Katonah-Lewisboro: Board of Ed discusses enrollment, THRIVE

Students at Katonah Elementary were greeted Tuesday, on the first day of school, with high fives and smiles by Officer Brett Schlosser, and below, Principal Cristy Harris  (KLSD photos)

By JEFF MORRIS 

The Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education held its last meeting of the summer Aug. 28, covering a number of different items. Included in the half-hour session were a report on fall enrollment; recognition of staff members with 25 years in the district; status of the cellphone ban; and possibly partnering with a substance abuse prevention organization.

Enrollment 

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Neill Alleva provided an update on district enrollment and class sizes. Alleva said the numbers could still fluctuate between August and late October, when the district reports final numbers to the state.

At the elementary level, Increase Miller has a total of 493 students, compared to a final number of 479 in October 2024; the projected total for this year is 498. Katonah Elementary has a total of 399, with the projected total 403; the final number last year was 405. Meadow Pond had 367 in August, compared with a projection of 363; last year there were 359 at MPES.

Class sizes at the three elementary schools are all within allowable parameters, Alleva said. 

The projected total elementary enrollment was 1,264, and the total is currently 1,259. In 2024, the projected total was 1,260, and the actual October total was 1,243.

John Jay Middle School has a total of 616 students, with a projected total of 629, though that includes four ungraded students. Last year there was an October total of 630. Alleva noted that a lot of the difference between last year and this is accounted for by 211 eighth graders moving up to the high school, and being replaced by a sixth-grade class that currently has 200 students.

Similarly, the total at John Jay High School shows a larger 2024 12th-grade class being replaced by a smaller entering ninth-grade class, accounting for a drop from 2024’s enrollment of 912 to the current total of 885; the projection for this year was 874. 

For the total district enrollment, Alleva included out-of-district CSE placements to account for taxpayer dollars, a change he said was recommended by the board. The numbers showed 12 CSE placements in 2024, and 17 currently. Without those placements, the total enrollment was 2,785 last year and is 2,760 now.

Superintendent Ray Blanch added that, without any significant live birth rate changes, he anticipates total enrollment at the high school in the range of 270-290 for the foreseeable future.

25 year recognition

The board recognized district employees with 25 years of service. Among them were faculty members Jennifer Cocuzzo, world language teacher at John Jay High School; Denise Friedly, special education teacher at JJHS; David Fritsch, math and science teacher at John Jay Middle School; Jodi Jeran, English teacher at JJMS; Craig Jettelson, elementary teacher at Katonah Elementary School; Tracy Merritt, elementary teacher at Meadow Pond Elementary; Tricia Murphy, social studies teacher at JJHS; Renee Psihountas, math teacher at JJHS; Colleen Walsh, elementary teacher at Increase Miller Elementary; Jill Walsh, elementary teacher at Meadow Pond Elementary; and Lisa Wolken, elementary teacher at Katonah Elementary. 

Also recognized for 25 years of service were June Bourne, bus attendant; Susan Fowler, secretary to school administrator, special education services; Rolfe Lunde, custodian; Israel Marcos, bus driver; and Martin Rojas, bus driver.

Cellphone ban

Trustee Bill Swertfager asked what the feedback has been to the new  cellphone policy, which is a state requirement. Blanch indicated a message about it had just gone out, and the reaction has been “pretty much supportive.” He said people were wondering how it was going to be made to happen, while recognizing it was a state law. He pointed out there will be four days this week to work things through, though he noted that they don’t have enough people to go out and “check on everything.” At the end of last year, Blanch said, the students had agreed they would be better off not having the devices in school. 

There will be “some growing challenges,” Blanch said, “but I think not being alone on this will be very helpful.”

THRIVE involvement

Board President Lorraine Gallagher said the board had received an invitation to have a board member become a liaison to THRIVE, which she said had given an “amazing presentation” on addiction for students and adults two years ago. Gallagher said THRIVE had already partnered with the Bedford Central district.

Formerly known as the Drug Abuse Prevention Council, THRIVE is an organization encompassing Bedford, Lewisboro and Pound Ridge. It describes its mission as combatting substance abuse and mental health challenges by fostering healthy lifestyles through education, resources, and strategies.

Gallagher said since trustees Jon Poffenberger and Arwen Thomas Belloni were not present, they might want to wait to make any decision. Trustee Barbara Williams said she was generally in favor, but would like a bit more information about the organization. Trustee Marjorie Schiff said while she supported partnering with THRIVE, she wondered whether board members were most appropriate to serve as liaisons, or if someone from the administration or from a PTO might have more insight. Gallagher agreed to ask follow-up questions about what, exactly, they were looking for, and to continue the discussion at a future meeting.

Blanch noted THRIVE derives most of its funding from federal grants, but KLSD already has a student assistance counselor in place in its own budget. After recounting how his previous district had utilized part of THRIVE’s federal funding, he suggested it would still be a good idea for KLSD to coordinate with THRIVE.