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Scarsdale Strikes Down School Budget; Residents Say 'No' to Wellness Center

Over 3,000 Scarsdale residents and taxpayers cast votes for or against the proposed 2013-2014 school budget Tuesday night, ultimately striking down the fiscal plan and sending trustees back to the drawing board. The tentative finance strategy, whic

4 Comments Recommend Kevin Zawacki (Editor)

Kevin Zawacki (Editor) May 22, 2013 at 10:51 am
This was the first time in 4 years the budget was voted down.
steve kanney May 22, 2013 at 08:11 am
Let's see...I bought into this school district because it would give my kids a leg up on gettingRead More into an ivy league school, or something close to that. In 9th grade one of my son's friends committed suicide due to pressure to perform in school. In 10th grade I had the classes in the school evaluated by top notch professors, who explained children were being absurdly stressed by being required to perform at a level beyond their developmental capacity. My son had the famed Dean Mendelowitz as his advisor, and "all that that entails." (I will leave that to your imagination). In 11th grade I went to a college admissions presentation. The first question asked (because it was most on the minds of parents) was whether graduating from Scarsdale was a negative that could be overcome in the application process or not. CAO's did not diffuse the idea that graduating from Scarsale was a negative. One CAO was asked which was more important for Scarsdale, SAT scores or their GPA. They answered SAT. Their college advertises that they do not believe in the SAT and do not require it for admissions. In his senior year I looked at the historical statistics on the schools Scarsdale graduates were admitted to. Two ivy league schools seemed to be neutral on Scarsdale and the rest avoided Scarsdale graduates like the plague. Recently Scarsdale was ranked as low as #50. I remember talking to Dean Mendelowitz about the problems at the school. He explained I could sing like a Canary and no one in the school would listen. They would just keep doing what they have been doing for years. Looks like Dean Mendelowit and the school just got a wake up call. The Equinox facility (.2% of the budget) did not bring out over 4x the number of voters from the community. A complete failure to listen did. Just because the school does a great dog and pony show, it does not mean they can take us for all we are worth...
Kim May 22, 2013 at 07:58 am
The "Wellness Center" was like a kick in the teeth to taxpayers. They desperately tried toRead More promote it, using arguments of "safety" and sexism "unfriendly to female athletes"...give me a break. We all know that going forward this unnecessary luxury would be a money pit of repairs, equipment repairs, increased custodial time, heat and a/c, trainers, staff...etc etc. There simply is no need for this. Up until this point, many voters approved the budgets because they feared their child's education would suffer if they did not. I feel my child's education will suffer if we don't learn to live within our boundaries, and get our priorities straight. "SHS Equinox" accomplishes neither. If "wellness" is what they seek, rather than a trendy buzzword, then let them do daily rounds of litter clean-up outside. I have walked along the back of the HS, where the kids eat lunch, and it is covered in lunch debris as if the kids are awaiting an imaginary busboy to take away their trash (maybe that will be in the next budget?). The nearby stream has empty pizza boxes, soda bottles, wrappers...they can plant a garden.They can learn about respect for the Earth and responsibility for one's environment. Wellness does not need to cost anything at all.
A child is pulled from the rubble of the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla. Credit: AP Images.
frank vecchione May 21, 2013 at 07:19 pm
please lets do what we can for those americans. on the home front cuomo and his minions in nyc andRead More weschester , could pass a "no tornado law". winds over 150 mph will not be allowed near schools. they could call it the ny safe act. original don't you think?
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Kim May 19, 2013 at 11:46 am
If this is happening in a community like Scarsdale, then as a taxpayer I am irritated. Where are allRead More the taxes going if teachers are paying for their own classroom supplies? There has to be some degree of accountability regarding our tax dollars. We are the highest-taxed county in the nation and we can't afford notebooks and post-it notes? As a community member, I am not going to "lend a hand." I already do that with my tax dollars.