052104 Budget, Walsh succeed at polls

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The Public Schools of Westchester County New York

052104 Budget, Walsh succeed at polls

BY DON HEPPNER

Katonah-Lewisboro School District's election central was in the music room in Katonah Elementary School Tuesday night. First the votes cast in Katonah were counted, and it looked encouraging for supporters of the budget. When school board member and candidate Donna Walsh learned of her almost 500 vote lead in Katonah over Bruce Pavalow, color began to return to her face. The budget passed in Katonah by more than 300 votes, but with results not yet in from the three in schools in Lewisboro, that margin was not a cause for optimism.

"The budget always passes in Katonah," Don Scott, school board president, said.

Every time the phone rang signaling election results from another of the three elementary schools, a hush came over those gathered in the music room and adjoining hallway. The phone was handed to Robert Lichtenfeld each time. He listened and wrote the numbers on a folded piece of paper as Brent Hailpern, member of the Katonah-Lewisboro school board, and others craned

their necks in an effort to look over Dr. Lichtenfeld's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the totals.

Each time he hung up the phone and reported the results verbally, clenched fists were raised and shouts of joy came from the hallway where many parents were gathered, because the budget was hanging on and the vote on the budget and Ms. Walsh looked encouraging.

"It's winning everywhere, which is phenomenal," Mr. Scott said about the budget as the numbers were phoned in.

Finally, the last school reported, and the budget and propositions passed and the voters re-elected Donna Walsh, a Katonah resident, over Bruce Pavalow from Lewisboro.

Proposition 1 asked the voters to approve an $85,044,000 budget for the next school year, which represented an 8.9 percent increase over the 2003-04 school year. Proposition 1 won in every district but Meadow Pond, which voted down the proposition by two votes - 393-395. Katonah showed the most support for the budget this year as it did in the past - 794-452. The total of all districts was 2,468 for the budget and 1,783 opposed.

Proposition 2 asked the voters to approve the purchase of buses and vans at a total cost of $1,052,000. Proposition 2 passed in all districts and total votes counted were 2,539 to 1,706.

Proposition 3 dealt with alterations and improvements to the district's buildings. The proposition passed 'in' all school areas by 2,668 to 1575.

Proposition 4 expanded the school board from five to seven members and passed 2,260 to 1,954.

"It shows what a good organization can do," Dr. Lichtenfeld said in reaction to passage of the budget. "A good organization and a lot of intelligence went into this."

Dr. Lichtenfeld said because the budget passed, class size and valuable programs would be preserved.

Ms. Walsh said her message all

along, was six schools but only one community. "It [her re-election] was the result of an effort by hundreds of people," she said. "We went to the mattresses in September. It was students, parents, and everybody. I'm so moved by the support I received."

Katonah supported Donna Walsh with a resounding 836-344 win. Mr. Pavalow was never able to come back from the deficit, although he captured two-thirds of the vote in the Meadow Pond area - 231-460. Ms. Walsh won in Increase Miller but lost in Lewisboro

Excluding Katonah, Mr. Scott said in an interview on Thursday that he thought Ms. Walsh did very well in Lewisboro despite the efforts to divide the district. She lost to Mr. Pavalow 1,243 to 1,462.

Spencer Dvorkin, a member of Citizens for Prudent School Planning (CPSP), was not as opposed to the budget as he was to Ms. Walsh's candidacy. CPSP has been very active in critiquing proposed budgets and backing candidates in the past.

"The way I see things headed, it won't be too long before Katonah will elect every board member as vacancies occur and the way this district is split apart will be accentuated," he said.

He said geography should be a factor when considering a vote for a candidate because attitudes are different in different areas of the school district. "Katonah-Lewisboro is not a community," he said. "There is no commonality of interest."'

According to Mr. Dvorkin, to a large extent things are defined by what elementary school is in the area.

"I am shocked to hear that come from a former experienced school board member," Mr. Scott said. "The commonality of interest here is running the education system that serves 800 employees and 4,100 students and 16,000 residents. A school board focuses on those interests. That is the commonality of interest."

Mr. Scott said he thinks a way around the divisiveness that some people see' in the multicommunity school district is to rename the school district to be more inclusive, the way Byram Hills or Fox lane took a nongeographical name. Mr. Scott also pointed to the large number of votes Ms. Walsh garnered in Lewisboro as a sign things are not as bad as Mr. Dvorkin portrayed in terms of polarity.

The school board recently voted to expand its numbers from five to seven and put that in front of the voters for approval in Proposition 4. Mr. Dvorkin attached a motivation to that expansion. He said he was of the opinion that some school board members were afraid Ms. Walsh was going to lose. Mr. Dvorkin said he was not opposed to a seven-person board in theory.

Mr. Scott said he was elated over the increase in board members. He said a seven-person board draws more talent and could have a wider array of expertise. He also said the larger number on the board would present an opportunity to represent different segments of the community.

"You have to take the long view and what serves the district best," Mr. Scott said. "What other boards tell you is that a seven-person board allows work to get done through subcommittees."

Mr. Scott said the school board and taxpayers should look outward for support, since residents are paying 92 percent of the cost to educate children.