Scarsdale's school board enters the 2026-27 year with two new members and a returning leadership team, after Wednesday's organizational meeting formally launched the governance year.

Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick swore in Omer Wiczyk and Kevin Ziegler at the 9 a.m. meeting, joined by the board's five continuing members. Wiczyk and Ziegler won a three-way contested election in May, defeating candidate Erica German for the seats vacated by Robert Klein and Amber Yusuf, both of whom served six years on the board.

Wiczyk, a civil rights attorney who spent 20 years as a prosecutor, has lived in Scarsdale for a decade and has two daughters in the district. He previously served as president of the Scarsdale Forum and chaired the Citizens Nominating Committee. In a candidate interview this spring, he said he'd "approach this position with humility and an open mind," describing board service not as a way to advance a personal agenda but as a role built on listening to students, parents, teachers and administrators. No biographical detail on Ziegler was available in district records at the time of publication.

The board also welcomed two ex officio student members: Lucy Eisenberg, starting her second term, and newly elected Nathan Goldfarb.

Once the full seven-member board was seated, it unanimously reelected Suzie Hahn as president and Colleen Brown as vice president, both by 7-0 votes, with terms running through July 2027. Hahn first took the chair at a special meeting in May to finish out the prior year. Brown, nominating her again Wednesday, called Hahn "a careful listener" with an "unwavering commitment to the students and families of our community." Board member James Dugan nominated Brown in turn, praising her "hard work, dedication to the educational mission of the district, and focus on improving the experience of Scarsdale students."

The board held its state-required public hearing on the district's Code of Conduct, unanimously adopting updates recommended by Assistant Superintendent Eric Rauschenbach. A broader consent agenda also passed 7-0, covering personnel reports, committee appointments for special education services, building emergency response plans, special education consultant contracts, and a new agreement with the Village of Scarsdale and Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service for a Youth Services Project running September 2026 through August 2027. The board also appointed its officers for the year: District Clerk Honore Adams, Treasurer Lisa Zareski, and Title IX Compliance Officer Meghan Troy.

The $197 million budget voters approved in May takes effect with the new school year starting Sept. 1 — a 2.92% spending increase and 3.37% tax levy rise that adds an estimated $715 to the annual tax bill for a median Scarsdale homeowner.