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Business Meeting: Mr. Dugan called the Business Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., noting all Board members were present, including the student members (Jim Dugan, President; Colleen Brown, Vice President; Leah Dembitzer; Lucy Eisenberg; Suzie Hahn; Robert Klein; Laura Liu; Anish Mehta; and Amber Yusuf). Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet were also present.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Dugan welcomed all in attendance and, on behalf of the Board, acknowledged and thanked District administrators, teachers, and staff for all of their hard work over the summer months preparing to welcome students back to school next week.
Mr. Dugan also reported that he and Ms. Brown attended the new faculty orientation earlier in the day, noting, “Part of what makes our District so special is the onboarding, mentorship, and professional development provided to our faculty and staff. This process began today for our new teachers and will continue for all faculty and staff on Wednesday and Thursday during full-day conference days. We look forward to seeing everyone at Wednesday’s Convocation ceremony that kicks off the new school year for our faculty and staff.”
Dr. Patrick added his welcome and reiterated Mr. Dugan’s remarks about the new faculty orientation and the District Convocation on Wednesday, August 27th, marking the formal start of the new year. Dr. Patrick also noted the following upcoming key dates:
New Student Orientation for 7th and 8th graders new to the District is Tuesday, August 26th 6th-grade orientation and the 9th-grade, A-School, and new student orientations at the High School will be held on Thursday, August 28th Schools are closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 1st We welcome all students back on the first day of school, Tuesday, September 2nd
Student Board members Anish Mehta and Lucy Eisenberg shared their ideas for communicating ongoing Board work to the high school student body and receiving their feedback. They suggested utilizing the SHS online publication Maroon to report on Board work; releasing a Student Ex Officio Report regularly with the Board of Education email address for students’ suggestions and communications; and including a segment in Principal Bonamo’s emails or providing e-blasts of their own for reports.
Cabinet Updates: Dr. Patrick introduced Cabinet Members to provide the following updates.
Curriculum and Instruction: Dr. McIntosh reported on the three major categories of summer program improvement work that faculty completed in preparation for the new school year. He provided an overview of the planned 2025-26 Education Reports that will highlight ongoing District work to adapt practices and priorities to better serve our students and will align with the Strategic Plan of Living, Leading, and Learning. Dr. McIntosh also noted that, in response to a recommendation to give advanced notice on key topics, he will be presenting updates on elementary math resources: Benchmark Assessments at Every Grade, Language and Formatting Modification for Early Grades, and K-5 Enrichment Strategies at the September 15th Board Meeting. Human Resources: Ms. Troy reported that faculty hires have been completed, and she welcomed and introduced the new faculty appointments on the Personnel Report. -
Business/Facilities: Mr. Lennon provided the following updates:
Mr. Lennon began his updates with the announcement that Luis Magalhaes will be recommended for the position of Assistant Director of Facilities later in the meeting. On behalf of the District, he congratulated Mr. Magalhaes and welcomed him to this new role. The Facilities Department has completed the majority of its summer projects, including deep cleaning, waxing floors, maintenance projects, space reconfigurations, and lighting installations. Work on District capital projects is also underway or has been completed, including the chimney repair project at Heathcote Elementary, permit application for dredging the Brewster stream, and the outdoor learning space at Edgewood Elementary, funded by the Edgewood PTA. The High School Auditorium project is complete and will be the location for this year’s District Convocation. Field work was completed for the District Auditors' review this summer. The Audit Report will be released to the community in the fall, once it’s finalized. Mr. Lennon thanked Lisa Zareski, District Treasurer, for her work preparing for the audit and the successful transition to our new financial system, which was praised by the auditors.
Hearing From Those Present: Community members were invited to address the Board. No one spoke in person or virtually.
Written Communications: Ms. Brown reported the Board had received (12) emails from members of the community since the last report, as listed in the Board meeting agenda, all of which received a response from the Board and/or District Administration.
Consent Agenda: The Board approved the items on the Consent Agenda, including the Personnel Report.
INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
ACTION ITEMS |
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Information Items/Discussion: The Board considered several items under the information/discussion portion of the agenda:
In accordance with District Policy 6150, the Board of Education must approve all transfers of funds in excess of $25,000. Ms. Zareski presented the final budget transfers for 2024-25 and new transfers for 2025-26. The budget transfers will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting. Mr. Lennon provided the background information on the District’s work to transition to zero-emission buses and vehicles as required by the New York State Zero-Emission bus mandate. The funding for an 8-year agreement to partner with a firm to design, procure, install, and manage all infrastructure required to charge 4 electric vehicles was included in the 2025-2026 Budget. The District has been in negotiations with Highland Electric Fleets (HEF) to provide these services. Emily Parish, from HEF, presented a brief overview of the partnership between HEF and Scarsdale Public Schools to date; the key components of the HEF contract and pricing proposal; the depot site plan; and the project timeline. The agreement will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting. Ms. Troy presented the background information for the renewal of the 2025-26 stop-loss insurance and the recommendation for the District to purchase the SunLife policy with a $300.00 specific deductible. The policy renewal will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting. As discussed at the July 1st Organizational Meeting, the Board reviewed its draft 2025-26 Goals and Primary Objectives and provided feedback. The goals will be presented for approval at the September Board meeting. Mr. Dugan provided the background information on the NYSCOSS template that was used for the Superintendent evaluation this past year. He asked his fellow Board members for their feedback on the template. Board members reached a consensus to continue with the NYSCOSS template for this year’s evaluation. Mr. Dugan provided a recap of the July 1st Board discussion regarding Board summer work. He reported that Board members expressed an interest in developing three groups to review the Board gifting procedures, the Community Engagement Plan, and Policy 2245 - Ex Officio Student Member of the Board of Education. Ms. Yusuf reported that the group focusing on Policy 2245 will be meeting in the near future and will provide an update at the September Board meeting. Ms. Hahn presented a brief update on the focus areas of the group reviewing the Community Engagement Plan, who met earlier in the day. Further information will be reported at the September Board meeting. MOA with the Scarsdale Managers and District Services Association (MADSA): Ms. Troy provided an update on the negotiations with MADSA and provided details on the new, four-year agreement that will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting. Dr. Patrick thanked Ms. Troy and Mr. Lennon for their work throughout the negotiation process. Ann Marie Nee, Director, Scarsdale Teachers Institute, provided an overview of the new STI courses for the Fall 2025 semester as well as repeat courses. The courses will be presented to the Board for approval on September 15th. Dr. Patrick presented the background information and the second reading of the required Policy 8113 - Extreme Heat Condition Days. With no further recommended revisions, the policy will be presented for Board adoption later in the meeting. Dr. Patrick provided the second reading of Policy 1400-R - Public Complaints - Complaints About Instructional Materials and the corresponding form 1400-E that will, once adopted, accompany Policy 1400 - Public Complaints. With no further revisions recommended, the Regulation and Exhibit will be presented for Board adoption later in the meeting. -
Dr. Patrick presented the gift proposals exceeding $1,000.00 for the Board’s review and discussion:
Action Items: The Board approved budget transfers, the Highland Fleet service agreement, Policy 8113, Regulation 1400-R, and Exhibit 1400-E, the renewal of the stop-loss insurance for the 2025-26 school year, and approved, with gratitude, gift proposals from Edgewood, Fox Meadow, Greenacres, Heathcote, and Quaker Ridge Elementary Schools, and the Middle School.
Public Comment: Community members were invited to address the Board; No one spoke in person or remotely.
Adjournment: The Board adjourned the meeting at 7:33 p.m. The Board meeting may be viewed on the District website, Board of Education VOD.
* Note from the Board of Education: Please email your feedback, questions, or comments to boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org
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Scarsdale Public Schools
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