Special Meeting: Mr. Dugan convened a Special Meeting at 6:00 p.m. The Board moved into an Executive Session to discuss matters related to collective bargaining negotiations and the employment history of a particular person.

Budget Study Session #2: At 6:39 p.m., Mr. Dugan convened Budget Study Session #2 (BSS#2). All Board members were present including the student Board members. Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet were also present. Mr. Dugan noted that there will be two public comment opportunities during the Business Meeting for community members to speak about BSS #2 and he stated that the Board looks forward to community feedback and input throughout the budget process.

Dr. Patrick shared suggestions from a recent article in the NYSSBA publication On Board titled “The Questions All Boards Should be Asking During Budget Season” and he noted, “It was reassuring to read those questions, as I believe that we address each of these through our presentations, discussions, and revisions to the draft budget as we move forward through the process to arrive at a final proposed school budget.” Dr. Patrick then provided a brief overview of the budget process and reviewed the focus of the BSS#2 presentation. 

Mr. Lennon reviewed the updated Draft Budget Plan including the adjustments made since BSS#1. 

Cindy Parrott, Director of Athletics, Mr. Rauschenbach, and Ms. Crowley presented the highlights and an overview of their portions of the 2026-27 draft budget plan. The slides of the presentation can be viewed here.

Board members presented questions that were answered by Dr. Patrick, Mr. Lennon, Ms. Parrott, Mr. Rauschenbach, and Ms. Crowley. The video can be viewed here.

Business Meeting: Mr. Dugan called the Business Meeting to order at 7:56 p.m., noting that all Board members were present, including the student Board members (Jim Dugan, President; Colleen Brown, Vice President; Leah Dembitzer; Suzie Hahn; Robert Klein; Laura Liu; Amber Yusuf; Lucy Eisenberg; and Anish Mehta), and Dr. Patrick and members of his Administrative Cabinet.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Dugan reported that prior to the Business Meeting, the Board held its second of three budget study sessions and he thanked Dr. Patrick, Mr. Lennon, Ms. Zareski, and the Administrative Cabinet for their hard work this budget season. 

Mr. Dugan spoke about the major blizzard that enveloped the Northeast last week with Scarsdale getting at least 18 inches of snow and he stated, “Many in the community have already noted the exceptional work done by the District’s grounds and maintenance crews in keeping our buildings accessible in spite of the blizzard conditions. They went above and beyond, so our deepest thanks and gratitude for a job well done goes to: Nick Ferraro, Director of Facilities; John Antonicelli, Assistant Director of Facilities; Luis Magalhaes, Assistant Director of Facilities; Matt Hilgendorff, Head of Grounds; Rob Schweit, Head of Maintenance; James Goutzounis, SHS Head Custodian; Bryan LaBoy, SMS Head Custodian; Frank Rogewitz, ED Head Custodian; Michael DeSantis, FM Head Custodian; German Garcia, GA Head Custodian; Anthony Antonicelli, HE Head Custodian; and Jaime Larreategui, QR Head Custodian. Thanks to each of these employees for exceptional service and dedication to the District.”            

Dr. Patrick added his welcome, and echoed Mr. Dugan’s words of gratitude for the efforts from our remarkable custodians, grounds personnel, and facilities leadership for their work during and after last week’s weather events. He added, “As you know, the storm cleanup was extensive and physically demanding. They work very hard, work with pride, and work until the job is done. I also want to extend an equal measure of gratitude to our bus drivers and transportation leadership team. Before our buses roll, snow needs to be removed from the top and around each bus, and vehicles need to be inspected (and in some cases repaired). I also want to thank our PTAs for recognizing and supporting our staff — it goes a long way!”

Dr. Patrick also provided the following information and reminders:

• In the event that we exceed the allotted number of snow days factored into the 2025-26 school calendar, we would need to exchange a day that schools are scheduled to be closed for an instructional day. This year’s school calendar had designated April 3rd for the first ‘give back' day in error, as it is a civil service holiday and schools are closed. It has been confirmed that May 26th (the day after the Memorial Day holiday and before the Eid al-Adha closure) will be the ‘give back’ day, in the event that it is required. The 2025-26 calendars have been updated accordingly and can be viewed here. 
  

• Building on the success of the Kids’ B.A.S.E. After-School Program this year, the District is pleased to announce the continued offering of the program at Edgewood and Greenacres, with the addition of Fox Meadow for the 2026-27 school year. Public registration begins Monday, March 23, 2026. Registration packets will be available on the KBLS website starting March 1, 2026. 

• We are currently developing the District’s 2026-2029 Instructional Technology Plan, which serves as a roadmap to enhance student learning and prepare our students for an evolving digital landscape. We invite you to complete a brief survey to help us identify the highest priorities for student learning in key areas of Media & Information Literacy, Computer Science, and the Impact of Technology. Your feedback will directly inform our goals for the next three years. 

In closing, upcoming dates to note:

• Purim in 2026 began at sundown Mon., March 2, and ends at nightfall Tues., March 3.

• March 3: Chinese Lantern Festival

• March 4: Holi

• March 8: International Women’s Day 

Board members presented the following reports:

• Ms. Brown provided information on the District Parent Elementary Math Fluency Workshop that she, Ms. Yusuf, Ms. Hahn, Ms. Dembitzer, and Ms. Liu attended on February 26th. She noted that the workshop was interactive and provided community members with a hands-on experience highlighting the additions made to the math curriculum. She added that these workshops demonstrate the District’s ability to listen to community feedback and provide ample opportunities to address questions and concerns. Ms. Brown thanked Carrie Orgera and Vivian Robert, District Math Coordinators, the elementary school principals and the teachers for taking the time to showcase how math fluency is being developed in our students. 

• Ms. Dembitzer reported on the following PTC events: 

  • The Annual Sports Swap was held on Saturday, February 28th, at the Middle School. All proceeds will go to the PTC to help benefit PTA projects and programs throughout the community. 

  • The 31st Annual Young Writer’s Workshop with Keynote Speaker Michael Northrop will be held on Saturday, March 7th, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the High School. Click here to register. 

  • The PTC Technology Committee is hosting two events:

    • Family Forum Event: Helping Elementary Students Thrive in the Digital World on Friday, March 6th, at 9:00 a.m. at Quaker Ridge School. Click here to register.

    • A virtual presentation of Understanding Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery NCII on Thursday, March 12th, at 12:00 p.m. Jeannie Crowley, Director of Technology and Innovation, Eric Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services, and a secondary counselor will speak about the impact on non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) on students. Click here to register.  

Student Board members presented the following reports:

• Mr. Mehta also extended thanks to the custodial staff on behalf of the SHS students and he provided information on the SHS Drama Club’s production of PUFFS on Friday, March 13th, at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, March 14th, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.

• Ms. Eisenberg reported that she met with Dr. Patrick last week to discuss ways to keep SHS students informed about the 2026 Capital Projects Bond proposal and ways to motivate eligible seniors to register to vote. She also provided information on the Annual Blood Drive hosted by the Sophomore Class Government in collaboration with the American Red Cross on Tuesday, March 3rd, from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the High School.

Cabinet Updates: Dr. Patrick introduced Cabinet Member(s) to provide the following updates.

• Ms. Parrott presented the Winter 2026 Sports Highlights, she congratulated all of the athletes, and noted that spring sports will begin next week.

• Mr. Lennon reported that the bid process for the SHS turf practice field is opening this week; the anticipated construction timeline is April through June in order to complete the project before Graduation in June; and depending on the responses, the bid award will be presented to the Board for approval at the next Board meeting.