BOE Business Meeting 2026-6-8

001Good evening. I'd like to call this special meeting to order and note that all board members are present. Sorry, is there an echo? We are joined by Superintendent Dr. Patrick, as well as members of his administrative cabinet. Thank you to all those joining us for this special retirement ceremony in the audience, on the live stream, or over Zoom. And without further ado, I'd like to turn things over to Dr. Troy. All right. Good evening. Thank you very much. I appreciate it, Susie. Good evening, everyone. And I'd like to add my welcome. We're delighted tonight to recognize our retiring teachers and administrators. Scarsdale Public Schools seek to sponsor each student's full development, enabling our youth to be effective and independent contributors in a democratic society and an interdependent world. We emphasize educating the whole child while

002developing a sustained love of learning. We challenge our students to learn actively and collaboratively. to think critically and creatively, and to make connections locally and globally. Non-civi, not for oneself alone, is an overriding philosophy that recognizes the impact our community can have on a world full of complex problems that need to be solved for the benefit of all people. The magic that brings this ambitious set of goals to life is found in the developmental relationships that our extraordinary educators form with their students. This evening, we are recognizing a group of educators who together have served the district for 320 years. These remarkable individuals approach the work of teaching, learning, counseling, and leading as a mission and as a service to our community. Their talent, their decisions, their care, their curricula, and their passions brought the

003mission to life for students. They created opportunities for thousands of Scarsdale students to experience the joy and richness of thinking and problem solving, reading and writing, speaking and listening in English and Spanish, researching and synthesizing, hypothesizing and experimenting, playing and collaborating, creating, practicing. and performing and deciding the next step in their life's journey on behalf of a grateful scarsdale community i thank you all for your distinctive contributions to our students to our schools and to our community congratulations on your well-deserved retirement we wish you joy and happiness as you continue to pursue your passions especially on random weekday mornings unencumbered by the ringing of the first bell I am delighted to turn it over to Megan to say more. Thank you, Drew. I appreciate having the opportunity tonight to congratulate and honor our faculty members

004who are here with us this evening and also those who couldn't be with us. When I think about their collective and individual impact on our students and larger school community, it is truly remarkable. They have helped shape their colleagues to grow and learn. They have supported thousands of Scarsdale families over the years. And they have touched and altered the lives of the many students who sat in their classrooms or in their offices. As they head into retirement, we have so many hopes for them in the future. I'd like to take a moment and read the book, Maybe, a story about the endless potential in all of us, written by Kobe Yamada and illustrated by Gabriella Baruch. Thanks, Drew. So it starts with, have you ever wondered why you are here? You are the only you

005there ever has been or ever will be. You have so much to offer. Maybe you will invent something that no one has ever seen before. Maybe you will build things that reach high into the sky. Your life is yours. Try as many things as you can try. See as many things as you can see. Wherever you go, take your hopes, pack your dreams, and never forget it is on journeys that discoveries are made. Maybe you will help others see the beauty in each day. Or maybe you will lift cheering crowds onto their feet. Do everything with love. Follow your heart and see where it leads you. Maybe you are here to shine a light into places that have been dark far too long. Maybe you will speak up for those who can't speak for themselves.

006Maybe you are here to help in ways that only you can. There will be struggles, there will be fears, and it won't be easy. At times, it will feel really hard, and you might make a mess of things. You may fall down. You may fail. But you will also get back up, and you'll rise a little stronger and a little taller, because there really is more inside you than you know. And this world needs your gifts, your talents, your big ideas, and maybe you are just getting started. What if you're only scratching the surface of what you can do and who you can be? What if you have talents you haven't discovered yet? There is something powerful, even magical, about you. You already have everything it takes to do big things. Maybe you have no

007idea just how good you really can be. And maybe you don't know how much you matter. But maybe, just maybe, the world has been waiting centuries for someone exactly like you. One thing is for sure, you are here, and because you are here, anything is possible. As you all embark on your retirement, I feel the opening line in this book is incredibly relevant. Have you ever wondered why you are here? You are the only you there ever has been or ever will be. You have so much to offer. The Scarsdale School community has an answer to that first question of why you are here and what you as an individual have offered our children, our families, and your colleagues. And I'd like to share a bit more about those things individually. As an elementary teacher,

008LRC teacher at Edgewood, Julie Abbey... Julie, was always ready to jump in and lend a hand. She could be frequently be heard asking, how can I help or where do you need me? This was evident in her support for students and colleagues and her unending support for the famous Edgewood Talent Show. Her talents were evident in so many ways. PE teacher and longtime coach CeCe Berger has created an environment where students and athletes take risks and push themselves to be better. Beyond knowing the X's and O's, Cece knows how to connect with athletes and teach them to be better teammates and individuals. She has brought her passion for farming and gardening to her colleagues and students in an effort to help us live more sustainably and healthy. I know Cece will continue to pursue this

009passion in retirement. Elementary teacher Sarah Berger has taught students far more than the content in the curriculum and instilled in them important values about appreciating the larger world around them. Her students were her students for life and would often return to share with her the things they had learned and loved about her class. For many, the thousand paper cranes was a learning experience that stayed with them, even leading some to Japan where they witnessed it firsthand. This is just one of the many experiences that connected Sarah's students with the world around them. As Heathcote Assistant Principal, Kathy De La Garza has supported faculty, staff, and students in their growth and development. She has battled the master schedule to create schedules that enhance teaching and learning and has come out victorious. Her central focus has always

010been on the students and what they need to be successful and feel a sense of belonging and connection. Kathy's pursuit of learning is one that is a model for us all and I know is something Kathy will continue into retirement. Rochelle Hauge, assistant principal at the middle school, always puts students first in her decision making. When a student had a misstep, which happens from time to time, Rochelle always used it as a learning moment for the student. In addition, her expertise in special education has been essential to the work of the middle school. She advocates for students who learn differently and makes sure that their voice is one we hear. As she heads into retirement, Rochelle will be sure to enjoy her love of music by going to more concerts with her boys. During her

011time at Scarsdale High School, our teacher, Dena Hofstetter, has built a creative environment and space for all of her students. She's allowed her students to express themselves in ways that are unique to them and has kept her door open to support that expression. Her sense of calm and patience make her an approachable colleague who's able to listen thoughtfully and with care. This was evident in her role she took as a leader in the SCA. She will now have more time to focus on her own artistic creations in retirement. Orrin Isopovich has skillfully been the Director of Counseling at SHS for the past 18 years. He has seen college trends change year by year and has navigated those changes with intelligence and care. Our students and families have benefited from his expertise and his tireless commitment

012to helping them be successful. Beyond his students, Orrin is a consummate support for his colleagues, both those he leads and those he stands alongside. His leadership at the high school will be greatly missed by all. We wish him well in his future professional endeavors and hope he's able to spend more time with family without the hours commuting to Scarsdale. Elementary teacher Amy Kenney has taught fifth grade at Quaker Ridge for most of her career in Scarsdale. While engaging students in all content areas, Amy's heart lies in the area of social studies where she served as the elementary social studies coordinator. She has taught her students to be civically minded individuals who understand how government works. They have learned valuable lessons about history that are relevant today and have helped them be more educated citizens. I

013know that this love and passion for social studies will be something Amy will pursue into retirement so future generations will benefit from this learning. FLES teacher Amy Leppi will be retiring after 34 years of teaching. She's brought world languages to her students and engaged them in colorful and authentic learning. Amy helped to develop what is now the FLES program to what it is today. She's exposed them to other countries and a new world that was unknown to them before stepping foot into her classroom. What a gift to these young learners. Kate Marshall is a Fox Meadow Elementary teacher who's always thought outside the box and been ahead in her thinking. She began the Scarsdale Girls in Engineering Math and Science Gems Club, which encourages students to see themselves as scientists, engineers, tech entrepreneurs, and impactful

014problem solvers. This club has grown across elementary schools and into the high school. Her forward-thinking mindset is something that students and colleagues will remember for her and will emulate in their own teaching. Elementary orchestra teacher Enrique Orengo has helped his students bring beautiful music to their families, teachers, and classmates during his time in Scarsdale. His love and passion for music has turned his students into the same, had the same passion for music. Enrique has established high musical standards for his students and pays attention to every detail. When you hear his students, his student groups play, you can hear and see the influence. And this influence will extend well beyond their time with Enrique. and has established a greater appreciation for music. I'm sure retirement will bring about more time for his own music. Chris Piero

015has taught countless special education students and coached even more athletes in Scarsdale. Chris always brought a sense of calm and care to his students as they navigated learning differences in school. At the same time, Chris was a co-teacher before the ICT model existed in Scarsdale. He seamlessly partnered with many different teachers, particularly in science, and demonstrated flexibility as these partnerships changed each year. As a coach of both football and flag football, Chris helped his athletes understand the why behind the play, and he created a family for them on the field. I know he'll be able to have more time for family, travel, and his graffiti art in retirement. Another PRO is on the list of retirees today, Jeanette, who will be retiring from the elementary classroom after 27 years in Scarsdale. Beyond the highly organized

016environment in her classroom, Jeanette is a frequent face at our athletic events, ensuring that the experience is a positive one for all. This is no easy feat, as athletics can bring about high emotions, but Jeanette does it with ease, grace, and calm. I know she's looking forward to traveling and spending time with family in Italy. and knowing Jeanette, she'll bring probably the absolutely perfect thoughtful gift she's famous for in Scarsdale. Glenn Weil will retire as an elementary teacher at Heathcote School. Glenn's past life involved acting, and his ability to put on a show has served him well as a teacher with our second grade students. He keeps them engaged and entertained all while learning. I hope that Glenn can return to the theater in his personal life, continue to enjoy the big lights of Broadway

017as a theatergoer, and maybe perform himself. You have all helped your students and colleagues achieve so many things mentioned in this book. You have helped them reach high into the sky to see the beauty in each day and to follow their hearts. You've spoken for those who can't speak for themselves and helped in ways that only you can. Thank you for doing all of these things and thank you for your years of service and care you've provided our students, their families, and your colleagues. We wish you a future full of possibilities. And so when I call your name, if you don't mind making your way around the table to be congratulated by all of us and receive a book with a little message from us. So we'll start with Julie Abbey. And Cece Berger. Sarah

018Berger. Kathy De La Garza. Rochelle Hauge. Orin Isipovich. Chris Piero. And Glenn Weil. Maybe one more round of applause for all of our retirees. If you don't mind standing, our retirees. Before we close, on behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to each of our retiring teachers. Throughout your careers, you have done far more than teach lessons. You have encouraged, inspired, supported, and cared for generations of students. The impact you have made extends well beyond the classroom and will be felt for years to come in the lives of those you have helped shape. While we will miss your presence, we celebrate this exciting new chapter and wish you health, happiness, and every joy in a well-deserved retirement. Thank you for leaving such a lasting legacy. And with that,

019would someone like to make a motion to adjourn this special meeting? Thank you, Amber. A second. Thank you, Jim. Any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. The ayes have it and the motion carries. Thank you so much. We'll take a brief recess. Thank you. Thank you and good evening. I'd like to call this business meeting to order and note that all board members are present. We are joined by Superintendent Dr. Patrick as well as members of his administrative cabinet. Welcome to all those who have joined us this evening either in the audience or tuning in on our live stream or via Zoom. For those just joining us, immediately preceding this business meeting, we met in a special meeting to recognize and thank our retiring faculty and staff. At a recent Scarsdale Adult

020School Town Hall speaker discussion, David Siegel, computer scientist and co-founder of Two Sigma, and our superintendent of schools, Dr. Patrick, contemplated the future role of AI in education. David was blunt when he said that AI education tools have so far not shown to have improved learning outcomes in students. His suggestion? To hire more teachers. Our teachers are what makes Scarsdale so special. They are dedicated professionals who have over many years encouraged, inspired, supported, and cared for generations of Scarsdale students. We are deeply grateful to their dedication, compassion, and the countless ways they contribute to our school community. And we wish our retiring faculty and staff much health and happiness in their next chapter. And now on to a couple of updates. On May 26th, I had the pleasure of attending a joint celebration of Jewish

021American Heritage Month and Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which are both celebrated in the month of May. Co-hosted by the Westchester Jewish Council, the OCA of Westchester and Hudson Valley, the AJC American Jewish Committee, along with the White Plains Library, it was a joy to be part of an evening honoring our community's rich heritage and history. Hearing many of our local elected officials share their personal stories served as a reminder of the importance of coming together, uplifting one another, and celebrating the diversity that strengthens our communities, as well as affirming the common values we all share. Thank you for inviting the board to this inspirational evening. Next, as part of the district and village collaboration and partnership, we held our quarterly meeting between the district and village leadership on June 2nd. Topics discussed included

022the return of the A school to the village, common circles, field work improvement updates, and security related issues. The village also shared with us their process and timeline for the possible development of Freightway, including a meeting on June 16th at Village Hall. This meeting will outline their preliminary work to forecast potential school impacts by a Freightway project and provide a first opportunity for community feedback. Thank you to the mayor, village board, and village management for inviting the school's input into the planning process of this important project for our town. Finally, as this is the last business meeting of the board this year, I wanted to express my appreciation to my fellow board members, including our wonderful student ex officio student board members, for all the tremendous work done this year on behalf of our schools.

023The work on the bond in particular was above and beyond. and I'm very proud of the student-centered focus of our board throughout this process and all the other important work the board undertook this year. Lastly, but certainly not least, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Patrick, his cabinet members, administrators, and many faculty and staff members for the incredible amount of critically important work that they have been putting in to create a safe, inclusive, joyous learning environment for our students. We are one Scarsdale, and I know that your extraordinary efforts now will make our community stronger than ever. Thank you, Drew. Thank you, Susie. Good evening, and I add my welcome to everyone to this final business meeting of the school year. As we enter the final weeks of the 2025-26 school

024year, I want to take this opportunity to reflect, but also to forecast. This school year officially began with convocation way back on August 27th. In my remarks to faculty that day, I focused on what we can and must do as educators to reverse the trend of eroding trust in institutions in our nation. I shared my persistent belief in public education as an essential cornerstone of our democracy. I described Scarsdale as an institution with a capital I. Noting that while change can sometimes be frustratingly slow here, that is the cost of having a rich, vibrant, purposeful, and inclusive culture. That culture is human-centered and built through authentic relationships. Relationships with and between students, colleagues, parents, and the broader community. This institution is also a model for what's possible in public education and it is the responsibility

025of each and every one of us to showcase that possibility for the common good non-civi. An important way we do this is by engaging in daily small acts of trust building. We build trust when we ensure our students feel seen, heard, and valued. when they know they matter to us, when we push them to keep getting better, when we help them set and achieve goals, when we treat them with respect and give them a say, and when we broaden their world. We also build trust when we listen to each other, share ideas, and collaborate, when we listen to our students and their parents and seek to understand not just what, but why, when we work to make our thinking and our students' thinking visible. when we communicate what success looks like and provide the feedback

026to help students reach it. And we build trust when we help our students to become people of integrity, maturity, and generous spirit. We know we are making an impact when our students are contributors to the common good, non-civi, and when we hold a firm belief in the strength of our institution. This year was one that contained both remarkable successes and significant challenges. The community turned out to show support for the school budget and a transformative capital projects bond with well over 70% support. This signals to me that there remains significant trust in the value of a Scarsdale education and the work of our board, administration, faculty, and staff. however it's also clear that we have more trust building to do as the community has also expressed concerns in writing and smaller conversations and perhaps most

027notably during the May 11th public comment period part of the work ahead is figuring out how to constructively listen to one another and create the conditions in our school community for everyone to be seen valued and heard As we know, these conditions have been undermined, and there is serious work to do to eliminate behaviors that target individuals based on their identities. To that end, I unfortunately have to report that we were made aware of comments added to recent social media posts that involve our students. Many in our community have understandably found the comments deeply hurtful and offensive. While the incident incidents occurred on a private social media platform outside of school hours its impact reverberated among our students and families undermining the sense of safety and belonging that every single student our district deserves to

028feel I must once again reiterate that we completely reject anti-semitism hate prejudice discrimination and harassment of any kind and under any circumstances Our schools must be places where every student, regardless of their race, religion, background, or identity, feels valued, protected, and respected. I also want to be clear that when incidents occur, we take action. Our administrators investigate in accordance with our code of conduct and policies that address bullying, harassment, discrimination, and misconduct. And while we're unable to disclose specific consequences that result from our investigation, I want to reassure you that our district policies are firmly enforced and that accountability is a vital part of keeping our community safe. This recent event only reinforces the commitment we articulated at our last Board of Education meeting. Since that meeting, we've continued our discussions with individuals and organizations

029to develop plans to directly and systematically equip our students with an understanding of what anti-Semitism is and how it manifests, how other forms of discrimination, hate, and bias, including Islamophobia, manifest, how to understand, consume, and create media safely and respectfully, and how to engage in dialogue across differences bravely and respectfully. We've also held a common circles planning meeting and have firmed up a winter 2027 launch of that rich learning experience We will be coordinating a community-wide call for participation time to start with the school year in September and Finally, mr. Bonama will be sending out a high school wide communication later this week that communicates steps that have and will take place at SHS to strengthen our school community I also want to take a moment to point out the crucial role that our faculty

030plays in all of this work. Our faculty is committed to creating rich, challenging, rigorous, and inclusive learning environments for our students. They foster strong developmental relationships with their students in order to help them develop as complete people. They have long enjoyed the trust and support of our community. However, recent dialogue in the community has caused some of our faculty to wonder if avoiding challenging topics, even those very topics that hold the potential to be the best kind of teachable moments, might be a safer course to take. I have great trust in our faculty to navigate these challenging topics with sophistication and nuance and to teach our students to think critically about complex issues so each student can form their own opinion and develop their own worldview. In closing, I'm grateful to have reached the point

031in the year where our most joyful occasions are poised to take place. I would like to congratulate all of our students on a successful conclusion to the academic year. And I especially want to congratulate our fifth graders, eighth graders, and the senior class of 2026. I hope we have helped to advance our vision to foster the potential of our students to live well-balanced lives full of meaning, purpose, impact, and joy this year. The excitement of transition to new schools and for our graduates, the commencement of a new chapter of your lives is something to be savored. These milestones can serve as important points of reflection, so I urge our students to pause, take a quiet moment before your respective ceremonies to reflect on all you've accomplished. An extraordinary future awaits each of you next year

032and beyond. Thank you, Susan. Thank you so much, Drew. Next on the agenda is item 2.04, board member meetings, and this being the end of the year, I think we have quite a few. Who would like to go first? Bob? Sure. So I have two meetings that I'd like to report on. The first was May 27th. One of our local residents, Atiyah Malik, very generously arranged for an ice cream truck to be parked on her street in Edgewood to celebrate Eid, which is the last day of Ramadan. Did I get that right? I was able to attend, as was Colleen, Amber, Lee, and Laura. It was a wonderful gesture of goodwill that brought out people who were ending their fast, but also neighbors who were just happy to celebrate with each other. So I want

033to thank her again for making that opportunity for us. The second meeting I attended on June 5th was the PTC Technology Committee. It's chaired by Jill Casale and Tony with Jeanne Crawley and William Wang who were leading the agenda that particular morning. We had many parents representing all the schools also in attendance. We used the meeting, which was the last for the year, as an opportunity to recap the various programs that occurred. And just to kind of mention just a few, there were programs to educate parents and students to the potential dangers of technology and online challenges faced by parents at both the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Other topics included nonconsensual intimate image abuse. screen use, appropriate time limits, digital safety, which in that particular instance was presented by Detective Malesky. As

034part of the agenda, we reviewed the goals for next year, including evaluation of information by students, goal two, competency and computational thinking, and three, deepened competency in digital well-being, One of the parents had suggested which an idea which was kind of universally embraced which was to think about creating an innovation award for teachers who produce original digital materials or activities or frameworks for supporting students. including alternatives to being online. The goal here is to celebrate teacher innovation and to share with the community the outstanding work being done by teachers throughout the district. And it was agreed that a number of the parents that were present at that meeting would pick up this initiative and provide leadership for next year in implementing such a program. Thank you. Thank you, Bob. Leah? Thank you. On Monday, June

0351st, Laura and I attended the last of the season gallery show at the High School Art Gallery. The gallery is a beautiful open space and features work from all grade levels and areas such as computer animation, fashion design, jewelry design, bold typography and graphic posters, photography, architecture, advanced topics in two-dimensional art and ceramics. Laura and I really enjoyed the experience of seeing and thinking about the creative work of such talented young artists. I look forward to attending other gallery shows in the next school year. And now I have two PT Council updates. On Wednesday, May 20th, along with members of the cabinet. Laura, Bob, Amber, Susie, Colleen and I attended the annual PT Council luncheon held at Greenacres. It was an event that celebrated the work of the many PT Council chairs and PTA presidents

036who this year enhanced and enriched the schools with their strong collaboration and community of volunteers, moving forward innovative programming, initiatives, and thoughtful advocacy. This morning, as this year's board liaison to PT Council, I attended part of their transition meeting. In this annual meeting, the outgoing PT Council Executive Committee shares words of wisdom and passes the torch or the Google Drive. to the incoming PTC officers and PTA presidents. Also, the new executive committee holds its first official meeting together, which includes important updates and transitional processes. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank the outgoing executive committee for the incredible breadth of work undertaken this year. President Erica German, President-elect Rekhiya Hazabala, Secretary Jeanne Adeshek, and Treasurer Shilpa Spencer, for the high school, Erica Rublin, middle school, Gina Chan, Edgewood, Chelsea Mitchell and Jackie

037Neimer, Fox Meadow, Dorothy Sunshine and Jessica Rosenberg, Greenacres, Liza King, Heathcote, Som Shetty and Quaker Ridge, Sandra Brudnick. And a huge welcome and best wishes to the incoming PTC Executive Committee. Rekia Hazabala is moving up to President. President-elect Elise Stryker. Secretary Jeannie Adishak Treasurer Erica Rublin for the high school Meg Simon Middle School Andrea Villanilla Edgewood Ashley Luke and Stephanie Widmer Fox Meadow Mary Bayoun and Allison Weiss Greenacres Allison Milam Heathcote Sean McDevitt and Quaker Ridge Ali Zemeth welcome and we look forward to working with you next year thank you yes I also have two reports On Friday, May 29th, Susie and I attended a parent coffee on the topic of AI at the Scarcell High School. The event was led by Jeannie Crawley, Director of Technology and Innovation, Chief Information and Data Protection Officer,

038and William Yan, K-12 Coordinator of Digital Learning and Literacy. High School Principal Ken Bonamo and English Teacher Stephen Moncal also presented. Our district takes a cautious and deliberate approach to AI adoption following the following five technology guardrails. Privacy, policy, safety and well-being, intentionality, and collaborative inquiry. A list of approved technology tools are shared with teachers and updated regularly. Teachers participate in inquiry groups to develop digital competency. share best practices, and respond to challenges caused by technology. One key challenge is to preserve opportunities for students to practice and develop their critical thinking and writing skills. The humanity teachers have significantly increased the amount of in-class writing they do. They continue to evolve this practice to engage students to produce authentic writing in class while providing timely feedback, similar to studio teaching. Teachers also acknowledge the trade-offs

039with reduced class discussion time. The high school developed an AI guidance with a green, yellow, and red light framework, ranging from acceptable usage, such as using AI to generate study guides, to prohibited usage, such as misrepresenting AI output as students' original work, and various scenarios in between where students are encouraged to discuss with teachers and cite AI sources. The event drew a large number of high school parents, indicating just how top of mind this topic is for them. Attendees thank the district for this informative discussion and look forward to continued updates and dialogue. For a more detailed report on this discussion, community members interested can refer to the excellent report on Scarcell 105.83 by Wendy McMillan, published on June 1st. My second report is on the Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Services Youth Services Project Partner

040Meeting. On Thursday, May 28th, I attended the Summer Youth Services Project Partner Meeting with Dr. Patrick, Mr. Rauschenbach. Village Manager Alex Marshall, Village Trustee Tim Foley, and the team from Scarcelle Edgemont Family Counseling Services led by Executive Director Jay Genova. At this last meeting of the school year, the team reviewed four program areas. First is the school-based leadership initiatives. At the high school, Youth leadership youth outreach workers lead peer leadership program where juniors and seniors are recruited and trained to mentor ninth graders in their transition to high school at the middle school The youth outreach workers run the lead program where students are mentored in service-learning projects including fundraising activities The second area is the long-running parent support groups The agency worked with the schools and PTAs and made a strong push to reach out

041to rising sixth grade parents in the spring. There will be another round of recruitment efforts in the fall. The other two areas are Scarsdale Action for Youth, or S.A.Y., for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention and the SAVE Coalition to combat domestic abuse and violence. In planning for the work ahead, the agency will provide training and support for rec summer camp counselors this summer. The agency will also recruit and onboard two new youth outreach workers to fill vacant positions. And the agency and the school district will work on a proposed memorandum of agreement to define communication and disclosure procedures in order to best serve students. Lastly, the agency is holding their annual meeting at the Scarsdale Public Library at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17th. Members of the public are cordially invited. This event is entitled

042Seeing the System, Strengthening Connection. They will feature a live demonstration of how therapists work with individuals and families using the family systems approach. Thank you. It's a little long, but I hope it's useful information. Thank you, Laura. Thank you, Susie. On Sunday, June 7th, I attended the Girl Scout Gold Award Ceremony, along with Assemblywoman Amy Pollin, Senator Shelley Mayer, Congressman George Latimer, Mayor Justin Arrest, and Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg. After completing prerequisites which enabled the girls to develop leadership skills while providing volunteer services, each girl carried out a gold award project. Each project was evaluated and approved by the Girl Scout Heart of the Hudson Council. A gold award project must provide a substantial benefit to the community, be designed in such a way that it can continue beyond the completion of the project, and

043involve at least 80 hours of work. Congratulations to the four award recipients, and thank you for continuing to dedicate yourself to making our world a better place. Thank you, Colleen. Item 2.05 on the agenda, student board member reports. Yes, thank you. So I'm very excited to congratulate sophomore Nathan Goldfarb on becoming next year's junior Board of Ed representative and I'm honored to be serving a second term as a student BOE rep for the next school year. Since our last Board of Ed meeting, I've attended two school government house meetings, one of which was centered around community building and conflict resolution. It was a great meeting which provided a great platform for student leaders to exercise these skills and learn how to manage conflicts thoughtfully. On Friday, May 22nd, the high school participated in Non-Civy Day,

044a day dedicated to following our school's motto, meaning not for oneself alone. Through activities such as card making for children's hospitals and cleaning up our local brook, students worked to give back to our community in a meaningful way. On May 28th, the SHS senior class government organized the annual prom where both seniors and juniors had a great time for about four hours in the afternoon. The following Monday, on June 1st, the high school hosted the annual Senior Day, where for seniors, the class of 2026, there was a yearbook signing, as well as a panel from former SHS class of 25 alumni, where they spoke about their college and freshman experiences and any advice that they had for us. And to close out the day, we had a meeting with our deans, as well as our

045peers with our deans, where we were able to receive letters that we wrote to ourselves in our freshman year. So I think overall that was a very much so valuable experience. On June 18th, next Thursday, the high school will host the graduation ceremony for the class of 2026. So I'll be there, excited, but also sort of sad that it's going to be then. And so overall, since this will be my last meeting as one of the BOE student reps, I just want to extend such a big thank you to everyone on this table as well as in the community or watching from home. I think that everyone here has just been such a strong voice of support for everything this past year, whether it be the transition to the board, the college application process, and

046so much more. And I think when I began the application process last April, I never thought that... encountering all of you and meeting all of you and working with all of you that I would develop such a sort of familial relationship with all of you which has been so valuable to me. Whether it be from our conversations at dinner beforehand or even seeing you guys on the red carpet at prom, I think it's just been such a pleasure. It's been so lovely. But I think beyond the table, I think the thanks also goes out to the community as well. I think one of the biggest reasons why this position appealed to me was that they advocated that it was advertised as something that was integrating student voices into decision-making, into policy. And I think when

047we talk about a student-centered bond or a student-centered budget, yes, students can talk, they can advocate, but I do think it really, in the end, is up to the will for the community to listen. And I think you guys all did that very well. So I'm so grateful for all of you for that. And I guess last but certainly not least, most importantly to me, thank you so much, Lucy. I think it's been such a pleasure working with you this past year. I don't think I've worked with anyone else. This was both our first year coming in, being the first student members on the Board of Education. So it's so fun, I guess I could say, to navigate all of this without you. And I think Nathan is so lucky next year to have someone

048like you to... to be organized, to be locked in, to take on the organizational and responsibilities when someone like me is maybe sometimes faltering. And I think that, yes, I'm going to go to graduate, I'm going to go to college, but if you ever need anything from me, I'll always be here for you in the senior application process and so on. So thank you so much to all of you guys. Thank you so much, Anish and Lucy, for all your work this year. It's been really such a pleasure to have you. We're doing more formal tributes later on in the meeting, but thank you so much for your meaningful contribution to this board table this year. It's really special. And we're excited to have you back, Lucy, next year. Congratulations, and looking forward to welcoming

049Nathan as well. So moving on, item three, cabinet updates. That's a tough act to follow. We'll start with Megan with a couple of recommendations. So while wrapping up the 25-26 school year, we also have been busy with recruitment, hiring, and onboarding these past few weeks. And we're fortunate to have a wonderful group of faculty who will be joining the Scarsdale community next year, and some of them are here. So if you don't mind when I call your name, just an awkward stand up and wave, and we'll give you our full attention. So welcome to Jordan Simons, who will be the next assistant principal of Heathcote Elementary School. Dr. Simons holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Fordham University, an M.S. in Education from Long Island University, TESOL Extension from St. John's University,

050a B.S. in Childhood Education from SUNY New Paltz. He's currently Assistant Principal at District 26, P.S. 203Q, the Oakland Garden School in Queens, New York. And throughout the interview process, Jordan exhibited a high level of experience in the role and a philosophy that centers students in his decision making. He will be a wonderful addition to Heathcote and a strong partner to Principal Maria Stiles. So welcome, Jordan. Deirdre Defont, welcome. Defont, will be joining us as an elementary. DeFonte will be joining us as an elementary classroom teacher at Fox Meadow. Ms. DeFonte holds an MA in Educational Technology from Loyola University and a BS in Early Childhood Education from Towson University. She's currently teaching at Greenvale Elementary School in East Chester, New York. Deirdre brings a tremendous amount of teaching experience to this role. Her approachability

051and sense of collaboration will set her up for success next year. So welcome. Caitlin DeVasto. That's Caitlin. We'll be joining us. Yes. We'll join the middle school as a sixth grade English teacher. Caitlin holds an MA in developmental and educational psychology from Boston College and a BA in elementary education in English from Colorado State University. She's currently teaching at River Edge School District in River Edge, New Jersey. Caitlin creatively engaged our students in demo lessons and their learning, and her high level of organization will certainly set her up for success in this role. So welcome, Caitlin. We welcome Maureen Duffy as the new elementary F.L.E.S. teacher. Maureen holds an MA in teaching from Manhattanville University and a BA in Spanish language and literature from Villanova University. Ms. Duffy is currently teaching at Suffern Central School

052District. And Maureen attended the Scarsdale Public Schools, and her student experiences impacted her desire to enter the field of education, and specifically world languages. So welcome back to Scarsdale, Maureen. We welcome a familiar face, Brooke McKenna, to the Edgewood LRC. Brooke will be joining us as the Edgewood LRC teacher. She holds an MS in childhood education from Touro College and a BS in human development from Binghamton. She's currently a leave replacement LRC teacher at Quaker Ridge Elementary School. And during the time that she's been with us, Brooke has established strong relationships with colleagues and has built effective systems to ensure students have their needs met. We're happy to have Brooke continue on in the district. And welcome to Kevin Murray, who will be a PE teacher at Scarsdale Middle School. Kevin holds an MS in

053Education Health Education from Lehman College, an MS in Education Students with Disabilities, grades 1 through 6, from Touro Graduate School of Education, an MS in Physical Education, and a BA in Psychology from Manhattanville College. So you've been busy, Kevin. He's currently teaching at MS 331, the Bronx School of Young Leaders. Kevin brings a wealth of experience as a PE teacher, and his approach supports giving students a high level of accountability and responsibility. He centers his work on relationships, which will definitely serve him well in this new role. So welcome, Kevin. And I think I have all our new folks, right? Did I miss anyone? People walking? Oh, Mahum, sorry, I didn't see you back there. Let me get to my notes. Sorry, it's a crowd here today. All right, Mahum Kurechi will join us as

054an instrumental orchestra teacher at the elementary level. Mahome holds a BA in music education from Ithaca College, and she's currently teaching music in the Ossining School District. Her love of music and her ability to connect with young people, including from what I hear creative memes, will help her be successful in Scarsdale. So welcome. Now do I think I have everyone in the crowd? all right and then just i wanted to take one moment beyond welcoming we have a few retirees who are here so our retirees ceremony started at 5 30 earlier there had been an earlier email earlier a little while ago that stated it was at 6 30 and a change in time so i do want to take a moment to honor our retirees who are with us right now earlier tonight i

055shared a little read aloud so feel free to to read or listen in later on it's this storybook called maybe a story about the endless potential in all of us for our retirees. and it really walks us through what you all have given our students which includes reaching for the sky loving learning and what we hope for you in retirement as you head into this new chapter of your life so i just want to ask for our retirees who are here if you don't mind when i call your name i'm going to say a few words about what you have given our scarsdale students and then i ask that you come up shake all of our hands and receive a book that's just a token of our appreciation so starting with dina hofstetter During her

056time at Scarsdale High School, art teacher Dina Hofstetter has built a creative environment and space for all of her students. She has allowed for students to express themselves in ways that are unique to them and has kept her door open to support that expression. Her sense of calm and patience make her an approachable colleague who's able to listen thoughtfully and with care. This was evident in her role she took on as a leader in the STA. She will now have more time to focus on her own artistic creations in retirement. Congratulations, Tina. And plus teacher Amy Leppy will be retiring. Yes. After 34 years of teaching, she has brought world languages to her students and engaged them in colorful and authentic learning. Amy helped to develop what is now the FLESS program to what it

057is today. She's exposed them to other countries and a new world that was unknown to them before stepping foot into her classroom. What a gift she has given to our youngest learners. Congratulations, Amy. I ask if Enrique, congratulations. Enrique Orengo, I think I saw Enrique come in. There he goes. Elementary, yes, congratulations. Elementary Orchestra teacher Enrique Arango has helped his students bring beautiful music to their families, teachers, and classmates during his time in Scarsdale. His love and passion for music has turned his students into having that same love and passion themselves. Enrique has established high musical standards for his students and pays attention to every detail. When you hear his students' groups play, you can hear and see that influence. This influence will extend well beyond their time with Enrique and grow a greater appreciation

058of music in their lives. Congratulations, Enrique. And I thought I saw Amy Kenny walk in. Amy Kenny? Any other? Amy Kenny? I thought I saw Amy Kenny. Oh, she left. Okay. All right. Congratulations to all of our retirees. We are so happy for what the future holds for you. And congratulations to our new faculty. We are really excited to get to know you better next year. So thank you. We have a few more Cabinet updates, so please do not feel like you need to stay for these, including our Data Protection Officer report. As exciting as it is, but thank you so much and congratulations again. And I'll invite Jeannie Crowley to give the DPO report. There's no easy transition from that to this. There's no easy transition for this one. No, it's fine. We're just

059going to go right in for it. It's generally how it is when I enter a space. So here we go. So I'm here in my role as the data protection officer to provide an update to the board relating to any data privacy incidents that occur within the district. Last week, I sent out notices to families impacted by a cybersecurity incident that occurred this spring. It's a little bit of a long report, but I'll try to move through it a little bit quickly. In the spring an outside actor accessed the district's network and exfiltrated a number of district files while we managed to identify the attack and shut it down quickly It's our understanding that the attacker unfortunately was able to access the following pieces of information For those notified from a local backup of our

060lunch processing system student first and last name date of birth student ID home address parent guardian names home phone number free lunch status if applicable and parent email address. No financial information or credit card information or social security information was stored in the database or accessed. On June 1st, I sent out roughly 4,000 notices to impacted parents or guardians via ParentSquare. Some parents received multiple notifications if multiple children were impacted by the incident. Around 1,000 notices were sent to former students over 18 via regular mail or physical mail at their last known address. Notifications were not sent to parents of former graduates as the notices transferred to the former student once they reached majority age. The notices contained explicit details about the type of data impacted by the incident and the ways to protect themselves

061or their children through a credit freeze. I've spoken with numerous parents and I've added a list of frequently asked questions I receive from families to the cabinet update section of the board agenda. This FAQ also includes instructions on how to access the notice in ParentSquare. Many parents were understandably surprised that this occurred in Scarsdale and had concerns that they or their families had been specifically targeted. These concerns helped me understand quite concretely the impact of the siloed news ecosystem that we each occupy. My news feed is filled weekly, unsurprisingly, with dozens and dozens of reports of similar incidents experienced by schools across the country. A recent U.S. Department of Education report indicates that schools are experiencing an average of five attempts or incidents a week. I realized after speaking with parents that the dramatic increase

062in cyber activity in the K-12 education sector over the past few years is not front page news for everyone in the community. I'd like to take a moment to provide some information about the trends in cybersecurity in education so everyone can have a background in this. First, these incidents are often a crime of opportunity. Research indicates that a full 40% of internet traffic is bad or malicious bots. A subset of these bots crawl the internet. looking for services or hardware that match a particular weakness that they've discovered. It's most likely that Scarsdale was targeted simply because we fit the convenient profile of having a piece of hardware that matched an exploitable weakness. Second, AI is making this much more challenging for all industries, including education. AI is being used to discover vulnerabilities much more quickly

063than ever before, and AI is also being used to build tools to take advantage of those vulnerabilities more quickly than ever before. Before AI, we would have about a 30- to 60-day window between the discovery of a vulnerability before we would see malicious actors try to exploit it. That window has shrunk to two to three days. Third many parents ask what the end goal of these incidents are in short its money And they try to achieve that in three ways one up is to shut down operations to use ransomware to man to demand payment from targets Two is to collect data from districts that they can use to trick reroutement of payments and third is to collect data to sell or to use for future phishing attacks If you receive any communication about the incident

064that wasn't directly from me or seems suspicious Please email privacy at scarsdaleschools.org to help determine the legitimacy of your email. I'm happy to help dig into those for you. Finally, the question is often where do we go from here? We'll continue to stay on top of patches and we have the support of our cybersecurity vendor for both 24-7 monitoring and remote intervention. Our biggest pivot is looking at data destruction as a way to protect ourselves. Through the years of free or low-cost storage, we've all gotten in the habit of keeping much more data on hand than needed. While we delete any data with vendors 30 days after ending the contract, some of our service have extended well over a decade, and we haven't had an opportunity to revisit the data storage. We're in the process

065of determining what data we need according to state retention laws, what data we need to function for day-to-day operations, and then identifying the remaining types of data for removal and destruction. I know this is a lot to take in in a brief update, and there will be much more information available to the community in the form of training and forums in the near future. For now, I recommend the community members visit the FAQ and email me at privacy at scarsdaleschools.org if you have any questions at all. So I'll stop and see if there's questions. Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Jeannie. Do you know if any other local districts had a similar type of cyber attack? Not this one in particular. There's a district north of us who had, through a phishing, had over a million and

066a half dollars rerouted as part of a capital project. And luckily they got most of it back. But there's, it's... I can't pinpoint something specific because there's so much happening all the time that but other districts have reported particularly fishing is just it's all-consuming for many districts Thank you. And can you talk at all about what you do next steps wise, like who you report this to at the state level? I'd be happy to. So we did already do all the required reporting. I have my notes because there's three different ones. We reported to the New York State Department of Education and Privacy Office. per requirement of the regulations. We also did a report to the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services within 72 hours of the initial incident. And we

067also notified the FBI via the Internet Crime Complaint Center per our cybersecurity insurance requirements. Thank you. And then just one more question. So this was through NutriSlice, so that's like a third-party vendor? This is actually, it's a good question because it's a little bit more nuanced than that. It was actually a local SQL database backup on our network, so NutriSlice was not impacted at all. Yeah, it was a local file stored on our network. Thank you Jeannie and her team have done tremendous amount of work on this but they have really done excellent work to communicate this and solve any vulnerabilities that we have so thank you really appreciate it Thank you so much and just a reminder it's privacy at scarsdillschools.org Thank you Next from Edgar update on parent star reports thank you so

068this wednesday the district will release the spring 2026 renaissance star student reports to elementary parents sharing results from our computer adaptive universal screening tool and early literacy reading and mathematics the reports will provide families with growth metrics including unified scaled scores percentile ranks and new york state benchmark categories all defined in the communication to highlight student progress The district uses this data alongside classroom work and other assessments to monitor progress and inform focus for instruction. Starting next year, we will be sharing these star reports during screening windows in fall, winter, and spring. Any questions for Edgar? Thank you, Edgar. You mentioned the star reports going against New York State metrics. Will they allow parents to see personal growth of their child over time? Yes, that's a great question. Yes, they will actually. This June it's

069going to be a snapshot and so it'll just show the students growth alongside the state norms. But starting next year you will be able to monitor growth across the years using those fall, winter and spring windows. So over time parents will be able to see their child if they're struggling in a certain area as well as the teachers to adjust to meet those child's personalized needs? Absolutely. Okay. And I have the, any other, sorry. I think Amber's here. Sorry, Amber. Thanks, Edgar. I was just wondering about the STAR report. So you said they'll get a score and they'll get the sort of state averages. Is that right? So if I'm remembering correctly, those other tests that we get, the state tests, we would see the Scarsdale averages as well? You won't see that with the

070STAR report? Those are not included in these. Okay. All right. Thank you. Oh, the states. It's been a long time since I got one of those reports, I guess. But all right. Thank you. Just a quick question as well. So now that it's the June report and obviously these elementary schoolers will have new teachers next year, it's more a question than anything. Because what's the process for, let's say a kid isn't doing the best in English, for the teacher next year to, I guess, get that information to better identify that issue with the student? That's a really great question. What we do is we have a process in which any kind of standardized measure and also student work. writing samples, there's a process in which they share that passing on from grade to grade and

071they have conversations so that when the teacher is receiving a student year to year, they have information that travels with the student. Thank you in the final cabinet update I'm pinch-hitting for Andrew Lennon who along with Lisa's a rescuer treasurer is they are both at the annual New York State School Business officials conference a lot of interesting topics there including UPK health care the recently enacted state budget and federal funding as well so it's important that they're there on our behalf but i just want to call attention to item 8.13 in the consent agenda which is a recommendation to the board related to the proposed stream dredging project you'll recall the board approved funds as part of the budget for capital work to improve try to improve flooding on this campus by studying the stream

072we did get permitted to conduct some dredging there but only a single bidder responded and the bid price came in pretty much unacceptably high working with our consultants gei they've identified some strategies that they think can result in an improved response that's all detailed in in a memo that's public both the update andrew and the facilities team provided along with gei's recommendations and how they proceed so we do have you know some some hope that we'll move forward to a future time put the bid out again and complete that complete that work so it's still on the docket just a quick question so that was that for this budget cycle year like we did this two years ago yeah 20 yep it's from the 2024-25 budget and it's because we would get heavy flooding in

073those parking lots during a big storm yeah right yeah exactly and sediment is filled you know in quite a bit within the stream and then just really quickly I don't know if you know the library's outdoor planning for outdoor spaces is that going to impact our stream dredging I know we don't necessarily have a time stream judging does that impact like environment in terms of more flooding I have not like read the environmental impact statement on that but that would be a factor they would have to consider yeah so I'm sure it's not it's not and they've just completed work recently in the pond which is ultimately we are downstream of that thank you okay next hearing from those present this will be the first of two public comment sessions this business meeting going back

074to prior practice I will read the preamble Members of the public are cordially invited to speak on district related items or other non-personnel related matters during two separate public comment periods. When it is your turn to speak, please state your name, address, and if you are speaking on behalf of an organization. For those commenting remotely, please mute the live stream voice, turn on your camera, and then unmute yourself. Speakers will be asked to conclude their remarks after four minutes and will be given a verbal cue at the three minute mark. If at this point a speaker has additional comments, they may send them in writing to the board via email at boardofed at scarsdaleschools.org. The public comment period is reserved for comments only. The board will not engage in dialogue. The board reserves the right

075to respond to comments and questions at its discretion, either during response to public comment or at a later time and place. Response to public comment will take place after the first and second public comment periods. And with that, I'd like to ask if anybody from the audience has a public comment. Hi my name is Erica German I'm addressing you as the outgoing PTC president on behalf of the PTC PTCouncil executive committee I extend our sincere thanks to all of the retirees recognized this evening we're deeply grateful for the extraordinary contributions you've made to the Scarsdale school community collectively you've impacted countless students and families and your dedication has helped shape our schools in meaningful ways We appreciate all that you have done and wish you the very best as you embark on your next adventures.

076I would also like to recognize and thank Amber, Bob, and Anish as they conclude their services on the Board of Education. Anish, thank you for serving as part of the inaugural class of student board members. Along with Lucy, you've set a high standard for this important role. It's been invaluable to hear your unique student perspectives on so many important issues throughout the year. Thank you. Amber and Bob, the PTC, you're in two different places, so I'm looking at both of you. The PTC Executive Committee is grateful for your tireless, enthusiastic, and thoughtful service to our community. You both served through the unprecedented challenges of COVID, a difficult period for students, families, educators, and this entire community. Throughout your tenure you've worked diligently to uphold the district's high standards while supporting this its continued growth and

077success. The PTC thanks all three of you for your service and commitment. We wish you fulfillment and success in your future endeavors. As we approach the end of the school year we wish everyone a wonderful final few weeks and a relaxing summer. The PTC looks forward to continuing our strong collaboration with our district partners in the year ahead. Good evening. My name is Taskin Hamidullahbal, 26 Ridgecrest East. We heard at the last board meeting and probably will again today about the recent rise in anti-Muslim Islamophobic events and sentiments in our school district. Like any other kind of hate, this stems from not understanding each other's culture, lived experience, and history. We've talked about ensuring all our staff having adequate training to fight this type of hate. But what about our kids? Shouldn't our kids get

078a comprehensive education that arms them with the facts, which will allow them to have a productive discussion with peers despite opposing views? Many families and students feel that certain parts of our history and culture aren't being given the same focus as others. This imbalance has led many kids, including my own, to feel like they don't fully belong here. I commend the district for its commitment to Holocaust education. My middle schooler is currently reading Knight in her English class, and through this is learning about the dangers of hatred, dehumanization, propaganda, and indifference. But sadly, genocide is not contained to one nation, one religion, or even one point in history. If our goal is to help students understand genocide and prevent it from happening again, they should learn about other types of mass atrocities as well. The

079genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, the Srebrenica massacre, the persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and the current genocide against the people of Palestine and those in Sudan. Our kids are constantly exposed to discussions about mass violence and human rights crises, not in the classroom, but on social media. I would ask this board to consider, are you comfortable, for example, our kids learning about the Nakba, the mass displacement of Palestinians from social media influencers, because that's what's happening today. Wouldn't you rather have them learn about this or any type of atrocity, any type of genocide from trained educators in our classrooms? Regardless of our views on this topic, as parents, students deserve the historical knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to understand these discussions. While the recently unveiled Common Circle program is a great start

080in educating our kids and helping them explore their shared humanity, it focuses only on one type of bias, anti-Semitism. Dr. Patrick, you said in your announcement that the goal of the program is to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued. And I think that's a beautiful sentiment. But it is almost impossible for Muslims and Arab kids to feel this way if they do not see themselves reflected in the curriculum. The promise of never again was never intended to apply only to one group of people. It is a universal commitment to protecting human dignity. I would thus urge this board to specifically consider expanding education to honor the memory of Holocaust victims while ensuring that students gain a broader understanding of the responsibilities that come with being good leaders in this interconnected world. Thank

081you for your time. Good evening. My name is Saira Heather and just as FYI, and I'm not crying, my allergies are acting up. So, good evening. My name is Saira Heather. I live at 63 Stratton Road, and I am a proud parent of three kids who have gone through the Scarstale school system. I want to begin by expressing my gratitude to the teachers for helping us raise three thoughtful, well-balanced, politically aware adults who are successfully dealing with the world outside Scarstale. I also want to thank the board. This past year, you took meaningful steps to our multicultural families for recognizing more of our holidays from Lunar New Year to Eid to Diwali, which helped in creating an inclusive community. At the same time, I will be remiss if I do not acknowledge that anti-Muslim bias

082has been a reality for many of the Muslim families here, including my own. When my son was in elementary school, a classmate once told him, not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims. In the middle school during a safety drill, another student told him, your father has done something to cause this. Seeing tears in my child's eye was painful, and my first reaction was anger. But as a family, we chose a different path. We didn't demonize the children or take any of it to the social media. Instead, we invited those students and their families into their homes, shared a meal, and worked to replace fear with human connection. I'm also grateful to how the school responded, bringing together Muslim parents, Imam Faisal, who was a Muslim scholar, teachers and the leaders to better

083understand anti-Muslim bias and address it. I share this not to assign blame, but to remind us that prejudice usually comes from ignorance, not malice, and education remains our most important tool against it. Which brings me to my second point. The strength of our Scarcell community always has been in its willingness to confront difficult issues with logic and empathy. Over the last two years, there has been a distinct shift, unfortunately. Too often disagreements among adults are not met with dialogue but with public shaming, doxing and online attacks. Many parents, especially minority, now hesitate to share their views for fear of consequences. I want to speak to this as a psychiatrist. Our children are always watching how we handle disagreement. If they learn that having an opinion invites punishment, some go silent, others hold the frustration inside

084until it surfaces as anger and resentment, neither outcome serves our kids. That's why schools matter right now. They should be aware students learn to think for themselves, listen to people they disagree with, and defend their beliefs with respect. And this is the foundation of a healthy democracy. So my request to the board is simple. Please keep our students at the center of every decision and support our educators in creating a space where children feel safe to speak, safe to listen, and safe to learn from one another, even when the adults around them are struggling to do the same. Scarzell is a wonderful community. Let's prepare our children for the world that they inherit, that they will inherit, not by shielding them from disagreement, but by teaching them how to meet it with courage and grace.

085Thank you. anybody else like to make a public comment from the audience hello my name is Alyssa Baum to Sylvan Lane and I'm speaking as an individual about the proposed guidelines on student expression I believe the guidelines have been drafted with the best of intentions to address a fraud situation I really do but it disappoints me that our school which already has a robust code of conduct would propose singling out political speech If the district is intent on forcing these rules on our students, specific revisions are needed to ensure they are constitutional. First, you need to expressly define what school-sponsored activities are. If students may be subject to discipline, they need to know exactly when and where these guidelines apply. Two, a very limited set of activities are considered school-sponsored activities for purposes of applying

086the Hazelwood standard. school sponsored publications, theatrical productions and concerts, student speeches and assemblies and the like. Not all speech at sporting events and club events categories listed in the proposed guidelines is governed by the Hazelwood standard. The Hazelwood standard only applies to situations like a student taking the mic at a football game or the cheerleaders halftime performance. Speech of students occurring on the stands, even chants from the stands are protected speech unless they are substantively disruptive, harassing, obscene, etc. Lastly, to reference a parent comment from last month, you cannot force a student at any school function to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Three, the guidelines do not apply to a school-sponsored activity where political speech is an inherent part of that activity. Non-Civi Day or Global Citizenship Day, which by their very nature

087are civic and political, include approximately 60 workshops run by student clubs, some with the help of outside organizations. You cannot plausibly argue that these students' organizations are speaking on behalf of the school. Four, these guidelines do not apply to student clubs that meet after school and use school facilities. In addition to constitutional principles, the Equal Access Act, a federal law, provides that whenever a school grants an opportunity to a non-curriculum student group to meet on school premises after school hours, it is unlawful to block other student group meetings on the basis of the content of their speech. Five, you must make absolutely sure that any decisions you make in enforcing these guidelines are viewpoint neutral. The courts in interpreting Hazelwood have stated that a viewpoint discriminatory restriction on school-sponsored speech is prima facie unconstitutional. Finally,

088I think it's important for these guidelines to also include a clear, affirmative statement that outside the very limited scope of school-sponsored activities, students have substantial free speech rights. Let's make sure that students understand what they can do as students and citizens. Again, even with these changes, I object to the inclusion of these guidelines in the student handbook. The mere existence of these guidelines silences speech beyond the school-sponsored activity context. Many parents are already instructing their children to avoid engaging in any political discussion whatsoever for fear of negative community attention or school discipline. Moreover, given that students spend most of their waking hours at school or school-related activities, we are severely limiting opportunities for political discussion. Our high school students will be entering the larger world where they will have to encounter people with different views,

089even views they find to be abhorrent. We are not serving our students if we are shielding them from all controversy. We can continue to enforce our current code of conduct when appropriate. It does what it needs to do, but let's help our students learn to have difficult conversations with respect and civility. Is there anybody else from the audience who would like to make a public comment? Gabriel Green, 24 Stonehouse Road. Good evening. My name is Gabriel Green. I am a senior at Scarsdale High School and the founder and outgoing president of the Israeli Culture Club. In just over a week, I will graduate. But before I leave, I feel a responsibility to speak honestly about my experience regarding free speech in Scarsdale and about students who have learned to stay quiet when their views do

090not align with the views around them. Before I begin, I want to take a moment to thank the Board of Education. We all know that this is an incredibly difficult and emotional topic. Because of that, I deeply appreciate the Board's attempts to build forward a path that truly meets the needs of every single student at Scarsdale. Over the past few years, I have come to this very podium, written emails, organized events, met with administrators, and tried again and again to explain the discomfort and fear that many students have been feeling. After October 7th, that feeling became even stronger. And we began to hear Israel, Zionism, Jewish identity, and even the United States discussed in ways that felt one-sided, dismissive, or hostile. Therefore, so many students simply stopped talking. They stopped correcting misinformation. They stopped saying

091they support Israel. Stopped saying they are proud to be Jewish or they love America. I'm not asking for every student or teacher to agree with me or for hard conversations to disappear. Quite the opposite. I'm looking for these hard conversations to reappear. These conversations cannot happen when students feel that there's only one side that they are allowed to take. There are students who are afraid of how speaking up could affect them socially, academically, or in the eyes of their teachers. There are parents who are hesitant to come forward because they do not want their children to face backlash. We can learn much more about the standard of acceptable speech by looking at the students and families who do not, in fact, speak. This intolerance, which so often slides into anti-Semitism, is why I urge the

092board to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism. Jewish students should not have to beg the district to call anti-Semitism by its name. The IRA definition states that anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews, and includes contemporary examples like denying the Jews' right to self-determination, applying double standards to Israel, that is not applied to other countries and using classic anti-semitic symbols to characterize israel importantly it is not about silence and criticism it's about naming hatred when we see it the definition is not fringe or partisan it was embraced both by the trump and biden administrations and was recognized here in new york state by governor hokal's 2022 proclamation the ira definition would give the district a clear framework to identify anti-semitism respond consistently and distinguish

093between legitimate political discussion and hostility toward Jewish identity without infringing on Jewish rights. As I leave Scarcille High School, I am proud of what we built. The Israeli Culture Club was created to educate, celebrate community, and build community and culture. And it has. Even after everything, it will continue. Students will continue to advocate. Israeli and American students will continue to be proud. My message tonight is simple. Listen to the students who are actively living this and bring them into the implementation process. Review the curriculum honestly and train teachers to take discourse issues seriously. Adopt a clear definition of antisemitism. From there, we can begin to have proper conversations. Make sure these policies are not just words in a document, but protections students can feel in the hallway, in the classroom, and at school events. Do

094not wait for the next incident. Do not soften the language because antisemitism is uncomfortable to name. Do not assume that because some students are graduating, the concern will just disappear. This issue, the prevalence of anti-Semitism and lack of civil discourse, is bigger than one student, one club, one poster, or one speech. Graduating does not mean I stop caring. I am a Scarsville resident, and this will always be my community. Thank you very much. Anyone else who would like to make a public comment? Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Abby Balboa. I live at 48 Taunton Road. I want to address the proposed guidelines for student expression at school sponsored events and activities. I appreciate the district's goal of creating inclusive, respectful experiences that celebrate students and their work. This

095is a goal we all share. But this policy raises serious concerns, not in its intent, but in its scope, its vagueness, and its implications for student expression. I believe the guidelines are not only unnecessary, our existing policies already prohibit harassment, but potentially damaging and also difficult to enforce. The policy begins by stating that school-sponsored activities should be, quote, free from disruption or controversy, end quote, end quote, not a forum for messaging that may distract from or detract from shared experience. That framing is the first major problem. In a diverse school community, controversy is not an anomaly. It is inevitable. Students bring different identities, beliefs, and experiences. To define school events as free from controversy is, in effect, to treat student expression itself as a problem. There's also a lack of clarity about what constitutes a

096school sponsored activity as Alyssa Baum just laid out. At the last meeting it was described as events like concerts or graduation but the written policy applies broadly to activities during or outside of the regular school day which could include club meetings or other student spaces. It could even include classroom time. That ambiguity in the policy needs to be addressed directly. The policy further restricts, quote, political advocacy or messaging, stating that speech or clothing promoting political viewpoints may not be permitted if it may, quote, reasonably be expected to create disruption, division, or controversy, end quote. This is extraordinarily broad. What counts as political? Climate change? Racial justice? Religious identity? For many students, aspects of their identity are already perceived as political. Even more concerning is the standard itself. Expression may be restricted based on whether it

097is expected to create quote division or controversy. This does not require actual disruption, only the anticipation of disagreement. This invites subjective interpretation and inconsistent enforcement and risks silencing students not because their speech is harmful but because it is contested. The same issue appears in the dress code provisions. Prohibiting speech or attire that quote, denigrates others is appropriate and necessary, but the policy goes further, tying enforcement to maintaining quote, a positive and inclusive environment and preventing anything that might quote, detract from the experience for others. Without clear definitions, these become moving targets. Students are left... guessing at what's allowed and staff are left making real-time judgments that may not be consistent or equitable. This concern is heightened by the provision allowing adults to set quote reasonable expectations not explicitly outlined in the guidelines. This effectively permits

098rules to be created on the spot leaving students without clear notice of what is prohibited despite the fact that the consequences include removal from activities or potentially even suspension. These are not minor stakes. At a deeper level, we should ask what kind of educational institution we want to have. Schools should prepare students to engage with complexity, not avoid it. Students should be able to express ideas, encounter disagreement, and learn how to respond thoughtfully. It is entirely appropriate to prohibit speech that is obscene, libelous, or constitutes harassment. Indeed, our existing guidelines already do. Restricting speech because it may be controversial does not protect students from harm. It risks protecting the community from disagreement, and that is not the role of a public school. Thank you. Anybody else? Good evening. My name is Zach Rublin, and I

099live at 22 Dunnellon Road. I'm also co-president of the Scarsdale Policy Action Club. My name is Benjamin Strasser. I live at 20 Penn Boulevard, and I'm the vice president of the Scarsdale Policy Action Club, and we are both speaking on behalf of the Scarsdale Policy Action Club. We are here this evening to express our concern regarding the proposed guidelines for student expression at school sponsored activities As the the policy action club our process is to identify issues We are passionate about build consensus among our membership and thereafter take informed action This letter reflects that process as a club of over 20 members. We are expressing our concern To start, we appreciate the goal of the guidelines and we agree with them. We appreciate that the board is valuing students' feeling belonging and that school-sponsored activities

100stay focused and safe. That said, we do have concerns. Firstly, we are concerned that such a broad policy can be used to arbitrarily infringe upon civic discussion in Scarsdale schools. We cannot stress the importance of this discourse enough. When students learn to speak respectfully and effectively, harmful comments become less common. Another main concern of ours is the ambiguity of the guidelines. The clearest example of this problem is in the word controversial. We believe that there are many instances where something that someone sees as controversial does not cause a substantial disruption. Therefore, we respectfully request the following revisions. One, replace the controversy standard with the Tinker standard. We ask that the guidelines adopt the standard established in the U.S. Supreme Court's 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines decision, which restricts speech reasonably expected to cause substantial disruption

101of school activities or to invade the rights of others. We heard Dr. Patrick state that the Tinker standard does not apply to Scarcell's guidelines for student expression and that the Hazelwood decision provides the primary legal framework. We believe that the Supreme Court's Tinker decision, which directly refers to student clothing, is highly relevant to these guidelines as student attire, symbols, and other forms of expression are regulated in the guidelines, not just official school-sponsored speech. Two, define controversial examples across various viewpoints. We believe that in practice, a ban on student expression that faculty, principals, and or district administrators deem to be reasonably expected to create disruption, division, or controversy risks functioning as a ban on whatever student expression school personnel and or administrators consider falling into a very broad scope. We recommend that the district publish a

102list of examples so that students, faculty, and administrators understand where the line is before a confrontation occurs. We believe that examples are extremely useful in reducing ambiguity. The district can also stress that the examples are not meant to capture every instance. The idea would be to provide much more clarity on what the district would consider unacceptable and what would prompt imposition of disciplinary action against a student. 3. Establish an administration faculty student review board. The Scarsdale Policy Action Club urges the board and administration to establish a review board composed of administrators, faculty, and students to review how the guidelines are being applied and to assess whether the guidelines are appropriate over time. This would remove the subjective interpretations by a small group of administrators to a group of broader perspectives. We envision that the review

103board's responsibilities would be included but not be limited to Reviewing any case in which a student is required to suspend or alter speech or other expression or is removed from the applicable school event. Issuing a written review conclusion for each case. Publish data on enforcement. How many incidents in a given school quarter? What expression was restricted? And by which faculty to help ensure that the district maintains consistency over time? We recommend that the review board process be overseen jointly by school administrators and the Scarsdale Policy Action Club, with both groups working together to nominate an appointed board member. Good evening. My name is Sabine Mion, and I live at 45 Drake Road. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight I've been following the discussion around the proposed student expression guidelines closely and I appreciate

104the district opening up this process for community feedback I Recognize that this is a difficult balance to strike especially at a time when emotions in our diverse community are running high As these discussions continue, I hope we don't lose sight of three important realities. First, we need to understand why students are expressing themselves in the ways that we have been seeing. The actions we've seen from students are coming from a place of deep emotion and concern. These are not abstract issues to many of our young people. For some students, these events involve family members, cultural identity, religion, friends, or communities they care deeply about. The emotions are real and the feelings are deeply personal and valid. When young people feel they do not have meaningful channels to express themselves or anyone, or to ask difficult

105questions, to engage in dialogue, to challenge narratives, or feel heard by everyone around them, we should not be surprised when those emotions emerge in other ways. Students are expressing strong emotions because they care deeply about the issues that affect them. The answer is more dialogue, more opportunities for respectful engagement, and better channels for expression, not necessarily more restrictions on speech. Second, our students absolutely must be safe from threats, intimidation, harassment, bullying, and violence that obviously should never be up for debate. But safety and expression are not mutually exclusive. What concerns me is that students who express their viewpoints are increasingly becoming targets of bullying, public shaming, and even doxing, sometimes by adults in our community. We should be listening to our students, seeking to understand them and helping them engage with one another constructively, not

106escalating divisions or teaching them that disagreement should be met with punishment. Lasting community trust is not created through silence. It comes from teaching young people how to engage respectfully across differences and giving them the forums to do so, even when those differences feel deeply personal. Third, I would urge the district to carefully consider whether these new rules are truly necessary. I moved to Scarsdale 10 years ago because of its diverse community, progressive values, and reputation for educational excellence. I wanted my children to be exposed to different perspectives, to think critically, to ask difficult questions, and to be asked difficult questions, and learn how to engage respectfully with people whose experiences and viewpoints differ from their own. To me, that is the promise of a great education. Intellectual growth requires exposure to those different viewpoints, to

107those difficult conversations, and at times real discomfort. That is part of what education is meant to prepare students for. While I understand the intent behind these guidelines, I hope we remember that we already have strong protections rooted in civil rights law, established First Amendment principles, and existing district policies. So I would urge the district to reconsider whether new standards are even necessary, particularly if they risk creating rules that differ from the constitutional and civil rights protections that already exist. Where does the line get drawn on expression and speech? How will those distinctions be made? And how can we ensure that those standards are applied equally to all viewpoints? In that regard, I do agree with the League of Women Voters observation that the existing Scarsdale School District Code of Conduct, along with established policies and

108procedures, already provides administrators with the tools necessary to address these issues. If existing policies already address genuine misconduct, then I believe the burden should be on the district to explain why additional restrictions on student expression are even necessary. As a parent and taxpayer, I do not want to see district resources diverted toward avoidable legal challenges caused by vague or inconsistently applied policies. We should encourage and uphold both inclusion and freedom of expression, encourage respectful dialogue, and trust our students to engage with complexity rather than shield them from it. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Atiyah Malik and I live at 77 Tunstall Road. For those of you who don't know me, I am the mom of three. I have two older kids, both who have gone through elementary, middle, and high school here in

109Scarsdale, and a current kindergartner. We moved to Scarsdale many years ago because of its exceptional schools. Like many families, we wanted to provide our children with a strong educational foundation that would prepare them for success in the world beyond graduation. Over the years, however, I have come to appreciate something even more important than academic excellence. Scarsdale has a long tradition of developing leaders, innovators, and engaged citizens. People who think critically, challenge assumptions, and make meaningful contributions to society. That legacy is one of the reasons I am proud to be a part of this community. Sorry, I have extreme social anxiety talking, so. It is because of that legacy that I am concerned about the proposed amendments of the Student Code of Conduct. We all want our schools to be places where students are treated with

110kindness, dignity, and respect. We should absolutely encourage inclusivity, foster environments where every student feels welcome and valued. At the same time, we must be careful not to discourage respectful disagreement or the open exchange of ideas. One of the most important skills we can teach young people is how to engage thoughtfully with perspectives they do not share. Our students should feel empowered to express their views respectfully, ask difficult questions, and participate in meaningful dialogue. These are essential qualities of responsible citizens and future leaders. My concern is that the proposed amendments may unintentionally send the message that disagreement itself is something to be avoided rather than navigated constructively. If students fear disciplinary consequences for expressing different viewpoints, they may choose silence over engagement. I have seen firsthand how schools can shape not only what students learn, but

111also how communities think. Growing up in the South, I experienced prejudice and exclusion. I have watched how educational environments can influence what people come to accept as normal. A few years ago, my sister told me that books addressing LGBTQ plus topics and the Civil War had been removed from her children's elementary schools because they were considered inconsistent with the school's values. What struck me most was not the decision itself, but how readily the community had come to accept it. That experience reinforced for me the tremendous influence schools have on shaping civil culture. When students feel their voices are unwelcome or that certain viewpoints cannot be expressed respectfully, they may begin to disengage rather than, sorry, they may begin to disengage rather than thoughtfully, over time that can lead to disengagement rather than the thoughtful, respectful

112dialogue we should be encouraging. That would be a loss not only for those students, but for our entire community. I hope the board will carefully consider whether these amendments support Scarsdale's mission and preserves an environment where students can learn both how to respect others and how to appropriately express their own beliefs. Thank you for your time and consideration. Good evening. I'm Erica Rublin, Scarsdale High School PTA President, and I'm speaking on behalf of the Scarsdale High School PTA Executive Committee about the proposed guidelines for student expression at school-sponsored events. The Scarsdale High School PTA Executive Committee thanks the District Administration and Board of Education for providing an opportunity for community feedback on these proposed guidelines. We appreciate that the district has taken a proactive approach to making sure school-sponsored activities are inclusive and respectful. We

113firmly believe that all students should feel safe, respected, appreciated, and that they all belong in our diverse community. However, we do have concerns about the proposed guidelines and the impact they would have on students and teachers. From our perspective, the proposed guidelines are too ambiguous and will create confusion for students and teachers. The proposed guidelines prohibit speech, clothing, or symbols that would be expected to create disruption, division, or controversy. However, without clear definitions of what constitutes disruption, division, or controversy, this policy would be subject to very different interpretations depending on any given person's viewpoint. In today's world, a lot of issues could be deemed controversial. The subjective nature of this proposed policy would also place additional pressure on teachers and administrators to arbitrate this elusive standard. Teachers are already uncomfortable moderating difficult conversations in a

114controlled classroom. Without proper support and training for every staff member and clarity around definitions and processes, the implementation of this policy as currently written will heavily depend on individual interpretation and personality. And as such, a teacher or staff member could potentially overstep and violate students' First Amendment rights or fail to recognize the situation that this policy seeks to prevent. We are also confused about when these guidelines apply. We heard Dr. Patrick clarify that they apply to school publications, theatrical productions, school assemblies, speeches at graduation, and assignments or projects created for a grade. But the proposed guidelines currently read as if they apply to all school-sponsored events, including athletic games, clubs, speech and debate tournaments, etc. Does it apply to students in the audience or only the active participants or performers? What about the various courses

115clubs run on Non-Civvy Day? Does it apply to classroom discussions? We believe clarification in the guidelines would be helpful. Finally, we look at Scarsdale's portrait of a graduate and the skills it envisions that our students learn from a Scarsdale education. The district seeks to develop students who are critical thinkers, who recognize and appreciate different perspectives, skillful practitioners who effectively communicate in written and verbal form, compassionate leaders who are courageous and humble in the face of difficult conversations. in order to achieve this goal our students need to have the opportunity to have difficult conversations to hear and respect different perspectives to gain and hone their communication skills in school and not be afraid to speak out and make mistakes providing students with a safe space and the guidance to find and use their voice in a

116respectful and appropriate way is a cornerstone of a Scarsdale education while no child should ever experience hate in our schools we are concerned that this proposed policy as written may go too far and could have a detrimental impact stifling student voices and leaving our students unprepared for the difficult conversations and experiences they will encounter after leaving Scarsdale High School thank you again for working in such an important endeavor and we look forward to seeing the next iteration shifting gears I'm also reading a statement on behalf of Meg Simon in her individual capacity who could not be here tonight I'd like to thank Meg would like to thank Amber for her service to the Scarsdale Board of Education and to our entire community What has always stood out to me about Amber is that she never

117came to the table without a personal agenda. Her focus was always on what was best for our students and ensuring that every child in Scarsdale has access to an outstanding education. That commitment has guided her work and earned the respect of colleagues, educators, parents, and community members alike. Serving on a Board of Education has never been easy, and the challenges facing public education continue to grow more complex. Throughout all, Amber has demonstrated the qualities that make an exceptional trustee. She listens thoughtfully, respects differing viewpoints, and works collaboratively to find solutions. Sorry, Erica. It's time. Sorry. Amber, I'm going to give this to you. Please send it to us. This is Board of Ed at Scarsdale. It goes for everybody. Is there anybody else with a public comment? Seeing there's nobody. How are you, Omer Wichik,

11845 Penn Boulevard? Amber, her strength, determination, and skill have been invaluable, but what I will always remember most is her steady and thoughtful leadership. Amber understands that progress comes from working together. She has consistently modeled the respect and collaboration that are essential to effective governance. Amber, thank you for the countless hours you have devoted to our schools, for your unwavering commitment to students, and for your dedication to this community. Your service has made a meaningful difference and Scarsdale is better because of your leadership. I second those comments. Is there anybody else from the audience who would like to make a public comment? Seeing nobody, we're going to go to Zoom. We have one hand raised on Zoom, so I'll promote them now. My name is Beth Sukier and I am here at 104 Catherine Road

119and I'm speaking on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale. I have two statements. The first, members of the Scarsdale Board of Education and the Scarsdale School District Administration. The Board of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale believes the proposed guidelines for student expressions are unnecessary and problematic. We urge the Scarsdale School District Administration to withdraw the proposed guidelines. The existing Scarsdale School District Code of Conduct for students, along with established policies and procedures, sufficiently address disruption, harassment, bullying, threats, and other conduct that may interfere with the educational environment without the need for additional restrictions on student expression. The League of Women Voters has a long-standing commitment to the principles of free expression, informed civic participation, and the open exchange of ideas. To that end, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale's

120board implores the district to abandon plans for implementing the proposed guidelines and to foster a school environment where students may learn to think critically, engage respectfully with differing viewpoints, and negotiate exposure to what may be unpopular, unwelcome, or controversial beliefs. Thank you. And changing gears, my second statement. The League board wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Robert Klein and Amber Youssef for their six years of service. on the Scarsdale Board of Education. During their tenures as trustees, they oversaw the hiring of a new superintendent, added student representation to the Board of Ed, implemented a cell phone ban in schools, passed a $101.7 million bond initiative, and initiated community coffees and attended numerous school events to hear directly from parents and residents alike. Throughout it all, they had the best interest of our students, taxpayers, and

121community at heart. The League Board is grateful for all of Bob and Amber's work as trustees, and to Amber for her leadership as both Vice President and President, in service of our schools and our community. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Thank you so much. Hi, good evening. Mayra Kirkendall Rodriguez. I live at Fox Meadow Road. Thank you very much for holding this meeting and for the public comment. The issues before us are not whether Scarsdale should address harassment, threats, or misconduct. Of course it should. The question is whether these proposed student expression guidelines are the right way to do it. And as I wrote you in my seven-page comment letter, I respectfully submit that they're not. Scarsdale prides itself on preparing students for citizenship in a democratic society. I've been

122lucky to study and work. in over 30 emerging and advanced economies and personally have witnessed that democratic values are best served when people are encouraged to engage with difficult ideas, not when they are left uncertain about what they are permitted to say. The key problem with these guidance, as many of my fellow residents have stated, are that they are vague. They would allow restrictions on expression that may create division or controversy. But controversy is not a constitutional standard and in a free society many important ideas are controversial. These proposed guidelines move far beyond Tinker versus Des Moines and equally concerning is the provision allowing supervising adults to establish additional expectations for student expression that are not contained in written policies. The guidelines also provide no meaningful appeals process. The reference to unauthorized speech raises serious

123questions and students should not be placed in a position where they believe they must obtain permission before expressing a viewpoint. A school where students are afraid to speak is not the excellent school Scarsdale residents expect. It's simply a quieter one. None of this means that the district should ignore genuine harassment, threats, disruption, discrimination. Those are already prohibited by the existing Scarsdale School Code of Conduct number 5300. We do not need these guidelines. And if there is quantitative proof that the majority of Scarsdale residents really want these guidelines, I urge the district to narrow the guidelines drastically. Replace divisive controversial and unauthorized with a Tinker standard. Add a meaningful appeals process. Commission an independent constitutional review by outside counsel with First Amendment expertise. Not the same team that may have drafted this document. Track incidents of

124anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and any other bias by category and report the data to the board so that responses are evidence-based and not reactive. And please train any staff that is asked to enforce these rules so the enforcement is documented, consistent, and defensible. Scarsdale students deserve a school that models the values it teaches, that our ideas are tested through argument, not silenced by authority, that free expression is not a threat to our community, but the foundation of it. and that the answer to speech someone dislikes is more speech, not enforced silence. These guidelines, as written, are the wrong answer to a real problem. I urge the Board of Education to request that these guidelines be withdrawn. Thank you very much. No, nobody else. I'm so sorry. Moving on to follow-up to public comment, I just wanted

125to thank everybody for their comments and that I do not like cutting. Next. six written communications and that's Colleen. Thank you, Susie. Please note that the Board of Education email is also viewed by the superintendent and district clerk open meetings law requires all board deliberations Which may lead to action or policy changes to occur in public therefore your written communications and emails will be reported at an upcoming public board meeting a board member will respond at their earliest convenience a formal response requires that you include your full name address and if you are writing on behalf of an organization in the communication More detailed information regarding written communications received by the Board of Education may be found in today's meeting agenda located in board docs on the Scarsdale Schools District website. And since our May

12611th meeting, we have had 31 emails on district matters and six emails on board matters meetings and board highlights and invitations. Thank you so much, Colleen. Next on the agenda, item seven, consent agenda. I believe this is Bob. I'm sorry it's so long, but this is your last meeting, so we're going to not make it easy for you. Yeah. This may be – oh, yeah. Thank you, Colleen. I have to read the preamble for the consent agenda. Thank you. The board may conduct some of its business using a consent agenda in an effort to achieve greater efficiency at board meetings. A consent agenda condenses some of the routine business of the Board of Education into a single motion. The consent agenda is prepared by the superintendent of schools in consultation with the president and or

127the vice president of the board. Items are selected for the consent agenda when the officers of the board and the superintendent believe there is no controversy regarding them. The items on the consent agenda will have the same background material as ordinary items on the board agenda. If any member of the board feels that any item on the consent agenda requires discussion prior to action, that board member may remove that item from the consent agenda merely by requesting same at the meeting. The exempted item then moves to the regular agenda. However, all non-exempted items would be moved, seconded, and voted upon without discussion in order to provide greater efficiency to conducting the routine items of business of the school district. And with that, I'd like to ask if anybody on the board would like to remove

128any item from the consent agenda. Okay. Bob, you're up. Okay. 39 items this evening. I think it's a record, but I could be wrong. Item 8.01, minutes, business meeting, May 11, 2026. Item 8.02, minutes and results of the budget vote in board election, May 19, 2026. Item 8.03, minutes, special meeting executive session, June 1st, 2026. Item 8.04, personnel certified. Item 8.05, personnel non-certified. Item 8.06, claims audit report, May 2026. Item 8.07, annual agreements with non-union administrators. Item 8.08, annual agreements with non-union confidential managerial employees. Item 8.09, establishment of pay rates 2026-27. Item 8.10, abolition of position. Item 8.11, revision of fingerprint reimbursement rate 2025-2026. Item 8.12, extension of probationary period. Item 813 Brewster stream dredging bid recommendation. Item 8.14 Fox metal playground bid recommendation. Item 815 extension of maintenance contracts arborist. Item 816 extension of

129maintenance contracts various. Item 817 maintenance bid window repair. Item 818 cafeteria food and supplies bid. Item 819, Scarsdale High School Turf Practice Field Project Change Orders. Item 820, Maintenance Bid Electrical Contracting Services. Item 821, Maintenance Bid Annual Painting Services. Item 822, Maintenance Bid Custodial Supplies. Item 823, Maintenance Bid Flooring. Item 824. RIC One Risk Operations Center, the ROC Board Resolution. Item 825, Contracts Over 20,000 Technology, Gaggle. Item 826, Contracts Over 20,000 Technology, SHI. Item 827, Contracts Over 20,000 Technology, ATG. Item 828, contracts over 20,000 technology, JAMF. Item 829, contracts over 20,000 technology, SINIERI. Item 830, contracts over 20,000 technology, PKA. Item 831, contracts over 20,000 technology, Time Clock Plus. Item 832, contracts over 20,000 special education homebound instruction. Item 833, stipulation of settlement. Item 834, lease agreement for instructional computer equipment and transportation vehicles four-year

130term. Item 835, lease agreement for instructional computer equipment, transportation vehicles eight-year term. Item 836, budget amendment testing fees. Item 837, budget amendment special education tuition. Item 838, music equipment and supplies. Item 839, accept consent agenda. I move that the board accept the current consent agenda. Thank you so much, Bob. Is there a second? Thank you, Leah. Any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. have it and the motion carries yeah that was a doozy okay next on the on the agenda item 9.01 budget transfers okay I'm gonna take this there are two budget transfers before you tonight one is in the area of utilities from gas to electric to cover those expenses and the second one is transferred from largely certain salary codes to other salary codes to cover anticipated salaries through year end

131thank you there any questions agenda would be item 9.0 to a draft of the district-wide safety and emergency management plan this Eric each year we have to approve the district emergency safety and emergency management plan after a 30-day opening public comment period today we are opening that comment period just to go over some of the changes for this year there are a few language updates our AED and school cardiac emergency response plans have been updated we've revised state regulatory language by the state about staff training there are training and review processes which were slightly amended we have there were there was the after-school annex was updated for our before school and after school programs with emergency management we have an update to the maximum temperatures in school annex and lastly we have an addition of

132evacuation drill requirements that were required by the state so at this point the new draft district emergency safety plan will be on the website and we will be opening public comment for 30 days and they can email any public comment to the board or myself and Superintendent Patrick directly and then on our July 15th meeting we will discuss adoption of the emergency management plan which is due by October 1st of next year to the state. Thank you so much. Are there any questions from the board? Thank you Eric. item 9.03 the draft guidelines for student expression at school sponsored activities okay Thank You Susie I want to first thank our community for writing and speaking to share input related to these draft guidelines obviously they didn't exist before in written format and people have some

133very specific feelings about them We received 109 comments via the online forum along with additional emails from individuals and groups including as we heard tonight the League of Women Voters Scarsdale. Just broadly characterizing the input it was included many thoughtful, nuanced, and passionate statements. Among those comments was a submission from officers we heard from tonight. I wasn't sure exactly if they'd come, so I wanted to mention the SHS Policy Action Club. And in their comments noting, and others saying the same thing, when students learn to speak respectively and effectively, harmful comments become less common. And that's certainly something I believe in strongly. Overall, just in a synthesis of the feedback, criticism of the guidelines or concern over the guidelines outweighed support overall. And I think what we heard tonight was representative broadly of the major

134concerns that were identified, concerns that they're, as written, overbroad, vague, questions about constitutionality in some questions, concerns about... excessive authority you know or a subjective authority that might be put on the adults who supervise activities broadly so those are things that we have been and will be thinking about applying to a draft to come forward in the next meeting in july i think given the attention to this um like i don't feel like we're in a rush to to adopt these guidelines i think it's better to get it right um and know that these this is not a policy capital p these are these are guidelines that are an attempt to articulate um i'd say boundaries that we already have a responsibility to put on certain of certain types of activities so you know we'll

135continue to think about that I think certainly in terms of next steps you know I certainly agree I think I can speak for the administrative team and our teachers we believe that creating the conditions for having difficult conversations successfully rooted in learning rich learning experiences is our goal that you know and we need to be careful if there's any possibility that guidelines or policies work against that we certainly don't don't want to create barriers to that learning objective so things you know putting clear a clear definition on what activities were talking about I you know we've we've talked internally a little bit more about this we really we really are trying to narrow it to those activities that we are already and and have actually a responsibility to be you know kind of putting clear

136boundaries around because of what they are so those are school sponsored publications over which the district maintains editorial review theatrical productions school plays performing and fine arts exhibitions athletic contests speeches at graduation or school assemblies dances and proms and as we said before assignments or projects created for a grade in the class those are things that that we're talking about right now exclusively and we need to clarify that I think were conscious of needing to clarify the guidelines that they pertain to student expression while participating in school-sponsored activities, different from being an audience member in those activities. And then the idea of the political advocacy and messaging would be, again, by student participants in those activities, not by the audience. for example and then of course we got feedback about change like are we talking

137about changing the rules on the fly or in the moment and that's really not a good way to operate that we want to be clear about communicating expectations for students in advance of those listed listed activities again things we do now very formally some cases and as I think just as we've discussed this and discovered less formally in other instances where students have sort of would have a right to know what those rules for dress are for example at a concert but maybe we're not as explicit we should be so it's just a broad reflection on where we are that we have work to do to make revisions and and bring those revisions forward for further discussion and meeting presumably again in August. I wanted to ask the board if anybody would like to ask

138a question or make a comment. Anish. Yeah, just two quick things. I think the first is kind of dealing with this issue of school sponsored. I've done speech and debate for the past four years in the high school, and I think someone in public comment sort of touched upon this, but I guess the field or sect or whatever you want to call it that I do in speech and debate heavily involves with politics and how you debate these current events political issues. My main concern is that the way that the club works is that senior or upperclassmen will teach younger students about how to answer these types of questions, what type of questions they'll see at tournaments. And so those questions could be charged, ranging from China and Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, or Israel and Palestine.

139And I think as a freshman, something that was very helpful for me is that, yes, you can believe whatever you want on these issues. It's your own free will. But that there is a certain eloquence and neutral way that you can learn how to talk about these issues. And I think that's a skill that, whether it be with our global political leaders or people like you and I, I think it's something that's very important skill for a student to learn. And my worry is that. Now with the creation of this policy and this sort of umbrella of school-sponsored event, does that mean that, let's say, I'm teaching a sophomore about Israel and Palestine, and they're uncomfortable with me talking about the issue, does that mean that by me educating other students about what sort of

140language is appropriate to use, does that constitute me violating some sort of, I guess, wide scale? No. That would not, this would not apply in that situation. All right. And then for my second comment is that I think two, like one or two years ago, through school government, we started running this like hot topics program where we could have public discourse on. I guess a variety of issues. And I remember one of the concerns that came up is that, yes, you can set out all of these norms. You can have all of the moderation during the 90 minutes or 60 minutes of the debate. But then outside the classroom, what will students tell each other? And what sort of ramifications can they have for a student's social life outside of school or outside of the

141debate? And I wonder that is there a possibility that something like this, not policy, but something like these guidelines can sort of legitimize those fears that now students would not only have other peers to turn to to talk about other students, but would they have some sort of like guidelines that would sort of harm other people who are just trying to vocalize their opinion. So those were my two questions. Can I ask you to clarify the second point a little bit more? I'm not sure I... I totally understand the, I think I understand the concern about how students might engage with one another after, but what's the concern there connected to these guidelines? I think like kind of what was mentioned in public comment, I think that Like when it comes to the definition of

142anti-Semitism. I think that's a core sort of definition that I think a lot of people can debate. And I can certainly understand from both perspectives why someone's opinion or what the definition could be could be offensive to the other. And I think that idea of offense or controversy is something that I felt was reflected in the guidelines as something that could be sort of penalized. And so... My question is mainly that let's say I'm debating someone and they don't like what I'm saying, even though I could be backing up with evidence and that the nature of the controversy could be offensive, which I totally understand. Does that then put me at risk of receiving some sort of – Of like violating the – Yes. Thank you. I appreciate you clarifying that. So I think the

143short answer is no, it should not. It's not intended to put you at risk in the situation, the hypothetical that you described. so if it does we have to work on that right I do think part of our part and parcel of our ability to educate for discussing and disagreeing about difficult topics you know rooted in study and exploration is also to educate around the appropriate time place and manner for engaging in those discussions right so if we set up a school administratively supported controversial topics or hot topics moment environment opportunity whatever the right word is you know We are I think signaling that this is the appropriate time place and manner to have a discussion about this topic using these rules That that that's the and as long as those You know are in

144place. That's that's what we're talking about there whereas choosing to You know You're being featured as a soloist in one of the performing ensembles and at the end of it end of your solo you decide to make a statement that is outside of the purpose of the concert, that's a different thing. It may be that the statement you make is totally allowed in walking down the hallway with a friend or in the cafeteria, but not in that moment. that setting in that time in that place like that that that's what we're attempting to differentiate if that makes sense thank you Drew for crafting the guidelines and really I think it's important that we keep every student safe free from harassment and intimidation. I appreciate that we sent these guidelines out to the community to get

145their input and I appreciate all the people that sent in their feedback or that emailed us, spoke tonight. I also appreciate your summary of the comments. I think they're important. But because I am also not going to be on this board beyond this evening, I want to share some of my concerns. You know, I have confidence in the administration and the future board. to look into this and to think about these things, but I want to be clear about my concerns. So it may seem repetitive to some of the things that you've heard this evening, but I feel compelled to sort of share my thoughts. So I've written my statements. I'm just going to read it. I share the district's commitment to student safety and to keeping school-sponsored events respectful and inclusive. Every student should

146be free from harassment, threats, and intimidation, and the district should enforce that firmly. But the draft as written doesn't advance that goal and in some ways works against it. The core problem for me is the word controversy along with division. Whether something is controversial depends entirely on who is reacting to it and not solely on the expression itself. And almost any viewpoint worth expressing can be controversial to someone. This rule will fall hardest on students with minority or less popular views. The student, the very students, the safety minded policy should protect. Real safety means protection from harassment and threats, not from disagreement or discomfort. The standard also hands too much discretion to individual staff. Asking a teacher or coach to judge on the spot with nothing in writing whether something may reasonably be expected to

147create controversy guarantees inconsistent, seemingly viewpoint-based enforcement and puts the staff in an unfair position. Relatedly, school-sponsored activities is not clearly defined, and the draft applies one standard to very different situations. A student giving a scripted graduation speech is not the same as one watching a game from the stands. I respectfully urge the district and future board to do two things remove division and controversy and respect only expression that actually causes or is reasonably likely to cause a substantial disruption or that crosses into harassment threats or safety risks and clearly define which events are covered distinguishing school controlled speech from students personal expression The genuinely harmful conduct here is already addressed by the existing code of conduct. A narrower, cleaner standard would protect students more effectively than a vague one and better reflect what a Scarsdale

148education should do, help students learn to engage with disagreement rather than be shielded from it. And thank you, Anish and Amber, for your questions and comments. And thank you to all our community who has spoken so much. So thank you, Drew, for clarifying that the timeline will move into the next board year. I think that's helpful for us to understand. And I understand, as you said at our last meeting, you know, that this work is already done. You know, one area of concern for me is that these guidelines in codified form as currently written. And as some community members have said, we'll stifle or chill student speech and expression because of the uncertainty and ambiguity and we'll confuse people. And of course, as we discussed last time and I brought up, like how do you

149norm the enforcement of these guidelines as written? You know, I don't think you can because it's so subjective and it's so difficult to make that kind of determination in a complex moment. So I'm hopeful. that there will be work done to make this more clear and a lot of work done. If it's going to be a thing that we're doing, that people are going to have to enforce it, a lot of training, a lot of work on that as well. I don't want to stifle student expression or speech. I'm confused and concerned about the words political and controversy. And I know you didn't say political, but I think political is a complex word, too, in this moment. And I realize we live in a complex and fraught moment, and I know we've had a year,

150a heavy year. But I think we need to be very careful going forward that we're defining terms. You know and are careful to protect our students personal expression in the schools as best we can even though I understand the need to want to You know kind of control the environment of certain school events so I thank you also for Thinking about clarifying what those events are as well. Thank you. So I also want to thank you. Oh, sorry I also want to thank the community members who shared a lot of thoughtful and many, I think, very constructive feedback on the guidelines. I echo a lot of the concerns raised by the vagueness and the, you know, almost impossibility of the enforcement and the... sort of honors burden it puts on educators and administrators. I would

151urge the district to consider some of the feedback about sort of going back to the code of conduct and because in there we already specified anything that rises up to the level of harassment discrimination that's already addressed there the intent of this guideline is to preserve some you know the major school sponsored activities to kind of preserve the dignity of those special occasions where the goal might be to celebrate student achievement, showcase student talent. I think this intent, I think people appreciate, but as many have already raised, sort of like a very clear... We need clear sort of scope around this. And if this guideline seems to be a blanket restriction on student expression, I think that would go against the long-hold Scarsdale values of... critical thinking and as many mentioned learning opportunities for people

152for students and adults to engage constructively with different viewpoints Jim sorry that's okay just wanted to you know also say and echo you know many of the comments we've heard from the community and here at the board table I think it's I sort of think it's important that we do clarify some expectations around these sort of events that we've been seeing occur in our community that have created dissension and I think sometimes have been disruptive. But I do think that as drafted, it's hard for me to get behind how broad these guidelines are with respect to specifically the political piece of it. The notion of unauthorized speech, clothing or symbols to promote political positions, causes or viewpoints that may be reasonably expected to cause, eliding some words here, division or controversy is a really, I

153think, vague standard because I think most political positions cause controversy. That's why they're political. And I don't think we're intending to say that our students cannot have... political positions or voice them, I think what we're trying to say is they should not do that when doing so creates disruption or has a severe reaction, not just controversy, but something higher, something more extreme than that. So I would say, as drafted, these, in my view anyway, are too broad. too restrictive and I think crossed the line at least my view is potentially crossed the line in a way that would limit you know the free speech rights of our students so it's it's hard for me to get completely behind it but I do appreciate what is the effort here and what's trying to be done I

154feel like my fellow board members have covered many of the themes that we're hearing from the community and from the board I appreciate the spirit in which these were written. I understand why they were drafted. I also appreciate not pushing them through if they're not accomplishing the goal and the intent that they were written for. I think we'll continue to discuss them and see if it really is what our community needs. I don't know, hearing some of the students speak, I feel like there is the desire to continue to build that skill set of discussing these views respectfully and creating that environment. But I know that's a whole other stressor that we would put on our community or on our educators. I think these conversations will continue and I appreciate you realizing they're not ready

155and continuing to hear the feedback from everyone and kind of process it and address it. My fellow board members and thank you Drew. really appreciate the fact that you are spending the time on this and not rushing it and soliciting as much community feedback into this discussion because it is you know an important one for all of us and for our students I don't want to repeat you know what everybody else already said I appreciate what you have outlined as next steps and we look forward to thank you thank you yeah and then take the break Is that okay? Of course. That's great. So we'll invite our colleagues from Synergistic up to introduce themselves, and I will pull up your slides. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Holly Charlesworth. I am the client manager.

156And my name is Dan Smith. I'm the energy specialist. Okay. Okay. um so next slide this is our annual report so it's important to look at the utility rate trend as we saw in the last year electricity continues to go up and that's for a variety of reasons natural gas increased this year versus the last two years and the water rates continue to increase next slide please So when we look at your utility cost profile for this program year, we can see that the electric costs have actually become a smaller piece of the pie. They were 53% in this year versus 67% in the base year. Next slide. So the cumulative... Savings to date is $883,190. We are meeting with Andrew Lennon in two weeks to just close out program year three. So you can

157see the savings broken out by year. and we can all review that with him. So to date, that's about 11.82 cost avoidance. We've done over 1,500 energy audits since the inception of the program, and we have avoided 2,390 CO2 emissions. Next slide. So what does the 2,390 tons of CO2 look like? That's about 39,000 trees planted over 10 years, the equivalent of almost 6 million miles driven by the average car, and the energy saved could power about 300 homes for one year. Next slide. So if you look at the utility use trend, you can see that... It's trending pretty nicely. You can see PY3 that already in month of April we actually had the best performance year, performance month to date. So we continue to try to find opportunity and work with the team in

158Scarsdale, including John and Nick, who are here tonight, to optimize performance. Next slide. So I just wanted to show that there's a pattern when you look at cooling degree days, which is a big component of the electric usage in the district. You can see that it tends to follow kind of a predictable pattern in June, August, September. You'll see more demand for cooling throughout the district and in the area when we look at the trend. Next slide, please. Thank you. The natural gas, this year there was higher usage due to weather, which you can see in the next slide. When we look at the heating degree days, the pattern over the last four years has been more inconsistent, which includes PY3 heating degree days were the highest that they have been in the last at

159least five, six years. So that influenced a lot of the performance on the natural gas over the winter. Next slide, please. And then the water use, which you have quarterly bills, and Dan works with the team now that we have the... meter data just to try to provide find the leaks more proactively than we were able to do in the past this is something that came out from the town the last year you can see though we continue to find more improvement in the water usage which is important because the water rates will also continue to increase over the you know in the future next slide please okay so um yeah my name is dan i've been here for a year now And this is the slide from last year's board presentation saying what we

160would do this year. I'm very happy to report that we've done all of these things. Streamlining building run times over the summer break, introducing synergistic community, continuing on-site training, and optimizing of the building performances across all the seasons. So basically this year was really about me coming up to speed with our team and with the head custodians and the buildings and ground people and all the sites, collaborating with them, learning the buildings and seeing how their operations are going, supporting those operations during the extreme summer and winter. As Holly mentioned, this winter, we know, it was cold, and we had a lot of challenges. But one of the things that I've learned is that it's impossible to talk to people about saving energy if they're not comfortable. So a lot of my time this year

161was trying to work through comfort issues because nobody wants to hear, hey, we're saving money if their office is cold, you know what I mean, or the kids are sweating or whatever. So the comfort concerns was a big part of what I wanted to do this year to try to help get things rolling. So it introduced synergistic community at the high school. Basically that was meeting with the Green, Project Green, kind of pitching them on what I could see in terms of potential projects, areas for inquiry, you know, where they could gather data, things like that. They expressed interest, have done some things that we'll cover a little bit later and look forward to doing that next year. And then again, operations training with the senior technical consultant. That's one of the thing that the

162buildings and ground crew really seem to oh, I'm sorry The buildings and ground crew really like is when we have our technical experts come in and explain the science behind Why we do things in a certain way or why? You know doing it differently than how they have might be better or the way that they're doing it is great And this is why the next slide so we did want to highlight one of the schools through the program through this year and I thought Green Acres was a great opportunity. You can kind of see the performance throughout the program. We started off PY1 actually in negative in terms of use of natural gas. There were a lot of comfort issues and concerns in the building that increased the run times. So we really wanted to

163kind of Find out what was going on and you can see this year. We actually improved in the natural gas savings the electric and The water as well Next slide please Yes, those are savings so you can see like we start off negative and natural gas and py1 Save more water, but we continue to find opportunities throughout that building next slide, please So we worked with German, he's the head custodian over at Green Acres, to find out where a lot of the issues were. There were a lot of comfort concerns in that building in particular for a lot of different reasons. We showed him where they were, we investigated. One of the classrooms had actually an issue with it, and we were able to show him what needed to be done, and he worked with

164John and Nick to address that over the summer, I believe, in PY1. And then there was an issue with the VRF system in the Mitsubishi. So I and one of our technical consultants spent some time when the students were not there and tried to troubleshoot the system and really figure out what was going on. And then we wrote a report which we gave to the facilities team and they were able to bring in your contractor to address it. So we were able to address kind of those spaces that ran 24-7. that way and then the on-site technical training we brought in our chief consultant to meet with german and answer any questions that he may have regarding boiler operations so then he was able to really be able to ask targeted questions and then throughout

165the program we have worked on a lot of programming adjustments and just overall education of why a space runs the way that it does we've made adjustments based on germans feedback and even ways of just improving the performance. And then we did do a lot of audits after hours to figure out what was running, what could be set back, and then in some cases, what could not be set back. The emergency lighting is a key example. That was something that the board actually brought up before. Based on the building code, it needed to stay on, but we were able to work with John and the team to make sure that the blinds were drawn at the end of the day so that the lighting impact was lessened. um next slide please okay so um so

166this is the synergistic community so basically synergistic is is working to basically on how to take the knowledge that we have and the work that we do and link it to the classroom. Because a building is a system. It has patterns, it has behaviors, it has ways that you can influence how much electricity or natural gas or water it uses. So one of the things that the students really seemed to gravitate to was we had this watt meter. So basically you plug it in, you plug a TV or something into it, and it'll tell you how much electricity it's consuming in any given moment. So I got an email one day from the club saying, could I come to one of their meetings and answer some questions about them because they did some research and

167they had questions. So what they did was they went and they talked amongst themselves, identified smart boards as something that they wanted to research. And then they did a series of experiments where they plugged these wattmeters into smart boards over the weekend, overnight, and tried to figure out how much energy they consumed. We were able to kind of go backwards and kind of validate their weekend data, you know, with the hours. And they found that basically 20 watts of power is being used by a smart board when it's asleep. So when it's off, nothing is happening overnight. It consumes 20 watts an hour overnight. And they were like, well, you know, is that? And I'm like, I don't know. Is it? Is that a lot? What if it consumes 50,000 when it's on? You know,

168what percentage is that? So I'm hoping that we will be able to kind of have a longer study over next year. Some of the juniors expressed interest in doing planning now to kind of really start in September. And, you know, it just, it's a good way for us to point out things to them that they can actually go and literally discover. Because I didn't know it was, I didn't know they took 20 watts. You know what I mean? It's creating real data, not just regurgitating what it is that I tell them, you know. So that's kind of exciting for next year. Next slide. So again, I've been here for the year, so now we're coming into the summer and my whole, you know, my focus is on tightening everything up as we go through. So

169for the summertime, what programs are there? What do they need? What are the custodians cleaning? Where are they working? What do they need? Kitchen setbacks, you know, main offices, all that stuff is just taking everything they learned with all the buildings and all the different personalities and kind of tighten it up as we go through each season. you know so again providing ways to streamline the building operations during after school with the high school does anybody have a guess how much like what kind of percentage the high school is of like the total electricity or utility spend we have a guess well so the high school is roughly double the middle school and the high school and the middle school are well over 50 percent So it's basically like three elementary schools will get you

170a high school. So it's hard because I'm new, I'm meeting all the people, working with the head custodians. I want to spend just as much time at Heathcote as I spend at the middle school or I spend at the high school. But, you know, in terms of impact, I could, you know, I could literally go to the big switch at Heathcote and shut the whole building down, shut everything off, and it wouldn't have the impact as finding something that's running out of schedule at the high school. so it's about kind of balancing that and working with the small schools as well as the large schools again expanding the community with the high school I'm really excited that the juniors were we're interested in kind of planning something for next year and then we're also working

171to solve kind of longer-term problems like with the high school it's just it's such a large school that we found for example Many times we had to start up the boilers because there were a handful of classrooms that weren't warm enough. So you have to fire up the whole building to get everything warmed up to heat up these couple of classrooms. What are you going to do? I mean, you have to heat them up. You can't not do it. So we're working to kind of rebalance one of the systems to see if we can alleviate those kind of problem areas so next year we won't have to exert so much energy just to get to the baseline. That's it. Thank you for your report actually before we get started I had a question for Nick

172who I think is sitting in the back I feel like in the past and and we did the budget transfer earlier tonight And it was you know from the gas utility code to the electric utility code Could you remind me how that works in our buildings? I think that sometimes we switch between gas and electric based on costs or something. Could you explain that again? So it's not so much gas and electric, it's gas and oil. Okay, yes, I knew there was something. Yeah, we're subjected to the Con Ed interruptible, so they'll send out messaging. Usually it's when we hit a certain degree mark, we're forced onto oil for a set amount of time until they lift it. Over this past winter, we had three occasions, one for an extended period of time where we

173had to stay strictly on oil, but we always do a cost comparison between oil and natural gas. 99.5% of the time natural gas is cheaper. So we stay on that until we're forced to own it by Con Ed. So there were some days this year where we weren't using natural gas because we were using oil. That's correct, yes. But those aren't reflected in this report, are they, those costs? It's in the rate. So the natural gas rate does include the oil. And the natural gas. So because you're in an interruptible rate and oil, so you were using oil and getting oil deliveries during a high demand period, and because of the interruptible rate where they had a higher demand on that, your rates did increase. So in January and February in particular, they went up

174by three times in January and five times in February? Or was it four? I think it was four times in February. Okay, and that was this year because the weather was so extreme. The weather was extreme. So in previous years when we presented to you, your natural gas rate was actually less because your team adopted the policy of using natural gas. But then because of lower demand, the natural gas rate was significantly lower, as Nick said. This year was a bit of a change. Okay. Okay, thank you. And then I was just curious, you highlighted Green Acres, which is probably our newest, most modern building. So I'm wondering what your thoughts are, how other schools perform some of our older buildings. I know we've got some renovations planned, but Edgewood, Fox Meadow, I mean, I

175don't expect you to have the data now, but curious about those schools. So Heath code is something that we're working on Edgewood in particular We've made actually a lot of programming changes in the last two months So I was talking to Andrew Lennon about that We're gonna revisit it to see how it performed with all the changes that were made in the next heating season So we did see increased performance, but we wanted see another heating season before we say that you know those changes really had an impact we've been working with frank over at edgewood a lot on that heathcote is a smaller building and you will be adding ac to it so that dynamic will change we did work with a contact that we have at nipa to get you interval data for

176heathcote which you didn't have previously so we're kind of looking that over right now as we speak and So that one I think will be kind of a mixed bag But we also saw the like green acres you invested and you did add new projects and those projects Out of the gate just had some issues that needed to be It seems like Nick maybe wants to add something as well. Yeah. No, that's great So yes to kind of answer your question too as we look at Edgewood and Fox Meadow and a lot of work in the bond bringing on newer systems like we did at green acres should have an impact but which should also affect all buildings is doing our bms upgrades we're changing out systems that were pneumatics which is just literally air

177inside of a thermostat to a now digital platform adding it onto bms which is going to really help to fine-tune controls kind of room by room which will help with those comfort complaints but also just newer systems smarter systems more efficient systems should help to also bring us closer on par with what green acres is looking like now great thank you and I would also add that just using the Matic systems as Nick said you have a lot of leakage especially at the middle school and at the high school so removing those systems will and help the district as well thank you I just, I'm sorry, I just have a quick question that might need Nick also. So, you know, like behavioral, like for classroom teachers or also, I don't know if this is going

178to be related directly to the BMS, but like at the middle school, if the heat is on and it's super hot in a room and the teacher even like turns on the window unit or opens the windows, like I hear stories, I have a middle schooler, she tells me everything. Is that going to be? you know alleviated like fixed by the bms and when which year is the bms coming in I need to remind myself on that one for the scope. I know I think we're looking towards around the third phase to start the BMS integration. Okay. So like starting on the fields first with the Greenacres and Quaker Ridge, moving into Edgewood and Fox Meadow, and then I believe the plan is, remind me if I'm wrong on that, Drew, I think we're in

179that third phase to start looking at a lot of the infrastructure to include BMS. Late 2020s, early 2030s. Late 2020s towards that 28-29 timeframe. So I'm sorry, remind me of the first part of the question? No, I'm kind of just curious about, I don't know if it's a behavioral thing or if it's just the hot or the cold. Yeah, so that building is kind of like what Holly and Dan were describing before. To get room too warm, you have to fire up the whole building. So with the BMS, it should be to the point where it becomes more on-demand control. Better? Yeah. Less of a load on the boiler itself or on the systems and having it be more subjected and independent to the room, which should help a little bit to room-to-room climate changes,

180which will hopefully not have us doing, because I've heard the stories too. It's hot in the room, so turn on the window air conditioner just to try to balance it out. The hope is to have the systems, especially with the new BMS, have it to be a little bit more regulated in a room-by-room case. Thank you for this. First of all, thank you for working with the students. I think that's such a cool project and if they continue with it and you guys come back for your presentation next year, we'd love to have them come and share their findings. That's such a big impact that you're doing with them and they are the people that are going to have to fix our environment. So I would love it if we could hear more about that

181in your next presentation. I had a similar question to Amber's as to why you chose to do Green Acres given it's one of our newer buildings. Do you have, you know, the information you shared with Green Acres was great, the visual was great. Do you have something like that for the high school or middle school where it's a much bigger building that impacts a lot of our students? I think at the middle school, it does save consistently given its limitations, which as we were describing, you have an old pneumatic system. There's leakage. It leads to overheating. So it saves about 10%, I believe. I would have to look at it month over month. I thought Green Acres was a good example because we started out of the gate. We actually struggled out of the gate.

182and we worked with the head custodian to improve performance. So you did install a lot of new equipment, but you still have a boiler system that runs off of the same BMS that the rest of the district runs off of. So a lot of those changes happened outside of the capital investment. So we really worked with him to try to find where his issues were and try to figure that out. Or sometimes we would come to him and we would say, the gym is overheated, and he actually looked into it and figured it out. why the gym was overheated all the time so working with him just to answer those kind of questions right i mean i appreciate that i was just curious if there was a way for us to see the progress in

183the other buildings that would be helpful yeah we can do that as well um the high school is as dam is saying a really large building it's your oldest in you know in the community so there's a lot of opportunity here and there's a lot of tweaking that we've been working on this year if you could provide this same graph for all seven buildings I think it could be interesting and just to add that German is great but that doesn't take anything away from anybody else you know what I mean because I just think this is super helpful but it would be great to see this we're just finishing our third year of a five-year right agreement so it would be great now that we're over halfway through to get a visual like this for

184all of the schools okay Just a quick question. For the water use trend, could you explain why the levels are so cyclical versus the other ones where I guess it's consistent? It's a quarterly bill. So every couple months, we do get Avil so there is a peak in the base year in September When we came in we did find that there were some leaks at different schools in the district and we did bring that to your team's attention and things were addressed over time so you can kind of see the improvement especially in that quarter itself there are a lot of You know, when we did a lot of unoccupied audits, we found that the meters were spending when they shouldn't be. So that's a big piece of that. So really, it's quarterly. Now that

185the town actually does give you live meter data that Dan works with on the team, you can see month-to-month the change, but just historically, you're not going to have that kind of information. And also, too, this graph looks weird because it's a three-month bill. So the only data point we have is in October. So you can't see where that peak was if it was September, October, November, which was one thing that the buildings and ground crew just fixed a leak, I don't know, it was a week ago, two weeks ago. There was a, one of the meters had the, the thing was spinning. Looked for the leak, couldn't find the leak. We went back to the interval data, looked and saw that the water usage was consistent across seven days. Typically you'll see during school

186hours, Monday to Friday, you see the water usage less than the weekends. This was across the board. Guys went back, looked, they actually found a leak, repaired the leak, and all of this happened before we even got, I don't even think we've gotten the bill yet. So in the past, we would get a bill like happened last year. We got a bill for October. I was like, oh, man, what's going on at Quaker Ridge? And we had to go chase it all down three months later. Now we were able to find it and solve it before we even got the bill. So that's really exciting. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think the month-to-month thing is really interesting because for me I was wondering how you had with the Smart Board project, what's

187the offline life like? We have a lot of breaks in December, February, November. I think it would be interesting to see the water use then if you see people aren't in the building, what that would look like then. We can definitely do that. I would just say though in the winter the boilers are on and you have a lot of steam traps in this in the district so sometimes you will find some leaks. We came in here I believe over the summer of PY1 in the high school and we repaired a lot of the steam traps here so you'll see that as well so that might be kind of mixed in there but we can definitely share that with you. Yeah I'm just curious now that we're starting to take a deeper dive into some

188of the data. The bond is going to do two things in my mind. One, it's going to increase the sum in certain schools square footage, which obviously has to be heated and cooled. Plus, we're adding air conditioning in numerous places. So I think the more data we have that allows Andrew and his team to predict the future. In other words, our energy consumption may realistically go up because we're heating more space and we're cooling more space. And from a budgeting point of view, you know, the more accurate we can predict that, obviously, you know, in spite of the fact that obviously the rates themselves are very mercurial. clearly dramatically going up. But, I mean, hopefully this data will allow us to be more sensitive in forward planning so we can really predict. So, you know,

189I don't know how this is all being formatted. Ultimately, the BMS, of course, will be a good tool for that. But until that happens, you know, so that Andrew really has, he can start planning ahead because there is going to be a cost beyond the bond, an ongoing cost, I mean, from that. We can definitely do that. I do that with a lot of our other partners. And we actually also, when they're budget planning, if they have a capital construction project input, because you will use more energy during the project, it just runs 24-7. That's just kind of what a contractor will do. We've actually been able to predict that for them, so that's baked in the budget. So it's not something that they see, you know, at the end of the year. Just to

190follow up on that uneven heating across different parts of the building, from the answers, it seems like BMS is just going to partially address it. So I just wonder if there are other approaches, engineering methods or like supplementary methods to address that. Well, if I may, just so one of the problems that we had that we saw, I guess, was there's an area called the bridge offices, right? So there's several offices on the bridge over here that has open air underneath, and it has offices that have basically open air under and on two sides, difficult to heat. So one of the things that we were able to figure out was that by running the boilers all the time and keeping the sections that heat that space up to temperature, it saved more money than to

191let it cool down and then try to start everything back up in time to heat those spaces up. So we were able to actually save more money and keep that space comfortable by changing the operations of the building. So one of the other things that we're looking at is in the classroom addition, the lower level is, for whatever reason, it's much colder than the other floors in the building. And typically that's like the coldest spot in the building. So one of the things that we're doing in a couple of weeks is we're coming in after school is out, nobody's in the building, and we're going to balance the air handler. Because basically it looks like the air is blowing out more on the top floor, which is giving it more heat, than it is at

192the bottom floor. So it's a mechanical issue that just over time, just, you know, dampers change, things, you know, kind of, you know. stray from as designed. So we're able to kind of look at that to make those fixes also because it's not always just the controls. There's a lot of interplay between different systems that were put in at different times and different spaces that have different needs than when the building was designed. Just to answer your question, yes. So also we've also been looking into supplemental heating and cooling in areas. So as the bridge was mentioned here and also there was an area at Heathcote that we identified a large steam leak to repair what had been excavating the ground, destroying walls. So we brought in supplemental heating by way of electric heaters to

193Heathcote and also did some of that in the bridge as well. And that resulted in us being able to keep the boilers down, not fire them up as often in those occupied areas. So that has really helped out as well. So we're going to look to do that as we identify some more of those areas as well. Thank you. Anybody else? Thank you. Saving energy is not only great to save money, but it also aligns with our district goals of being eco-friendly. So thank you for that. I just had a quick question. Thank you also for all this data. We're a board that likes data. So I remember this past winter, you know, because we're just coming out of it, that it was cold. So the usage makes sense to me, you know, that it's

194higher than maybe some previous years. But I'm old now and I don't remember maybe, you know, the last couple years. In the future, when we get this kind of usage report, can we also... If you're not going to norm it for average temperatures, like have that data available? We can. I would say in the last two years, and I had this discussion with your facilities team, it's been an anomaly. It actually used to follow the pattern for the first two years, the base year, and PY1. That was the typical pattern. It's been colder for like the last two years. So we can definitely provide that to you. Like as an overlay or something like that? Yeah, we can do that. Okay. Thank you. That's all. Thank you so much. Thank you. Holly and Dan, thank

195you very much for being here. Thanks for your patience. Appreciate it. And John and Nick, thank you so much. We really appreciate you being here. We take a wellness break? All right, great. We'll take five. Thank you. Thank you and welcome back to our business meeting. We are going to move right along. Item 9.05, policy update. I believe this is Drew. Yep, this is the second reading of 8635, information and data privacy, security breach and notification. This is the regulation to update NIST to reference the cybersecurity framework version 2.0 instead of 1.0. Pretty minor changes. Thank you. Are there any questions or discussion? Okay. We're moving along. 06, another policy review, first reading. And this will be Eric. This is not a change to an actual policy, but to a regulation based on the concussion

196management policy. The state changed its concussion management protocols, I guess, about three years ago now. athletes and non-athletes are treated differently. Currently, in-season athletes are required to have a baseline neurocognitive test. We use the impact testing. And that is part of the return to play process. So every athlete must get cleared by their private physician. That clearance must be reviewed by our district physician. They must have a post-injury impact test, and then they must go through a five-day return-to-play procedure, which basically is a gradual increase of cardiovascular and sports-related activities over five days to make sure symptoms are not reappearing. What we have found is that impact has both a high rate of invalid testing. It doesn't take into account many of the things like special education requirements and special education situations which may throw

197off that neurocognitive testing. We have had a number of incidents where the post-impact test is showing something that both the doctor has cleared, the return to play has not flagged, and it's really delaying. kids return to sports. Really what we're suggesting is removing the impact testing from our process for athletes, which would basically focus our attention on three things. Clearance from their own private physician before any process starts, once that clearance comes in. Our district physician reviews the history. of that student and then clears to start return to play. And at that point, it's a five-day system back to play because it takes out. of the mix, this impact testing, it allows for a more streamlined approach to getting kids back in play while still maintaining the two physicians' clearances and a supervised return to

198play bar or trainers. We think that's very sufficient. Many districts in the area have started to move away from impact testing. It's also very difficult. It's also very difficult because there's a thousand athletes throughout the year. and getting students to take their tests when they need to creates a lot of logistical mayhem, quite honestly, and actually delays the process just getting to a place where you're able to have the test you need to read. And it needs to be read by a psychologist, which all delays the process even if the student has passed the post-impact testing. We have not seen any situations where impact has made the difference in catching something that shouldn't have made it back to the field. So we think we're in good stead here to rely on our district physicians, private

199physicians, and a return to play protocol. And that is the only change to the policy. It's literally just striking that particular paragraph out. So I'm happy to answer any questions about it. Just to the regulation. To the regulation. The policy does not change at all because we don't mention that in our action. So you know I followed the concussion management protocol policies closely over the years. And this regulation, too. So where was impact before? I know we're taking it out now, but so was physician clearance then the – so, okay, everybody had an impact baseline before. Baseline for impact prior to season. Right? It's good for two years. Oh, it's good for two years. So it would have to be redone. You know, we had gotten on a schedule of freshman and junior. Okay. And

200then the post-impact testing would need to be post-physician clearance. Their physician. Pre-return to play. And so you're basically just eliminating that. Correct. I know how challenging it can be to return to play after a concussion, and I know those steps are very rigorous, especially getting your physician clearance. So I think anything we can do to make that easier is great. I understand the perspective for the post-impact test, but for the pre-impact test, is there a danger that a student may not have a very visible concussion? They won't have visible concussion symptoms and that the lack of the impact test will prevent? For the pre-test, did you ask? So pre-test is supposed to be taken non-concussion. I mean, I assume the way it works. Please inform me if I'm wrong, but once you get hit in

201a game that they have you take the test just to get an early diagnosis that, oh, this is good. No. So it's not a diagnosis. Basically, there is an... post-injury checklist that our trainers and coaches will use that have a seat that it's a it's an on-the-field question set of questions that you ask to determine whether there's a possibility of a concussion there's you know there's no diagnosis of a concussion on the field but what happens is if you in the post concussion in for the post injury checklist if you answer a question the questions that would indicate there could be a possible concussion you're required to get clearance to play from a from a doctor so the test is only taken like concussion free and then once you want to return once your physician

202says okay you're clear to return you take a post impact test the idea is that you should have your base you should be back to baseline There's there's a significant percentage where that baseline on any given day Will vary from what you take even if you're not taking it you're just taking it a second time illness all sorts of things can and so we've had situations where Kids have had all of the other things taken care of and this post-impact test They've had to take it two or three times and then still it doesn't come back and you have then we kind of take an alternate route of getting feedback from teachers and the like to circumvent it. That makes sense. That Q&A helped me. I'm okay. Great. Anybody else? Thank you, Eric. Lovely. Thanks.

203Annual gift reports. yeah thank you so in the this item and 9.07 is the annual gift report there's a link in there that shows the gift summary for the year along with just reference to the gift policy and the documentation shows the total amounts gifted to each of the seven schools over like a 10 10 year time period maybe 11 back to 2015-16 this year the board accepted my math is right 72 different gifts totaling $290,221.77 this includes gifts from each of our PTAs from maroon and white along with some individual donors and of course I certainly on behalf of the schools and the district administration I want to express our collective gratitude for these gifts our community is generous and we appreciate each and every one of those gifts that support the student experience.

204I'd also like to echo your thanks to these organizations and booster groups. They really enrich the student experience here in Scarsdale and we appreciate that. Does anybody have any questions? Let's go out with everything. Listen, I think it's so impressive how much how much our community supports our schools. I really appreciate that. I encourage us to continue to keep an eye on gifting and to make sure that the student experience is the same, especially in the elementary schools where it's a little bit easier to sort of compare what's going on. I, again, really appreciate all that the PTAs and the other, Maroon and White and SSEF do for our schools. I think it's really wonderful. But I do think it's the board's responsibility to look at those gifts and make sure that our students are

205having similar experiences. Not identical, but similar experiences across the buildings. I appreciate some of the recent changes to our practice of keeping track of these gifts to ensure that there is more alignment and consistency between schools and that we're properly accounting for it. So thank you for that. Okay. We're ready? Okay. Item 9.08, board self-evaluation. And this is Colleen. Thank you, Susie. On Monday, June 1st, the board met for our yearly self-evaluation. Though it is not a legal requirement to conduct a board self-evaluation, the board believes it is best practice to do so. So we do one each year. The self-evaluation focuses on the following areas. Overall board functioning, advocacy, bond and budget, collective bargaining, community engagement and communication, governance, strategic planning, teaching and learning, and ongoing district work. The board rates these aspects of

206the board on a one to five scale and on most questions the board's rated four or higher. Through this process the board identified the following areas we need to continue to focus on for the next year. Community outreach and stronger communication. community outreach when it when it comes to keeping the community up to date on what's happening in the district as well as understanding the community's questions and concerns continuing to have robust conversations around the board table and continuing to discuss long-range plans for the district and where the district should be headed in three to five years thank you so much Colleen for managing this process it's a it's a great practice for us to reflect on our work this year thank you This time I would ask if any board members have any additional

207thoughts on the evaluation process or the outcome of our evaluation. No? Okay. Item 9.09, board leadership succession, and I believe this is me. As we look to the new school year starting in July, it is time to plan for next year's board leadership. At the May board meeting, I asked board members to indicate if they would be interested in a board leadership position for next year. To update the community, I would be honored if the board would consider me to continue on in the office of president next year. I'm also pleased to announce that Colleen has indicated interest in continuing to serve as board vice president. Formal nomination will be made at the board's organizational meeting on July 15th, and the board will vote at that time on next year's board officers. Thank you all.

208Item 9.10, NSPA Area 10 Director. And I think this is also me. At the last meeting, we discussed at the table a request by Cheryl Brady, the current NSPA Area 10 Director, for a letter of nomination to serve another term. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's a vote. It is a nomination only. And I wanted to check back with the board to see if we have consensus to do that. Yes, I don't think we need to vote on it. All right, then. Item 9.11, gift proposal to Scarsdale High School. I believe this is Drew. Thank you. So this is a gift that's related to our students competing and being successful in the Regeneron science talent search from this year. We had two awardees that the Regeneron donates $2,000 in the name of each student, each

209scholar to the school for continued support of programming. So it's a $4,000 total gift from Regeneron. That's amazing. we're so proud of our students item 9.12 end of year tributes we have a lot to be thankful for this year so for our departing board members Bob and Amber and Anish would anybody like to start okay before i get to those i also wanted to start by thanking both jim and susie for their time dedication and support this year having now served as a board leader myself i have gained a new appreciation for the tremendous amount of time effort and commitment required to support the board and guide us throughout the year This year demanded unwavering leadership as we work through the bond and budget process while continuing to do everything we could to support our

210students and our community. A good leader puts the needs of the team ahead of their own. They lead with respect, humility, and integrity, and they set the tone for those around them. Throughout this year, both of you made sacrifices for the good of the team and the community, and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and thank you for that. I deeply appreciate the sacrifices you made because you believe they were in the best interest of our students. To me, that is the true mark of leadership. It has been an honor to partner with both of you this year. Thank you for all you have done, not only for our board and our community, but also for helping me learn and grow in this role. I'm grateful for your guidance, support, and example, and

211look forward to continuing to work together next year. Anish and Lucy. I have had the pleasure of serving as the student BOE mentor this year. Every Sunday before a board meeting for the past nine months, we have met on Zoom to review agendas, answer questions, and discuss the best way to use your student voices to bring valuable perspective to the board table. These meetings are never very long, usually 15, maybe 20 minutes, but they were meaningful and valuable, both, I think, to you and to me. Last night we held our final Zoom meeting of the year. It was bittersweet. I shared with Anish and Lucy how much I have valued the time with them and what a tremendous asset they have been to the board. Watching them navigate this new role, one the district has

212never had before, while also growing into young adulthood has been nothing short of a true joy. Anish, I know I shared many of the thoughts with you last week, but I wanted to thank you again for your commitment to this role and for the insight and perspective you brought to every meeting. You modeled what a strong, impactful student board member can be, and I hope future student representatives will look to you as an example of what an ex-officio student board member should strive to be. Lucy, congratulations on your reelection. We are thrilled that you will be continuing in this role. Your work this year has been extraordinary. We know how challenging junior year can be, yet you never allowed those demands to interfere with your responsibilities. You hold yourself to the highest standard, and we

213look forward to watching you help next year's new student board member acclimate to the role just as successfully as you have been. Thank you both for everything you have done for your peers, your school, and your community. Anish, I hope you will come back and visit for a board meeting in the future, or at least send us an email with a photo on your first day. We would love to hear about all the amazing things you're doing and the opportunities you continue to create for yourself. It has been a true honor to be your mentor this year. Bob. One of the unique aspects of serving on this board is the opportunity to meet so many interesting and talented people. I don't know whether my path would have crossed with yours had we not served together,

214but I'm so grateful that it did. Your expertise in art as an architect combined with your lifelong experience in Scarsdale consistently brought a unique and valuable perspective to our board discussions. I always appreciated the way you approached issues through that lens helping us consider ideas and challenges from a different angle. Your knowledge, insight, and thoughtful contributions have enriched our work and they will certainly be missed next year. Thank you for everything you have done for the board and for our community over the past six years. Your dedication and service have made a meaningful difference. I hope you will continue to be an active member in our community because I truly believe you still have so much to teach all of us. It has been a privilege serving alongside of you, and I wish you all

215the best in whatever comes next. Amber. I first met Amber when she was PTC president and I was Quaker Ridge PTA president. From our very first meeting, it was clear that Amber was smart, thoughtful, thorough, and articulate. She led with a calm humility that made everyone feel comfortable sharing their views, questions, and concerns. She had a unique ability to unite a team, keeping our focus on the students and helping us move steadily forward for achieving the goals we set for ourselves. Her time on the board has been no different. Amber served as president during my first year on the board when we undertook the complex process of conducting a superintendent search. That feels like a lifetime ago. She guided the team with her characteristic thoughtfulness and steady leadership, and we were able to select an

216outstanding candidate with complete confidence. Over the past four years, Amber, your guidance and support have been invaluable to me personally. I will definitely miss having your voice at the board table next year. Thank you so much for your dedication to the community and for the steady, thoughtful way you approach every topic and situation. Our community is better because of your service and leadership, and I hope wherever life takes you next on this chapter of your journey, you continue to find opportunities to share your wisdom, compassion, and guidance with all those around you. Bob, you are my table buddy. As a community member, I watched you on the board for years before I joined, and I have gained a great appreciation for the high level of your engagement and passion for board work. You are truly

217a creative mind. You're thoughtful, strategic, you are courageous with your comments and questions, often prompting me to think beyond what I already held in my mind on an issue, often challenging my own perspective. I deeply appreciate that type of approach and work and find it very impactful at the board table. You are engaged beyond our meetings with your liaison groups and other district committees, such as the Steering Committee for Bond Planning, where I served with you. Even with your board work, you find the time to attend your pottery classes to actively help refugee families settle in the area. In a personal way, we've spoken about our families, travel, and various interests. I find it heartwarming that you remember information about my children, my family, and check in on aspects of their lives. I'm going to

218miss your voice and engagement in board work and wish you all the best in your future pursuits, creative experiences, and family life. Amber. You are my board mentor. I was thinking about what to say, and I had a flashback to a board meeting in maybe 2015 when we were slightly younger. I was serving as Quaker Ridge PTA president, and I was at the meeting with Kerry Hayes, the Heathcote PTA president, and you were there with Kerry as Heathcote PTA president-elect. I remember the light in your eyes and this intangible energy that you exuded as you watched the board meeting. You seemed excited. I have known you in various capacities throughout the years. When you were PT Council President, we were on the League Board together, and of course as colleagues on the Board of Education.

219In your board work, you are truly courageous, not afraid to ask and probe at the tougher questions and issues. You are so thoughtful and strategic. You are a facilitator, being willing to kick things off in our board discussions. To me, you are a confidant. listener an advice giver and a thought partner I have learned so much from my conversations with you and from how you are at the board table one of our board colleagues once said to me when we were speaking of you Amber actually runs Scarsdale And I kind of laughed to myself at the time, but then I thought about it, and it's really true. I recommend to everyone out there, go somewhere with Amber. To a football game at the high school, a teacher event, the farmer's market, a luncheon, go on

220a walk. She knows everyone. She engages with everyone on a really high level. Amber, you have charisma, warmth, a je ne sais quoi. But the spark that is within you is truly special and unique. Your contribution to this board in your six years of intense board work is immeasurable, and I feel lucky to have been at this table with you for two of those years. Wishing you all the best at graduation as you embark upon empty nester life. Enjoy more mahjong, long walks, and time with your friends and family, and of course, have fun running Scarsdale. Anish, our eldest first year ex-officio student board member. I don't think we could have had a better duo of inaugural student board members this year than you and Lucy. You are also courageous, using your mind and voice

221to contribute and move our schools forward at this board table. Somehow you found the time and energy to focus on this work, even being a senior and going through the college process, engaging with your schoolwork and other extracurriculars. I am so grateful to you for your work this year. I wish you all the best on graduation and this summer as you enjoy time with your family and friends and get ready to embark on a new journey, that of a college student. Johns Hopkins is lucky to have you. I hope that when you are our age, in your future life, you run for your local school board. You have so much to contribute, Anish. You're such a thoughtful person, so collaborative and kind. May you continue to learn and grow and experience all of life's joys.

222and Lucy I'm personally thrilled that you're staying on the board in the next school year you are a pleasure to be around and work with and I look forward to all of the work that lies before us and to all of our board officers I would like to thank our board officers who put much energy thought and effort into moving our schools forward this year thank you to Jim Colleen and Susie for stepping up into these heavy complex and intensive roles I appreciate all of your work So I don't have fully written out tributes, but I'll try my best. Amber, Amber, it's my great pleasure to join in this recognition of your six years of exceptional board service. You are truly dedicated and passionate about serving our entire community. You are vastly knowledgeable, having instant

223recall of so much information, and you always ask great questions, sometimes difficult questions, but in the most friendly and disarming way. More than a great board colleague, you have been a wonderful friend and mentor to me personally. My first volunteer position in Scarsdale was Heathcote PTA secretary when you served as president-elect and president. Your professionalism, inclusiveness, and ability to get things done efficiently and seemingly effortlessly truly inspired me to continue to volunteer. And I know you impacted so many others similarly. And our community are the better because of you. We are going to miss you so much at this board table, but I take solace in the fact that you are not going far. Thank you for promising to be in touch and keep sharing institutional knowledge. And congratulations, and I hope you enjoy some

224slower time with your family. Bob. Bob, thank you so much for your six years of board service. Before I join the board, I often see you at PTC and PTA events as a school board member. You are somewhat conspicuous presence among the mostly PTA crowds, but your friendliness and genuine interest in the issues. was so evident that you will soon blend in so seamlessly. And I really appreciate the way you examine different ideas from unique angles and I appreciate your artistic bent and your idealistic streak. Especially within the past year, I appreciate you joining several outreach efforts to the Chinese community, including the Bound Forum and also the Lunar New Year celebration. So I truly appreciate that. I know education is an important value that runs in your family. with both your wife and your

225son as educators. And that also wraps off on you and your dedication to board work is inspiring. So I wish you all the best for taking a little break and I'm sure you will be around and maybe make other impacts in the community. Thank you. So Arnish. It's my great pleasure to be sort of new board members kind of alongside you. Your and Lucy's presence, student ex-officio board member presence at the board table is so wonderful. You not only bring in student perspective, but just your energy and curiosity and your understanding of the issues make us so proud of you. of the whole purpose of our work. And we really couldn't ask for better inaugural class of student board members than you. And I know through the college application process, it must be very stressful,

226but you kept calm you must be a master of time management and congratulate congratulations to you on your graduation and your next chapter and Lucy I'm so glad congratulations on your reelection and I look forward to serve with you in the coming year and to our board officers Jim Susie and Colleen thank you for for your dedication and doing the very heavy workload of board officers tackling complicated issues and just the time commitment itself is tremendous and not to mention many of the issues are emotionally taxing. So I truly appreciate your dedication. Thank you. Yeah, so let me just say a few words about Colleen because I worked with her a lot this year. I was very fortunate to have served with Colleen, to have her serve as vice president with me this year. Simply

227put, Colleen is a rock star. Working with her closely for a number of months, I came to appreciate how dedicated she really is to the work and to the students of our district. She asks probing and smart questions. She always considers issues from every angle. She's also extremely hardworking, as attested to by the more than 500 responses she has drafted to members of the public this year in their emails, not to mention countless appearances at district events, hours of meetings with the board, and two-by-ones, all of which she has done with enthusiasm. She is always ready to lend a hand, has endless amounts of patience, and she has been a strong advocate for the district. and a deaf spokesperson for the board. For all of this, I just want to say thank you, Colleen, for

228everything you've done for the Scarlet Hills School District this year. We are very lucky to have you. And I don't really have anything really prepared for Bob or Amber, sorry. But I've worked with you guys for five years, which is a long time, going back to even before there was an inkling that we had to look for a superintendent. That sort of happened the first year I was working with you. Amber, I throw it to you. was thrust into the role of, I guess, vice president and then president, maybe a little earlier than you thought you would be. I know there was a little stress there, especially because we immediately got into a situation where a superintendent resigned earlier than he was going to, and then we had to find another one. earlier than we

229thought we'd have to. And so imagine being the president when all that's going on. That was something else. But you did it with so much grace and ability and handled that amazing requirement of effort that it took to do all those things, which really, you know, Susie, I hate to say it, and Colleen, but you'd have no idea how much time of a time suck that role can be. Amber does have... you know, the idea. It was like as bad as you can get. But I was just, it was just great though to see how you handled it. I considered you to be like the mom of the board. I mean, you're just like obviously the person everyone looks to for guidance and judgment. And you ask so many very good questions. It's almost if

230there's anyone who's going to ask a question about anything, it's going to be you. But they're always good ones. They're not necessarily asking to ask. I mean, you've got really good questions. You have the amazing ability to think of things that, you know, need to be teased out of what we're hearing. And so we're going to miss you and your questions and your presence and your guidance. And Bob. What can I say? You're an idiosyncratic presence on the board because you always ask questions no one else has thought of. And you do a lot of your thinking sort of like with us as we sit around the table. You don't come in with like I'm going to say five things and that's going to be it. We all see your process as you tease out

231the things that you're sort of concerned about or that give you. pause or that you want to highlight in some way. And so that's actually very educational for me because I think I understand what you're getting at much better once I've heard you talk about it than if you just sort of came in and had like a scripted things you were going to say. You're never like that. And I do appreciate that about you. I think you've made it easier for us to analyze, consider, and digest issues by the way you think and by... inviting us to think with you as you think through these things and so we're really going to miss that about you and about the board once you're gone I wish the best for the both of you it's been so

232great serving with you five years is a long time it's half a decade we can't believe it neither of you seem to have aged at all but I mean it's it's it's great though to have been here with you and so the best of luck going forward I'm sorry. You know, Adish, it's been great serving with you. We only had one brief year. It's almost like nothing compared to the five years Bob and Amber and I have had. But in that one year, you really impressed me as a smart, articulate... A young person who I think has a very bright future. And I want to hear about your successes and, you know, incredible feats as you go forward in life. And I wish you, again, the best. And, Lucy, I'll be seeing you next year.

233It's been really nice serving with you, too. Thank you all. First, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to Jim and Colleen for their exceptional leadership and partnership this year. To Jim, thank you for bringing your legal expertise, thoughtful judgment, and steady guidance to your board leadership. Your ability to navigate complex issues with integrity and care has been invaluable to our board and to our district. You led the board through an extremely involved and complex bond process with a commitment to transparency and responsiveness to the feedback of the community. Most of all, you believe in doing what's right by our students as well as our board. And in that, you showed what true leadership is all about. I look forward to continuing our work together next year. Thank you for your partnership in this work

234on behalf of our students. To Colleen, thank you for your unwavering commitment to our students, teachers, and the whole school community. Your background as an educational leader consistently reminds us of the impact our decisions have in classrooms and on learning outcomes for students. You faced more than your share of challenges this year and have risen to meet everyone with professionalism and grace. You wrote literally hundreds of emails in response to community concerns, every one written with care and empathy. Thank you for your extraordinary commitment to the board and to our schools this year. I appreciate your partnership and look forward to continuing. Anish and Lucy, it was such a pleasure working with you and getting to know you this year. Thank you for your extraordinary service in this inaugural class of student ex officio board

235members in Scarsdale. Your willingness to share the student perspective, ask extremely thoughtful and insightful questions, and engage in important discussions has undoubtedly enriched the work of this board. Thank you for your leadership, your commitment to your school community, and for serving as an important bridge between students and the Board of Education. Having you both sit at this board table makes me very proud of our students and grateful to our teachers. Anish, I know you are so prepared for what college and life ahead has in store for you. You are a wonderful example of Scarsdale's profile of a graduate. Please don't forget us and keep us abreast of what amazing things you do in the future. Lucy, you are still stuck with us. Congratulations and we look forward to seeing you back and continuing our work

236with you next year. Bob? Thank you for your extraordinary dedication to our school, completing six years on this board. As someone whose children went through Scarsdale many years ago, you bring a long-term perspective to our board. You encourage us to think big and outside the box, and inspire us to be creative in our approach to our work. Of course, you have brought your architectural expertise to your work. Thank you, for example, for serving on the CPSC committee. That was the start of our journey that has resulted in the largest facility capital projects bond in Scarsdale's history. I have personally very much enjoyed getting to know you and work alongside you these past four years that I've been on the board. And I've always looked up to you for your wisdom and advice. Thank you for

237all your many contributions to our schools. You will be missed and I wish you all the best in whatever you choose to devote yourself to next. Amber, where to start? I guess maybe from the beginning. To review your tenure on this board, you and Bob joined the board in 2020. In arguably the most difficult and scariest times our schools have ever experienced. In the COVID era, you both were on countless Zooms. and socially distanced. And Amber, when the board needed you to step up into leadership, you answered the call in only your second year and faced every challenge with grace and wisdom. In your president year, you led the board in creating an inclusive, thoughtful, and comprehensive process as we searched for a new superintendent, one of the biggest responsibilities a school board is entrusted

238with. After the conclusion of a successful superintendent search and your term as president ended, You have ever since been a steady senior hand guiding the board and new administration. As a board member, you are always incredibly prepared to every meeting, not only with your trademark hint water, but with thoughtful and thought-provoking questions, which you always manage to phrase in a way that builds consensus and leads to constructive discussion and reflection. As a past president, you are the keeper of this board's institutional knowledge and have mentored so many board members, including myself, for which I am so grateful. You've said many times that being student-focused and considering the whole child is your North Star. And not only have your words demonstrated this, but your actions over the years have shown that to be true. I've personally

239had the great fortune of knowing you and working with you for so many years. way back to when we were both ASC chairs of Heathcote and Quaker Ridge about 10 years ago. I will miss you on this board. But I am so happy for you to get your Monday nights back and for you to find your next challenge. I look forward to seeing what you do next. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. No, of course. You're always welcome to speak. Thank you. I want to start by saying thank you to Jim and Susie for your guys' leadership. I so strongly admire all of the work and effort you put into helping our schools and our community, and you guys really embody great leaders. To Colleen, I want to say thank you for all of your help in

240transitioning into the role of the student BOE rep. You have so much patience with Anish and I. You answer all of my stupid questions, and I'm so grateful to have had your guidance over this past year. Bob it has been such a pleasure to work with you this year Jim and Leah kind of touched on this but you have the best questions like even when they kind of go against what everyone else has been saying or like you seem kind of I mean like insightful like they bring new ideas and like new information to the conversation and I feel like they always really helped me gain a broader perspective and like new insights into whatever we're talking about To Amber, thank you for always being so kind and being such like a warm presence. I

241remember inviting me over to your home for our summer work committee. Immediately you helped me feel welcomed and like a real member of the board. And so I really appreciate that and everything you do for the community. And to Anish, I am so, so glad to have been serving with you this year. When doing updates, you keep me on track, and you're so helpful with editing and all the things that go into that. In the boardroom, you always ask really interesting questions, going beyond just your role of representing students and instead focusing on helping the whole community. And even outside the boardroom, you've been such a great friend with senior and junior year advice and the college process. You are just someone I'm so lucky to have. If Nathan is just a fraction of what

242a great rep you've been, I would consider myself so lucky. And you're going to do amazing things. And Hopkins is so lucky to have you. And just to everyone here, thank you for helping us feel welcomed and appreciated. This role was something new and unknown. And thank you for helping me work it out and try to figure out the kinks. I'm really excited to continue working with all of you next year. Here goes. I doubt anyone will be surprised to hear that over the past few weeks, a number of friends and local residents have approached me and asked me if I'm glad that my term on the school board is coming to a close. Those who have followed the past six years know that our school board meetings have seen us through COVID, a financial

243crisis with the IRS, the resignation of a superintendent, and the hiring of a new superintendent, as well as heated discussions over curriculum, and those are only the highlights. So for me to fairly answer the question, I needed to reflect on why I took the challenge to run for the school board twice. in the first place. As an empty nester and semi-retired architect, I am by nature inclined to reflect on the lofty questions such as what makes me happy, what is my responsibility during my brief tenure on Earth. As far as what makes me happy, I know myself well enough to know that I need and thrive on learning, working with others to solve problems, and thinking about the challenges we face daily in terms of our social and political reality. I also believe that the

244path to happiness for everyone, including myself, is having the tools of choice in terms of how I earn a living, where I live, and who I choose to build relationships with. Having been married for 53 years to a teacher, public education has always interested me, and the school board is a perfect match that ties all my interests together. I also try my modest way to leave the world a better place, and I found that in to use my skill, set to support my community as best I can. So very long story short, no. I am not happy to be concluding my second term on the school board. I'm actually quite sad. I know I will go on to join other meaningful volunteer groups, but my school board tenure has been an honor, a privilege, and

245a joy. There are definitely a handful of long meetings that I would have been happy to have skipped. but I will deeply miss being on the school board. I want to thank my exceptional school board colleagues, including those whose terms ended over the past six years, for giving me a safe space to express my opinions, apparently somewhat quirky, which I didn't even know, and to feel valued in helping to shepherd the school, Scoresdale School District, through annual budgets and bonds and pandemics. I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the amazing leadership of Drew and his team facilitating, including all of us, and decision making on what was often a bumpy journey, but one built on mutual respect and trust. I leave incredibly hopeful and feeling positive that the district is in capable

246hands. I look forward to continuing to follow the district's progress and watching, in this case from the outside, such initiatives as Common Circles, which I view as one of the more innovative decisions the district has made this year. So thank you again for allowing me to serve the past. A few words of gratitude for this year's leadership. This has been a challenging year from many perspectives, and I want Jim, Colleen, and Susie to know how grateful I am for the immense effort and time they have devoted to communicating back and forth on such broad range of topics, and of course, the high number of emails that Colleen has so artfully and really beautifully responded to. Unless you are knee-deep in the workings of the board, which all... board members are, the community has no idea

247the amount of hours that leadership devotes. You have all served as role models of leadership and I speak to the entire community and board in applauding your sacrifices that I believe have significantly advanced the quality of education so effectively. Anish. As you go off to start the next exciting phase of your life, please know that you have really been an asset to the school board this year, as has Lucy, not forgetting you. And I hope you continue to use your voice as a change agent. You are articulate and logical and have so much to offer. So all the best next year in college. Amber. Over the past six years, you have been my partner in seeking office and learning the ins and outs of board service. You have been such an exceptional board member. Your

248questions are always insightful and detailed and so helpful in understanding a topic. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you and your lovely family, but you have also shown exceptional skill in how to navigate the whirlwind events that we all have experienced. You have so much to offer, and I can't wait to see what your next act will be. That was very eloquent, Bob. Thank you. Oh, thank you. Okay, I might have to go a little bit off script from what I've written because I feel like there's things that I want to say. So first, I'd like to take a moment to recognize a few people whose work this year deserves our thanks. First, to our board officers, Jim, Colleen, and Susie. Thank you for everything you've done this year representing this board and leading

249it. So much of the work you do happens out of the public view. The emails and texts you answered, the questions you fielded from the community, the countless hours you spent making sure this board functioned the way it should. You served as our leaders and as the face of the board to the community, and you did it with patience, care, and dedication, and I am grateful for your service. and where I go a little bit off script is that you all, three of you, put the board first and our district first and our students first and I appreciate that. I also want to recognize Anish, our first graduating student board member. Anish holds a special place in history with Lucy as one of the very first two student representatives ever to serve the board and

250you were both trailblazers in that role. Throughout the year your comments were consistently thoughtful, articulate, and insightful, and you brought a perspective to our table that made our conversations richer and our decisions better informed. You represented your fellow students with poise and intelligence well beyond your years. Anish, as you graduate and move on to your next chapter, I have no doubt that you will be successful in everything you set out to do. Thank you for your contributions to this board and congratulations. Bob, together we've served six years. All six of them right next to each other. I've grown to know you and become so fond of you. You are one of the most authentic people I've had the privilege of working with. You're open-minded, you're honest, and you're unfailingly student-centered in everything that you brought

251to the table. This quality says something especially meaningful about your character because you no longer have children in our schools. You've given your time, energy, and judgment to this district, not because you had to, but because you genuinely care about our students and our community. And that kind of service is rare. As an architect, You brought a perspective and depth of knowledge that enriched our work in the ways the rest of us simply couldn't. And over two bond projects together, your expertise was especially valued and your guidance generously shared, always without ego. I've learned a great deal from you over these six years, and more than anything, I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to serve alongside you for so long. Bob, thank you for your wisdom, your integrity, and your steady commitment to doing

252right by our students. I will miss working with you. As for me, this marks the end of my second term and the close of six years on this board, including the privilege of serving as president during our superintendent search. It has been an honor to serve our community, and I feel especially grateful for the impactful work we've been able to do for our students. These were not easy years. We began in 2020 in the midst of COVID, navigated a difficult tax manner, hired a superintendent and are finishing with a hundred million dollar bond challenges that tested this board and i believe ultimately strengthened it through all of it i had the great fortune of working alongside so many wonderful colleagues pam allison carl karen jessica ron jim susie colleen leah laura bob anish and lucy

253i'm better for having served with each of you I also want to thank our superintendent, Drew Patrick, and his enormously talented cabinet. They are, simply put, the best of the best. And they work tirelessly for our students every single day. And finally, to our community, thank you for being true partners in this work. None of what we accomplished would have been possible without you. Serving this district has meant a great deal to me, and I leave this board deeply grateful. I leave this board deeply grateful for the work, for the people, and most of all for the students at the center of everything we do. I guess I jumped the gun a little bit at the beginning of the meeting, but I think hearing all of those beautiful responses, I'm sure there are so many

254things that I missed. I think, first of all, with our board leadership, with Ms. Hahn, Mr. Dugan, I guess I can call you by your first names now. Jim, Suzy, Colleen, I think it's just been such a pleasure working with you all. I think, like Amber said, that you guys only put the district first, and I think, I remember at the beginning of the year, Susie told me that things could get emotionally intense and originally I thought, oh it's just a disclaimer, right? She just wants to scare us. But no, but no, truly, truly the emotional intensity was there and your ability to handle it from meeting to meeting without putting up a good face for all of us, for the community, I think it's remarkable. Colleen I'll always miss our little Sunday meetings I

255think I was getting emotional last night when we were talking about it because yeah I think it definitely is so bittersweet but I think it'll be fun making those updates like ten minutes before the meeting with Lucy to present to you to present to you for what we're gonna talk about on Monday but yeah it's been such a pleasure for Bob and Leah I think it was a pleasure serving with you guys on the capital projects committee at that point I had never known that I would come and serve with all of you at the board and it's It's interesting, I knew Leah before obviously because of Lucas, but Bob, it was such a pleasure meeting you. And I'm very glad. Laura, I'm sure I'll see you during parents visiting day at Hopkins, right? But

256I think it is a pleasure, like you had said, to come here, both of us having been our first year. I think it is a pleasure just growing alongside you. I think to Dr. Patrick and- his cabinet, I think. I remember our first meeting wasn't with everyone, but it was with all of you guys. And having that first step meeting all of you and kind of integrating ourselves, Lucy and I, into the board system, I thought that was so helpful. I think last but certainly not least, Ms. Adams. Ms. Adams, I think the organizational help that you took off our shoulders by making sure that our dinner form were complete, our attendance form were complete, all that stuff, it was so helpful that those reminders and all the times that you, the books that you

257gave us, the advice that you gave us, I thought it was just so incredibly helpful. And it's interesting that in July when we all start, Yes, I knew some of you in various capacities, but that were fundamentally that we were all strangers and now just 11 months later we've developed this strong relationship. I think it's funny that in that letter I wrote to myself for my senior year, one of the questions was what do you think your fondest memories of senior year will be? And obviously I wrote prom, graduation, all these things. But think about being on the Board of Education would end up being one of my fondest memories. I think that's such a... such a good surprise that I'm so grateful to have so thank you all so so much we just have

258a token of appreciation from a really grateful school district I have comments written out here but it couldn't touch what everybody said deep deep gratitude I think from me and from the cabinet and the administration for all of your work Anish Going off, thank you, Amber and Bob. Incredible six years. You listed the things that are bonkers that you had a chance to go through. And Jim and Colleen and Susie, it's been said, but you're incredible partners, and Amber captured it perfectly. We just have a small gift of appreciation, but just take a second and look at your pictures. moment of reflection it's meaningful and you willingly step aside after two terms no it's that's important doesn't it doesn't happen everywhere so why don't you lead a round of applause and we'll pass moving on

259item 10.02 the superintendent contract oh I'm sorry did I skip one Oh budget transfers how can I miss this so Leah I move that the board adopt the following resolution. Resolved that the Board of Education approves the attached budget transfers in excess of $25,000 as presented. Thank you, Leah. Is there a second? Thank you, Amber. Any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion passes. Next is item 10.02, the superintendent contract. Information on that. I would like to start with an overview of the evaluation process that the board undertook this year as part of our duty to review the superintendent. This process began last summer and early fall with Dr. Patrick developing his goals for the school year. The board and Dr. Patrick also determined the appropriate evaluation template, a copy of which

260is available on the district website. As we did last year as well as this year, we chose the NISQIS rubric. In addition to informal feedback throughout the year, there are two formal evaluation and feedback structures in place. The board conducts a mid-year evaluation of the superintendent, which was conducted in February. The board also conducts an end-of-year evaluation of the superintendent, and the board has met recently in executive sessions, including meetings with Dr. Patrick, to conduct his end-of-year evaluation and provide his feedback. That last part will actually be after this meeting. As part of this evaluation process, the Board considers any updates to Dr. Patrick's contract. The proposed contract update in this action item includes updates regarding compensation and term. The full contract with all terms is available on the agenda for this meeting. Would somebody

261like to, oh, who, this one is Amber. Yes, thank you, Amber. Thank you, Susie. I move the board adopt the following resolution. Resolve that the Board of Education approve the attached employment agreement with Dr. Drew Patrick, Superintendent of Schools, as presented. Thank you, Amber. Is there a second? Thank you, Jim. Any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Ayes have it, and the motion carries. Next item, item 10.03, Policy and Regulation, number 8635. And this one is Jim. Okay, thank you, Susie. I'd like to move the following resolution. Resolved, the board adopts attached policy and regulation number 8635, information and data privacy security breach and notification as presented. Thank you, Jim. Is there a second? Any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Motion carries. Okay, next we're moving on to gifts.

262First one being a gift proposal to the Edgewood School, and I believe this one is Laura. I move that the board adopt the following resolution. Resolved that the board accepts with thanks the gift of $4,644 for transportation to support various field trips as presented in the attached letters. Thank you, Laura. Is there a second? Thank you, Amber. Any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. The ayes have it and the motion carries with thanks. Next gift proposal is Leah. I move that the board adopt the following resolution. Resolve that the board accepts with thanks the gift of $21,966.76 to support Core Plus initiatives that have been gifted to the Green Acres School on a retroactive basis as presented in the attached letters. Thank you, Leah. Is there a second? Thank you, Laura. Any discussion?

263All those in favor, please say aye. Ayes have it, and the motion carries with thanks. The next gift is Jim. Thank you, Susie. I move the following resolution resolved. The board accepts with thanks the gift of $12,200 to support the Artist-in-Residence Program as presented in the attached letters. Jim, is there a second? Thank you, Amber. Any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Ayes have it, and the motion carries with thanks. Next item. Item 11.04, a gift proposal to the district. And this is Bob. I move that the district approve the following resolution. Resolve that the Board of Education accepts a gift proposal in the amount of $75,000 to support common circles. Moving to understand ourselves and others. immersive research-based experience that blend art technology and storytelling to explore our shared humanity building community

264and teach the lessons of the Holocaust as presented in the attached letters thank you is there a second Thank You Leah any discussion all those in favor please say aye motion carries with things item 11.05 gift proposal to the middle school this one is Amber Thank You Susie I move that the board adopt the following resolution resolve that the board accepts with thanks the gift of $317 for the SMS nature trail Sun Saint Trail Sun sale and regular upkeep as presented in the attached letters Thank You amber is there a second Thank You Jim any discussion all those in favor please say aye aye's have it and the motion carries with thanks next one item 11.06 so gift proposed to the high school this one is Laura Thanks, Suzy. I move that the board adopt

265the following resolution. Resolved that the board accepts with thanks the gift of $5,000 to be used towards one or a combination of the following items as described in the attached letters. Thank you, Laura. Is there a second? Thank you. Bob, any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. The ayes have it, and the motion carries with thank you. Thanks. And with that, we will move on to item 12, the response and questions from those present. So this will be the second public comment session for this meeting. Is there anybody in the audience who would like to make a public comment? Hi, my name is Joe Vaughn. I'm the president of the Scarsdale Teachers Association. And I just wanted to stand up to say that the thing that makes this place work is collaboration

266and a commitment to collaboration. Collaboration requires open minds, the willingness to listen, to deal with difficult things with honesty and with truth. And I want to thank this Board of Education for being good collaborative partners. I've had the opportunity to work with, I was counting, Drew was saying that the pictures, from that picture all the way over there with Board of Education in my time here as a STA representative. And I want to thank you for your conversation this year and your collaboration. Specifically, Bob and Amber, I want to thank you over the last six years for bringing the best of yourselves to this work. Because without the ability to challenge deep thoughts in a specific and impactful way, we can't move the work forward. And so collaboration needs to be the cornerstone of our

267work together. It is what makes this place work. It's what makes our relationships work. It's what makes our relationships with the community work. A willingness to listen. to hear, open-mindedness, and assuming best intent. And so that's important. And now I'm just going to take off my STA hat for a second. And I want to speak in my personal capacity as a teacher. I've worked with Anish for four years. The National Speech and Debate Association has as one of its missions to help students define their voice. And I can think of no thing that makes me prouder than to watch this year that this young man finding his voice at this table. Because when we're training people upstairs for competition, we're hoping to open minds. But then when you see real impact in the community setting

268for what, knowing what your voice can mean and what you can do with it. I, you know, listened to the commendations before. It's really true that with having started this process of having a student board member, you're always worried about what is that going to look like. And just the highest possible standard has been set. Anisha, I'm very proud of everything that you've accomplished. And I know that you all do great things. Is there anybody else from the audience who would like to make a public comment? No attendees on Zoom. Thank you, Colleen. I guess we'll give it a couple seconds. Colleen. still no one thank you Colleen and with that we will close the comment period follow up to public comment and wrap up items thank you item 15.01 meeting dates for the coming

269month Colleen okay meeting dates well not for you guys unless you want to come Tuesday, July 15th is our organizational and business meeting at 9 a.m. in this room. And on Monday, August 24th, a business meeting at 6 p.m. in this room. Thank you, Colleen. And with that, would somebody like to make a motion to adjourn into executive session? Thank you, Amber. Is there a second? Thank you, Laura. Is there any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Motion carries, and we are moving into executive session. Thank you all, and have a nice summer.