On March 2nd, the Board of Education held its second annual budget study for the 2026-2027 school year. The District discussed their revisions to the budget following the February 9th business meeting where there was a gap of $2,685,021 between the current budget scope and the tax levy, the allowable year-to-year increase of the budget, of 3.37%. The main budget adjustments were presented from three departments: Interscholastic Athletics, Special Education and Student Services, and Technology and Innovation.
Athletic Director Cynthia Parrot in her report explained the rising costs of Section I tournaments, specifically at the state-level, leading to students being required to pay parts of the total fee with the school covering the rest. Ms. Parrot also discussed the other expenses of the athletic program, including accessibility of buses and decision making when there is a bus shortage.
Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services Eric Rauschenbach in his report first explained the decreasing trend of the count of IEP students that were taught out of district to emphasize the strides the district has been making in the past five years to make sure every Scarsdale student can have an equitable education. He further continued highlighting the importance of continuing the funding for ICT programs in the middle school, as there was a persisting need.
Technology coordinator Jeannie Crowley spoke about the work that her and William Yang have been doing. She mentioned the weekly meetings and investment that goes into ensuring that the District is cybersecure, as well as subscription and equipment costs that would or not be required for the upcoming fiscal year. Most notably, she discussed the purchase of Chromebook carts in the high school, as per the request of high school humanities teachers for having accessible technology for in-class instruction and assessments.
The Board and District’s next budget study (Budget Study #3) will take place on March 16th, 2026.
If you have any comments or concerns, please email [email protected].
