Retiring BOE members (L to R) President Eve Rice, John Grimes and Rick Kaplin
Board of Education
March 12, 2010 The Byram Hills Administration, along with the Board of Education (BOE), has been working diligently on this year's school budget. The budget vote will take place on May 18th, accompanied by two other voting items: a proposal to transfer funds to renovate of the transportation facility, and a vote on three vacant Board of Education positions.
Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the Byram Hills School Board. Over the first four decades, an average of 17 board members have served each decade. The election of the seven positions is staggered, alternating between two and three positions being up for election yearly. For continuity purposes there can never be more then three new board members elected during the same term. This is the first time since the 1989 election that there will be three non-incumbent board members elected at once.
BOE members serve for three years, and this year three members will not seek reelection. President Eve Rice, John Grimes and Rick Kaplin are stepping down. Kaplin has served the school district since 1990. He has also served on the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association and says, "I've seen the best school board practices here at Byram Hills, where we don't have the angst that other districts do."
Eve Rice has served on the Board for ten years and says, "It has been great being able to serve the residents of the Byram Hills District." She also says that one of the most important concerns when serving as a board member is that he or she must be an advocate not just for their own children, but for all the children. Also, it is important to be deeply involved in the school community, so they know who they are serving. And finally, Rice says, a board member must balance the interests of the children and the taxpayers.
To date, Alka Kaminer, Joyce Meiklejohn, Robin Glat and Alban Burke have petitioned to run for the three soon-to-be vacated BOE seats. Petitions for candidates seeking to be on the ballot are due April 18, 2010, and must have 25 signatures.
Dr. Eve Rice, President Mr. Richard Kaplin, Vice President Dr. Leslie Blum (Cziner), Trustee Mr. John Grimes, Trustee Mr. Ira Schulman, Trustee Mr. Brett Summers, Trustee Mrs. Ann Tedesco, Trustee
Blue Bird, Electric Powered New York Power Authority
Byram Hills receives grant from NYSERDA for Clean Air School Buses. June 4, 2009
"The following information received by our Superintendent Dr. Jackie Taylor from our Director of Transportation, Guy Elmore is exciting news for the Byram Hills Transportation Department and the continuing efforts of our district in promoting sustainability.
On June 1st, 2009 the School District received notice from "New York State Energy Research and Development Authority" (NYSERDA) that we are the recipient of a $236,880.00 grant for Clean Air School Buses. Our application was submitted to their Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) comprised of in-house and external experts for an in-depth technical review, scoring and ranking.
The grant allows Byram Hills to retro fit 18 large buses with state of the art diesel particulate filters which will reduce harmful emission by up to 90%. I am especially excited with this grant since it is in keeping with the District's Green Policy. The work on the buses is expected to be completed before the opening of school in September."
Guy C. Elmore
Source:Byramhills.org
BYRAM HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT'S TRANSPORTATION
ENERGY CONSERVATION INITIATIVES
1.
The district currently has a zero idling policy for their fleet. Buses
are only allowed to idle during the driver’s ten-minute pre-trip
inspection. 2. Due to the zero idling policy, the district is using less diesel fuel per bus than previously. 3. This year, the district will be purchasing a hybrid vehicle off State Contract to use for special needs transportation. 4. All newer buses have particulate filters, which are environmentally friendly. The
Director of Transportation has been working on the development of a New
York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant to
install particulate filters in our older buses. Through the use of
particulate filters, the diesel particulate emissions are reduced by 86
%.
Reflections of the Day After the Byram Hills School District Election
May 19, 2010
Eve Rice, Board of Education President and member for the past 10 years, is one of three board members retiring at the end of June. She says, "The Board is very pleased that voters supported the District's operating budget, which will enable the District to continue providing Byram Hills students with an outstanding education."
Furthermore, Rice says, "We were, of course, sad to see the transportation proposition defeated: we believed - and still believe - that important safety and environmental issues at the facility need to be addressed and we will have to discuss how to deal with these issues in the face of the proposition's defeat.
Although the election of Board of Education trustees was thrown into some chaos at the eleventh hour, we are pleased to welcome the three newly elected Board members and we wish them well in their service to the community."
We’re nearly a month away from graduation, and after twelve long years of hard work (and some good times, we hope), the seniors of 2010 will be unleashed on the world. Or at least, the college world, and they’ll be incredibly well prepared. Superintendent Jackie Taylor wants the kindergarteners of 2010 to be just as well prepared.
A decade ago, the community was calling to add new programs to education, but those were different times financially. Now it will be important to maintain the high quality of programs that the Byram Hills school district offers to all its students. The second goal is to do this within a fiscally responsible boundary. The new budget number reflects those goals, and Taylor and the rest of the administration are very excited at the support the community showed in voting yes on the budget.
Taylor says that she’s heard over and over that people are “very satisfied with the education of their children.” After all, she notes, you can pick from any number of programs—“music, art, athletics, reading, science”—and you can see a quality experience for a large number of students.
Taylor is also pleased with the new members of the Board of Education, although she says it will be a challenge to replace the thirty-nine years of experience from the previous seat owners. “Swift change for the sake of change is not the same thing as effective long-term change, which comes from a deep understanding of the issues,” she said. “The main issue is how to educate children effectively within an acceptable fiscal number. Those kinds of changes take a deep understanding of the issues, as well as the state regulations and the federal regulations. The governance of schools is not all local. It takes experience and really high level thinking from the administrators and board members to know what you can change and what you have to be a strong advocate of outside of your local control.”
As for the transportation proposition being voted down, Taylor is somewhat disappointed, as she felt this option was the most cost affective. Now the new board, the administration and several members of city council (who have been researching the project since 1997) will review and discuss all options.
If Taylor could make one change in the community’s voting habits she would have every member of the community reading the Byram Hills’ web site. She says there’s “an extraordinary amount of information on our website. We teach our kids that you can’t come to a conclusion without serious inquiry and getting multiple perspectives. It takes time to integrate, ask questions, be curious, inquire, and then form opinions.” And this is exactly what voters should be doing: informing themselves on the issues, asking questions after getting information and then forming opinions.
Taylor adds that the administration will be improving on their end there, learning how to harness the power of technology for efficient communication. This year they already had videos, fact sheets and a budget brochure.
We talked the day after elections to Robin Glat, one of three new members (Alban C. Burke and Joyce Meiklejohn also won) of the Board of Education—for what’s next as well as what’s led up to her candidacy and subsequent win.
Back in January, Glat was one of several residents approached by current Board Members spreading the word about available seats. In her ten years in Armonk, Glat has been incredibly involved in the community, including her volunteer work for the Pre-School Association Days and Armonk United Soccer. After doing research on the position—which included talking to the current members of the board—she felt the Board of Education was a logical next step—something she could do and something she really wanted to do.
Glat credits her longtime work in the community with her win (she had the most votes of any of the other nominees, and even more votes than the budget!) and, more importantly, what will make her a good board member. We asked her if she had any advice to future residents considering running, and she said that she felt the most important part of her candidacy was getting around the community and understanding what issues people cared about. “We’re going to have to make some tough decisions and in order to make those you need to be in on the ground—what the community members are feeling, but also what the programs are, what our community is about,” she said.
Another thing she did which she found incredibly helpful was attend a candidate workshop—along with fellow candidate Joyce Meiklejohn and Alka Kaminer—run by the Westchester and Putnam School Board Association. There, superintendents as well as past and present board members from various area schools discussed the ins and outs of the role. Candidates started sharing stories, and Glat said she was really amazed, “Other people were talking about fighting going on between the board of ed, the administration and the town. They’re losing good teachers and administrators because of what’s going on.”
Reflecting on our situation, in contrast, Glat said, “There’s definitely give and take and not everyone leaves the table happy after negotiations, but everyone feels that they were respected. It made us feel fortunate that we’re part of this school district. We have our challenges, of course, but at least it’s coming from a point of mutual respect. It’s a lot easier to be productive that way.”
In fact, Glat wants people to speak up and share their opinions and start discussions and debates. “I like that the community is energized right now.” But she repeats that respect is key to productivity. Overall, she’s very excited for the position. She’s looking forward to working with the other members of the board—whom she describes as, “smart, sharp people”—in an effort to make a difference: “keeping the school district moving forward, but also doing something about everyone’s concerns financially. Hopefully, making a positive difference.”
2010-2011 School Budget Passed
Updated May 20, 2010
Byram Hills community passed the 2010-2011 school budget with an increase of 1.0% at $78,048,596.
There was a reduction on health insurance premiums of approximately $800,000 which was accomplished through a consortium of several school districts in Westchester.
A reduction of six teachers, aids and classroom support due to a downward trend in the elementary enrollment that proposes a total savings of $1,690,233.
The combination of the health premium savings and the classroom support reduction allowed the BOE to present a leaner budget that still maintains a quality education for the Byram Hills School District. Programs and services that have lead to students' success, in the past, present and future will continue the BOE feels. Federal and state mandated programs are included in the budget, as are athletic and extra-curricular programs.
Ongoing maintenance projects requiring a new roof at the high school gym and various energy sources throughout the buildings such as boilers and HVAC require a transfer of $595,000 to the capital fund.
The budget vote was held May 18, 2010.
Byram Hills School District
The Chappaqua Board of Education has announced the selection of John Chambers as Interim Superintendent of the Chappaqua School District effective July 1, 2010.
John Chambers served as Byram Hills Superintendent from 2001-2008 and prior to that in Bronxville School District from 1991-2001. Since retiring from Byram Hills in 2008, he has conducted superintendents searches with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates. He also serves as an advisor for the Future School Leaders Academy at the Bank Street College for Education and is a seminar leader for high school principals with the Tri-States Standards Consortium.
Voting Turnout on the Rise
2010 - 2011 School Budget
Although only 23.3% of all 9,035 eligible Byram Hills school district voters cast their ballot during the 2010 - 2011 school budget election, it was the highest voter turnout in six years.
Year
Eligible Voters
Number of Votes
% of Voters
Yes
No
05-06
8,477
1,460
17%
852
608
06-07
8,584
925
11%
492
433
07-08
8,704
1,199
14%
761
438
08-09
8,871
1,553
18%
872
681
09-10
9,035
1,868
21%
1,238
630
10-11
9,035
2,111
23.3%
1,155
868
Byram Hills Budget Voting Statistics Over the Past Six Years
2010 - 2011 budget vote presented the highest turnout of voters over the past six years. The budget passed by 57.1%.
Source: Richard Lasselle, Records Access Officer.
Byram Hills Education Foundation
By Michele Zenkel, updated by Jill Robustelli May 21, 2010
Byram Hills Education Foundation Invites You to 2nd Annual Go For The Green Hole-In-One Contest. On Monday, June 14th, the Byram Hills Education Foundation (BHEF) will host its 2nd annual GO FOR THE GREEN Hole-In-One Contest at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, CT. It’s a perfect way to spend a fun late spring Monday afternoon, while helping to enhance our children’s education. Ticket price of $250 includes entry into both the Hole-In-One and Putting contests. The event begins at 1PM. $25,000 prize for Hole-In-One! Men AND women are welcome. All proceeds will be used by the BHEF to fund future educational grants.
For 16 years, the Byram Hills Education Foundation has been dedicated to enhancing the educational experience of all children within the Byram Hills Central School District by generating community support to fund innovative grants that encourage learning and personal development. Foundation funding provides our children, in all of the District’s four schools, with state-of-the-art programs and technologies that are not covered by the Byram Hills Central School District Operating Budget. Since its inception in 1994, the Foundation has awarded nearly 270 grants in excess of $2.7 million. The Foundation has just completed the largest grant cycle in its history, with a total of 14 grants totaling $275,850.
The BHEF extends a heartfelt thank you to all who supported the annual Spring Gala, held on April 30th at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester. It was a spectacular evening celebrating the accomplishments of the BHEF and our wonderful school district in the company of friends, neighbors, and co-workers. The success of the Gala, which included food and festivities, a performance by the BHHS jazz ensemble, live demonstrations of our newest grants, great music and dancing, live and silent auction offerings as well as a raffle for a brand new iPad, enables the BHEF to continue to enhance the education of each of our children, in every school, every day.
For more information about the BHEF, to purchase tickets for the Hole-In-One Contest, or to make a general donation, visit the Foundation’s web site at www.byramhillsfoundation.org.
Discovering Your Child's Learning Differences By Bonnie McGee
When we think of the addition of a new baby into a family, most of us envision a perfect cherub, smiling, happy, ready to greet the world and explore his or her own unique gifts. The last thing parents expect is a child with a learning difference or life challenge. While awareness of physical disabilities can occur immediately after birth, the emergence of learning differences may come to light years into a child’s life.
Because the BHPTSA network reaches almost every family in
the district, we’ve developed a community service group called Family
Crisis Outreach. The FCO is literally a confidential mailing list of volunteers
interested in supporting community members facing crisis or unable to meet
their normal, everyday responsibilities…whether long term or
temporarily.
Though the BH School District is our foundation, the goal of
the FCO is to be available to support the community at large. If you’re
interested in volunteering for the Family Crisis Outreach or if you are a
member of a community organization providing the same or similar service,
please contact Lee Golden, Chair, BHPTSA Family Crisis Outreach at fco@bhptsa.org.
At present, the PTSA FCO group hopes to provide the following support:
Meal prep and delivery*Light
shopping and running errands*Babysitting* carpool and/or play date
organization* dog walking, pet sitting*homework help*Simple party
planning when parents are unable to do so* Networking to find additional support for hire, i.e., housekeeper, visiting nurse, baby nurse, cook, car service* Sending greeting cards to raise spirits during long recovery periods.
Submitted by PTSA, For more information go to www.bhptsa.org
