far. He added that we are in the learning and discussion phase of the process, and later in the evening, another update on the Capital Projects Bond planning will be presented. He expressed appreciation for all of the input received so far, which will inform the Board and Administration’s thinking and recommendations throughout the process.

Written Communications: Ms. Brown reported the Board had received (30) emails from members of the community since the last report, 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.