ESF Funds Standing Desk Pilot in 2nd Grade at Seely Place
The Edgemont School Foundation is proud to have funded a standing desk pilot program in Ms. Lim’s 2nd grade classroom at Seely Place.
Ms. Lim outlines how she plans to incorporate the standing desks in her classroom: “We are using them to create small partnership or group work areas. At the start of independent work, students check in with how they are feeling and have the opportunity to request a standing desk. We maintain a daily checklist to track which students have used the desks, as part of our flexible seating options.
Since we began using the standing desks, we’ve noticed significant improvements in both handwriting quality and overall focus. Students seem more engaged with their work, and the flexibility of the standing desks appears to support their learning and concentration. Students have also taken ownership of their learning and understanding their needs.”
The students have noted the benefits from the new desks as well, stating: “They make me have better handwriting” and “It helps me come closer to the board and see the board better. I am able to focus better.”
Please help us continue to fund projects like this by donating. DONATE HERE!
Yearly Support of the District bond that supports Blanford Field
Each year the Edgemont School Foundation (ESF) donates $33,333 to the district in support of the Bond that renovated and upgraded Blanford Field at EHS. Blanford is used by many sports teams, PE classes at EHS, and the community as a whole.
6th grade hydroponics unit in action!
In June 2023 the Edgemont School Foundation awarded a grant to Mrs. Lugo, the Seely Place 6th grade science teacher, to start a hydroponics unit in her classroom. The students have been working on the classroom garden all year and when the year-long project came to an end, they were able to eat their science projects with a “salad party!” ESF is so thankful to be able to fund projects like this, impacting whole grades at one time.
Seely Place Library/PE/Health Book Refresh and Chess Sets
As the curriculum needs change, our schools must have the most up to date and current books for teaching. The ESF is proud to be able to update the Seely books used in the library, health classes and PE.
How State Aid Impacts Edgemont
The state provides aid under a number of categories, but by far the most important and material bucket is Foundation Aid. The state’s allocations of Foundation Aid ($21.3 billion in 2022-2023) to school districts is intended to ensure that all districts in the state have the necessary resources to ensure all students receive a “sound basic education” as required by the state constitution. The formula for calculating Foundation Aid is overly complex; however, what is important to note that the two primary drivers of the differences in aid received amongst schools are:
- Expected Minimum Local Contribution (i.e., the relative wealth of the community), based on a computed tax rate or local share formula that utilizes an income wealth index and a local tax factor.
- Total Aidable Foundation Pupil Units (i.e., enrollment).
In short, the higher the income wealth index the lower the proportional share of the Foundation Aid pot. Conversely, the lower the enrollment, the lower the proportional share of the Foundation Aid pot. Edgemont has a high income wealth index and a mid to low enrollment total. As a result, we receive less aid than neighboring districts who rate differently on these metrics.
The good news is, that over the past ten years, we’ve seen an increase in the percentage of our revenue budget stemming from state aid. Namely, an increase from 6% of the budget in 2014-15 to 12% of the budget in the current year. This is most closely attributed to the state’s commitment to fully fund districts based on the approved Foundation Aid formula. As a result, we have seen a 56% increase in our Foundation Aid allocations in two years. This will be the last significant increase as we are now “fully funded.” Moving forward, we expect more modest increases based on economic growth factors.
| Year | Budget | Foundation Aid | Total State Aid | Aid as % of Budget |
| 2024 | $ 69,374,373 | $ 4,869,652 | $ 8,076,495 | 12% |
| 2023 | $ 67,026,024 | $ 3,541,218 | $ 6,587,323 | 10% |
| 2022 | $ 65,251,389 | $ 2,546,644 | $ 5,163,310 | 8% |
| 2021 | $ 63,616,332 | $ 2,103,877 | $ 4,563,118 | 7% |
| 2020 | $ 61,048,737 | $ 2,104,103 | $ 4,378,532 | 7% |
| 2019 | $ 59,129,371 | $ 2,078,729 | $ 4,571,279 | 8% |
| 2018 | $ 57,092,835 | $ 2,028,138 | $ 4,479,340 | 8% |
| 2017 | $ 55,512,470 | $ 1,960,263 | $ 4,059,081 | 7% |
| 2016 | $ 54,104,349 | $ 1,960,259 | $ 3,669,817 | 7% |
| 2015 | $ 53,149,102 | $ 1,944,439 | $ 3,354,471 | 6% |
Neighboring districts like Ardsley, White Plains, Hastings, and Elmsford receive between 14% and 17.2% of their budget from State Aid. Every dollar counts!
http://WWW.EDGEMONTSCHOOLFOUNDATION.ORG/DONATE
DONATE TODAY!
How Can I Donate to The Edgemont School Foundation?
We are very thankful you would like to donate to the Foundation and help support Edgemont students. Please see the array of ways we can accept donations:
1) Credit card: www.edgemontschoolfoundation.org/donate
2) Stock donations:
Gifts of publicly traded securities that have appreciated in value allow you to avoid capital gains taxes while also receiving a tax deduction for your gift. The Foundation benefits by selling the stock without paying taxes on the gain, and you benefit from making a contribution that would be larger than what you might have been able to donate in cash.
The following are the DTC instructions for the Edgemont School Foundation for transfer of stock to the Foundation’s Advisor, Onyx Bridge Wealth Group, that clears through Charles Schwab.
DTC# 0164
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Account # 8150-1532
Account Name: Edgemont School Foundation
Reference: (name of donor)
Before a transfer of stock is made, we request that you please notify us at (info@edgemontschoolfoundation.org) with the name(s) of stock(s), number of shares, and gift designation(s) so we may monitor our account for the expected transfer and process your gift accurately.
3) Corporate Matching: Many companies will match your personal donation through their own donation program. Please inquire with your employer to see if this is an option for you. We have accounts with CyberGrants, Benevity Matching Grants, and EasyMatch.
4) Estate Planning: Please keep the Edgemont School Foundation in mind when planning your future and estate.
5) Check: All checks may be mailed to: PO Box 1154, Scarsdale, NY 10583
The District Needs Our Support Now More Then Ever
As you may have heard, the New York State budget cuts as a result of the pandemic will impact our schools. Superintendent Kniewel and the School Board have worked tirelessly to respond to these cuts by revising Edgemont’s school budget, which the community will vote on by mail. The details of how to vote and the ballots have been mailed to you directly from the District by USPS. You will receive self-addressed stamped envelopes to allow for you to easily send back your completed ballots by June 9th. We cannot emphasize how important it is to cast your vote for this budget during these unprecedented times to ensure our District maintains its current standard of excellence.
Our school budget was already stretched thin before the pandemic, and with the future holding so many unknowns, the schools will need our support now more than ever. The Edgemont School Foundation (ESF) was established in 1993 to assist in times just like these, when the teachers and administrators need to fund areas that are not covered by taxes or other community organizations. We anticipate this year will create needs unlike ever before, and we are committed to maintaining the success of Edgemont schools. If you are in the position to contribute to help us in our effort, please click ‘donate’ above.
We are very grateful for any assistance you can provide during these challenging times. We will make it through this by supporting one another and will come out of it stronger together. Stay healthy and safe.
Warmly,
Nancy Gordon
Chair, Edgemont School Foundation