Audit Committee Meeting: At 6:00 p.m., Mr. Dugan convened the Board as the Audit Committee, noting that all committee members were present, and he pointed out that the whole Board serves as the Audit Committee. Mr. Lennon introduced Mark Callinan and Scott Oling from PKF O’Connor Davies, and thanked them and District Treasurer Lisa Zareski for a successful and efficient process this year. Mr. Oling presented the External Auditor Report and Corrective Action Plan. Mr. Lennon also reviewed and explained the recommendations for the Corrective Action Plan and the actions being taken. 

Audit Committee members presented questions that Mr. Lennon and Mr. Oling answered. Mr. Oling noted that they are required to also conduct a Federal compliance report associated with Federal grant money the District receives, and will do so once the guidelines are finalized by the Federal government.

Mr. Dugan noted that the Internal Auditor’s Report was not finalized for the evening’s meeting, but will be presented to the Audit Committee for review at the November 17th Board meeting. Mr. Dugan also explained that following the Audit Committee Meeting, the Board will convene a Public Hearing, followed by the Business Meeting, and he noted the order of the agenda items and opportunities for public comment.

The Audit Committee voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Education acceptance of the External Audit Report and the Corrective Action Plans that will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting.

Public Hearing: At 6:28 p.m., Mr. Dugan convened a Public Hearing to hear comments from community groups and individuals on the revised District-Wide Safety and Emergency Management Plan, noting that all Board members were present as well as Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet. Mr. Rauschenbach reviewed the revisions to the Plan, which has been posted on the District website for the past 30 days for public comment. 

Mr. Dugan opened the floor to public comment.  No one spoke in person or virtually.

Business Meeting: Mr. Dugan called the Business Meeting to order at 6:31 p.m., noting that all Board members were present, including the two student Board members (Jim Dugan, President; Colleen Brown, Vice President; Leah Dembitzer; Suzie Hahn; Robert Klein; Laura Liu; Amber Yusuf; Lucy Eisenberg; and Anish Mehta), and Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Dugan provided a brief recap of the Audit Committee Meeting and the Public Hearing for the updated District-wide Emergency Management Plan held just prior to the Business Meeting. 

Mr. Dugan also provided a brief overview of the Capital Projects Bond update and Demographer’s Report scheduled for later in the meeting, noting, “We also look forward to continuing our discussion of the proposed bond project, and we will review publicly for the first time a Demographer's Report that will assist the Board in considering what projects should be included in the bond, as well as potential alternatives to costly construction work to address potential over-population issues at the Fox Meadow School. Just to emphasize this, because there has been some confusion on this topic, the Demographer’s Report includes a very preliminary redistricting discussion, which contemplates rezoning 60 households from Fox Meadow to Greenacres. We want to be clear that this rezoning discussion is not a proposal from the District that the Board is considering acting on at the present time. It is an analysis that we wanted to consider to assist us in our assessment of how best to address overcrowding at Fox Meadow, but it is not a formal District proposal at this time, and we are not poised to act on any redistricting proposal at this meeting.”

Additionally, Mr. Dugan noted that the Board and Administration will be considering the results of the October 16th Feedback Session and the District-wide survey on the proposed 2026 Capital Projects Bond that closed on Friday, October 24th, and he added that an additional Feedback Session will be held on Thursday, November 6th, at 7:00 p.m., via Zoom and he said, “We very much hope that folks will continue to participate in this process to the fullest extent possible.”  

In closing, Mr. Dugan provided an overview of the Board’s annual school tours that are in progress, and the Board Coffees scheduled for Wednesday, November 19th, at 10:00 a.m., and Wednesday, December 3rd, at 7:00 p.m. in Room 170-172 of the High School.

Dr. Patrick added his welcome, thanked the Scarsdale community for their high level of engagement over the past few weeks around the proposed Capital Projects Bond, and provided an overview of the work to date, noting, “We benefit greatly from the feedback shared by our stakeholders, and that feedback helps to shape and inform both recommendations and decisions. I think we also know from experience that people join the process at different stages along the way, so I thought I would try to provide a brief recap of the last six weeks of this journey.” Additionally, he added, “I will note that while the discussion will take place for the first time in just a little while, the Board and Administration have received a great deal of feedback on the redistricting analysis of the Demographic Study, which took some members in our community by surprise. I think it is important to reiterate that there are no current plans to redraw elementary boundaries, and no action will be taken tonight. Both the demographic study and redistricting analysis are designed to provide data to the Board and Administration to inform the weighing of potential alternatives related to enrollment pressure at our schools. Of course, we will keep the Scarsdale community informed of any and all future discussions on this and all topics related to the Capital Projects Bond work that is underway.”

Dr. Patrick also reported that on Friday, October 24th, Scarsdale High School hosted Global Citizenship Day, and 53 different sessions were held across a wide range of topics, including a very special Keynote speaker, Zuriel Oduwole. Dr. Patrick extended his gratitude to the Global Citizenship Day committee members for their efforts to create such an impactful day of learning for our students. 

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

• Tuesday, November 4: Election Day (Supt’s Conf. Day) - Schools closed for students

• Tuesday, November 11: Veterans Day (Schools Closed)

Board members presented the following reports:

• Ms. Dembitzer reported that on October 10th, she and Board member Liu attended the Westchester Putnam School Board Association's (WPSBA) “School Desk Friday Lunchtime Webinar Series.” This session focused on negotiations from a legal and financial perspective. She added that the webinar was extremely informative and covered key notes related to assessing financial aspects and Board authorization, the role of the Board, the Taylor Law, and subjects of negotiations.

• Ms. Hahn provided three reports:

  • On October 22nd, she and Board member Liu toured Greenacres School with Principal Trish Iasiello and Assistant Principal Sharon De Lorenzo. They viewed new areas of the building as a result of the 2018 Bond, including a Kindergarten nook and the new wing for 4th and 5th-grade classrooms. She noted that it was a delight to see the students learning and joyfully engaged, and she thanked Ms. Iasiello and Ms. De Lorenzo for their time. 

  • On October 7th, she and Board member Yusuf attended the first Health Advisory Committee Meeting with representatives from UMR and KBM Management. The group conducted a year-end review of the 24-25 program and discussed ways to further improve the plan. The next quarterly meeting is scheduled for January. 

  • On October 16th, she attended the New York School Boards Association (NYSSBA) Annual Meeting with over 350 district delegates. She reported that the 24 resolutions that were approved are the basis of NYSSBA’s platform for this year’s advocacy efforts. Ms. Hahn also provided information on NYSSBA’s convention that she attended in New York City, noting the wonderful opportunity to learn from the presenters and meet Board members from other districts.

• Ms. Liu provided two reports:

  • On October 17th, she and Board members Brown and Hahn toured the Edgewood School. She remarked on the informative and inspiring student work in the hallways; she noted the strengths and challenges of the spaces, including the areas used for special services and annexes without windows; and the new Library funded by the 2014 Bond that illustrates how facility improvements can impact student learning.

  • On October 24th, she and Board member Dembitzer toured the Heathcote School. She noted that it is a well-maintained building with a new Multi-Purpose Room funded by the 2018 Bond, and student engagement was a delight to see. Air conditioning is a high priority, the library requires a renovation, and spaces are needed for specials.

Student Board members gave the following reports:

• Lucy Eisenberg reported that she, Anish Mehta, and members of the SHS PTA had the opportunity to attend the SHS Government House meeting, share the plans for the Capital Bond Project proposal, hear feedback from students, and encourage the group to reach out with questions or suggestions. She added that they will collaborate with Dr. Patrick on the student responses to the Capital Bond Project survey to ensure that all students’ voices are heard. She also noted that the group discussed the introduction of the Rolling Gradebook, shared feedback on the program so far this year, and expressed interest in seeing how the program will play out as the year goes on.  

• Anish Mehta provided information on the SHS Student Government Community Dinner on Monday, November 3rd, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Student Government will provide food from Pizzarelli’s, Gianonni’s, and Jade Spoon. Tickets are $25.00 each on MySchoolBucks or $20 each if purchased in cash through a Student Government representative. All proceeds will be donated to My Sisters’ Place.

• Mr. Mehta also reported that earlier in the day, the first student Board member update, the Ex Officio Student Scoop, was submitted to the Maroon and is available on the Maroon website. He noted that the reports are intended to keep the student population updated on the topics discussed at Board meetings and to improve the Board’s student outreach efforts. 

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

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

  • The Food Service Committee met on October 21st and reviewed the pros and cons of joining the National School Lunch Program. The Committee is in the process of reviewing questions related to menu and al a carte options, the potential financial impact, and unintended consequences, that must be answered before communicating information out to the community. Mr. Lennon thanked the Committee for their work and noted that additional information will be brought to the Board in early winter. 

  • The status of previously approved District-wide capital projects is as follows:

    • The stream dredging project remains in the permitting process with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working with District engineers. Once approval is received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Environmental Conservation, the District can begin the dredging of the stream to help mitigate the flooding issues at the High School. 

    • Preliminary work is underway for the SHS practice field project; soil samples are being collected for integration into the design; and once finalized, the plans will be submitted to the State for approval with the anticipation of breaking ground for the project this summer. 

    • Bid openings began last week for contractors to work on District-wide exterior projects that were included in the 2024-25 budget. The Facilities Department and BBS Architects are vetting the contractors for the projects with the hope of presenting the bid awards to the Board in November to begin some of the work before winter. 

• Mr. Rauschenbach reported that the District Safety Team, consisting of multi-stakeholder groups, had their first meeting of the school year on October 16th. The meeting was focused on the year's projects, including the installation of door ajar sensors before the December break and the replacement of outdated cameras, mainly around the High School. The Team also discussed traffic concerns and where the crossing guards are stationed, specifically at Quaker Ridge. The Scarsdale Police Department will review the traffic patterns at Quaker Ridge over the next few weeks. Concerns regarding student drop-offs at undesignated locations around the District were also discussed. Mr. Rauschenbach answered questions asked by Board members. 

Hearing From Those Present: Community members were invited to address the Board. Eleven people spoke in person. Six people spoke virtually. 

Follow-up to Public Comment: In response to a speaker's inquiry about whether the District’s reserves will be needed for costs related to the District-wide Safety Management Plan, Mr. Rauschenbach stated that these costs are factored into the annual budget. Dr. Patrick expressed appreciation for the thoughtful, considered public comment that was delivered respectfully, and he noted that the concerns and matters raised will be addressed during the Capital Bonds Project Update later in the meeting.

Written Communications: Ms. Brown reported the Board had received (23) 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. *Ms. Brown noted that the emails received after October 21st will be listed in the November 17th Board meeting agenda.

Consent Agenda: The Board approved the items on the Consent Agenda, including the Personnel Report. Ms. Troy announced three retirements effective January 2026:

• Carolyn Rossetti, from her position as Personnel Clerk. Ms. Rossetti has served the District for over 27 years. 

• Lori Ricciardi, from her position as Secretary to the Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services. Ms. Ricciardi has served the District for over 31 years. 

• Resa Lamadore, from her position as Secretary to the Principal of Greenacres School. Ms. Lamadore has served the District for over 25 years.