Scarsdale Village, October 27 2016 - The Scarsdale Forum’s Board of Directors approved and authorized for release the Education Committee’s report ’Educational Objectives to Consider Regarding Options for the Future of Greenacres Elementary School.’ The complete report can be downloaded
HERE.
According to Education Committee co-chairs, Mayra Kirkendall-
Rodríguez and Dan Hochvert "Our committee thought carefully and worked diligently to create a suggested framework for future conversations about the Greenacres School. Ultimately, our goal was to focus on the project's primary objective: educating children. We hope residents, the Board, and the Administration will benefit from the report's contents."
The Report recommends that the Scarsdale Board of Education publicize the educational objectives to be used in evaluating the future of Greenacres Elementary School and list the pros and cons of both current options (B-1 and C-1) in the context of those educational objectives. Once the objectives are outlined, the Board and Administration should consider and explain how, and to what extent, the different options achieve those objectives. A Board and Administration analysis of this kind would help residents focus on the primary objective: educating children.
The report also recommends that the Board conduct or commission a professional economic analysis of the impact of each option on residents. The recommended analysis would start with the difference in the debt service for each option and then account for differences in state aid and operational and maintenance costs to determine the overall effect of the two options on taxpayers. It would also be helpful if a Net Present Value (NPV) analysis were done.
Added Hochvert, "Ultimately Village residents in all neighborhoods will want to know how a project will impact their annual tax bill. Simply comparing the construction cost of each option does not tell the complete story."
The Education Committee also asks the Board and Administration to consider environmental features that could be included in the designs for Greenacres. There have been studies that indicate that environmental aspects of school buildings have an effect on student learning. To date, the preliminary plans provided by the architect are limited in their environmental scope.
The Report further notes that up until now, most of the discussion has been centered on Greenacres residents. Since residents in all neighborhoods will vote on the bond referendum, communication throughout the Village is vital to gain approval of the bond.
Kirkendall-
Rodríguez adds, "The Education Committee stands ready to assist the Board and Administration in whatever way it can, whether that be through helping with community outreach or working to find community members who can assist with the economic analysis suggested above as well as any other way the Board and Administration would find helpful."
Questions may be addressed to the Education Committee co-chairs, Dan Hochvert
danghochvert@gmail.com and Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez
ScarsdaleMayra@yahoo.com.
