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SCARSDALE, N.Y. The Scarsdale Board of Education will put the new state 2 percent tax increase cap back in the spotlight at its Monday night meeting. Talk about the cap and its potential impact has been a regular feature of the past few board meetings, and was highlighted again Thursday night during a presentation to the Scarsdale Forum.
This coming Monday night's board meeting, planned for 8 p.m. at the Heathcote School, will feature a more formal and detailed presentation by Linda Purvis, assistant superintendent for business. The formal meeting will be preceded by the board's annual visit to Heathcote at 6:30 p.m., and a 7:15 p.m. sit-down with parents and Heathcote neighborhood constituents.
Superintendent Michael McGill and board president Jill Spieler have spoken out on what staying within the 2 percent cap could mean to the system. According to figures presented by Spieler on Thursday night, a "rollover" budget, with no increases other than those built in by contracts and state mandates, along with a 50 percent cut in using funds from the budget surplus, would require $8.3 million dollars worth of budget cuts to stay within the cap. That would mean, she said, all clubs and sports, the teen center, community services, technical investment and non-essential services would be cut, along with professional staff, support staff and classroom aids. School bus routes would be consolidated.
Spieler said that, in addition to Monday night's presentation, which is open to the public, there will be a series of sessions after Jan. 1 before the formal budget building process starts, and four study session in February, all open to the public.
Monday night's School Board meeting will include opportunity for public comments.
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