Board Meeting Highlights: Monday, October 26, 2026

Special Meeting: At 5:00 p.m., Ms. Hahn convened a Special Meeting with a group of SHS students. The group discussion focused on two ConnectEd assemblies that students attended so far this year, and what impact AI has had on their lives as students.

Audit Committee Meeting: At 6:00 p.m., Ms. Hahn convened the Board as the Audit Committee. Mr. Lennon introduced Scott Oling from PKF O’Connor Davies who presented the External Auditor’s Report and Extraclassroom Activities Report for July 2025 through June 2026. Audit Committee members presented questions that Mr. Lennon and Mr. Oling answered; and Mr. Lennon thanked Mr. Oling, Ms. Zareski, and the Business Office team for a successful and efficient process again this year. The Audit Committee voted unanimously to recommend to the Board of Education acceptance of the External Audit Report and the Management’s Corrective Action Plans later in the Business Meeting.

Business Meeting: Ms. Hahn called the Business Meeting to order at 6:41 p.m., noting all Board members were present, including the student members (Suzie Hahn, President; Colleen Brown, Vice President; Leah Dembitzer; Jim Dugan; Laura Liu; Omer Wiczyk; Kevin Ziegler; Lucy Eisenberg; and Nathan Goldfarb). Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet were also present.

Ms. Hahn welcomed everyone to the Board meeting and she provided a brief recap of the earlier meeting with SHS student representatives. She added, “These special meetings provide us with the opportunity to engage in important conversations with our partners, and the Board especially values hearing from its students. Our students are always so impressive and thoughtful in their feedback. Thank you also to our high school faculty advisors and high school leadership who have shared their time and thoughts with the Board and District leadership today.” She also reported that the Board met as the Audit Committee just prior to the Business Meeting and the recommendations will be presented to the Board for approval later in the meeting. 

In closing, Ms. Hahn thanked Dr. Patrick, Dr. McIntosh, Principal Bonamo, and the Masters School for the recent special parent presentation by ConnectEd—Civil Discourse at Home: Navigating Difficult Conversations. The program focused on helping our children process difficult issues with curiosity and respect. She also provided information on the quarterly 2x2 Meeting she attended with Dr. Patrick, Ms. Brown, and Village leadership on October 6th; and invited the community to the upcoming Board Coffees that will be held in Room 170-172:

• Friday, November 13th @ 11:00 a.m. AND Wednesday, December 2nd @ 7:00 p.m. 

Dr. Patrick added his welcome to the first Education Report of the school year; he provided a brief overview of what the report will cover; and he provided a quick update on The Common Circles Experience: Scarsdale. He said, “The Common Circles Experience is unique in that it is customized to reflect the community in which it is displayed. Rather than simply bringing an exhibit into a school, Common Circles partners with educators, students, staff, families, and community members to create an experience that celebrates the people, stories, artwork, and perspectives that shape each community. While SMS and District educators have been planning since last spring, this message serves as our official Call for Participation. There are three ways to participate, and members of our community can register interest in one or more aspects of the exhibit. While not every interested party will be able to be included in the final physical exhibit, there will be opportunities to include interested community members through digital components of the exhibit.”

In closing, Dr. Patrick noted a few important dates:

• Monday, November 2: SHS Annual Community Dinner in the SHS Cafeteria. All proceeds will be donated to Feeding Westchester. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

• Tuesday, November 3: Election Day (Supt’s Conf. Day) - Schools are closed for students.

• Sunday, November 8: Diwali (the full five-day celebration runs from Friday, November 6, through Tuesday, November 10, 2026)

• Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day (Schools Closed)

Board members presented the following reports and/or Board Liaison updates:

• Mr. Wiczyk provided two reports:

  • On October 15th, he and Ms. Brown and Ms. Liu toured Quaker Ridge Elementary School with Principal Gil. He thanked Dr. Gil for the warm welcome and noted the positive school culture and partnership amongst the staff.  

  • On October 22nd, he attended the District Safety Team Meeting. Some of the topics discussed were communications and traffic safety.

• Mr. Dugan, speaking as the Board liaison to the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and delegate for the October 15th Annual Business Meeting, reported that over 300 delegates considered all 33 proposals and adopted 25 positions and 5 bylaw amendments. 

• Ms. Liu provided two reports: 

  • On October 16th, she, Ms. Hahn and Mr. Dugan toured the Middle School with Principal Coughlin. The visit highlighted spaces with key initiatives, such as the library’s tech-free zone, renovations to the dining halls, and an outdoor classroom. 

  • On October 19th, she, Ms. Hahn and Ms. Dembitzer toured Edgewood Elementary School and viewed the facilities, playground and new outdoor classroom, among other things. She thanked Principal Keane, Assistant Principal Drapek, and the 5th-grade guides that led their tour.

• Ms. Dembitzer provided two reports:

  • On October 6th, she and Ms. Brown attended the quarterly Healthcare Advisory Committee Meeting. The group reviewed data since the start of the new school year; a comparable benchmark study; a strategic roadmap, medical claims experience; and a list of potential improvements for the 2026-27 school year. The next meeting will be held in January.   

  • On October 6th, she, Mr. Dugan, Ms. Eisenberg, and Ms. Liu, met with Dr. Patrick to discuss pertinent and timely points of advocacy for this year. The group drafted an advocacy point position letter and a draft timeline for potential areas of work, including Federal tax credits for scholarship-granting organization donations, charter schools, EV bus funding, Universal Pre-K, and the tax cap, among others. Ms. Dembitzer noted that the draft was shared with the Board to review and for further discussion at a future Board meeting. 

• Mr. Ziegler provided three reports:

  • On October 15th, he attended the SFCS Youth Services Project Meeting. Topics discussed included recent safety incidents in the community and available family resources; access to expanded services in Mandarin; and declining participation in parent support groups.

  • On October 16th, he attended the PTC Technology Committee Meeting where members engaged in a robust discussion around parent perspectives on classroom technology and AI integration in the curriculum. The Committee also discussed ideas for this school year including issuing an updated technology survey and launching a family forum speaker series. 

  • On October 21st, he attended the Village Parks and Recreation Committee Meeting; heard positive feedback on the new SHS turf practice field; and received an update on the proposal for an inventory of the District’s athletic facilities. 

Student Board members presented the following reports:

• Ms. Eisenberg reported that Scarsdale High School hosted a group of students from Italy this past week as part of the Italian Student Exchange program; and the SHS students who hosted, will have the opportunity to go to Italy in February.

• Mr. Goldfarb shared updates on this year’s Global Citizenship Day, highlighting it as an invaluable tradition for SHS students to engage in broader learning. The day also featured a follow-up ConnectED assembly on civil discourse and navigating difficult conversations, featuring a panel discussion led by SHS Social Studies teacher David Sherrin with Scarsdale alumna Dr. Mehnaz Afridi of Manhattanville University and Sarah Gordon, Vice President of Unpacked for Educators.

Cabinet Updates: Dr. Patrick introduced Cabinet Members to provide the following updates. 

• Business: Mr. Lennon reviewed the membership and prior efforts of the District’s Food Service Committee, which spent last year evaluating the current food program, identifying key challenges, and assessing the feasibility of participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). He noted that community feedback was critical in formulating their consensus statement. Mr. Lennon also reported that the District extended its contract with Chartwells for the 2026-27 school year, adding that the Committee will meet this week to discuss further plans for the school year. Mr. Lennon answered the questions asked by Board members and he added that further updates will be provided following each Committee meeting.    

Hearing From Those Present: Community members were invited to address the Board. Two people spoke in person. No one spoke virtually. 

​Follow-up to Public Comment: For those new to the Board meeting, Dr. Patrick explained the Board’s process for public comment and he expressed appreciation for the students who spoke. He asked that they reach out to the SHS faculty with their questions and concerns. 

​Written Communications: Ms. Brown reported the Board had received (16) 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.