New Chappaqua Committee to Seek Expert on District Policy Review
The Chappaqua Board of Education last week approved forming an advisory committee that will develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire a qualified professional to review the district’s policies and procedures regarding sexual abuse.
At a special meeting on Oct. 6, Board President Alyson Gardner announced that the expert would also provide training to staff and students and advise on best practices to prevent sexual abuse in an educational setting. Trustees voted 4-0 to move forward with the action.
“We feel an RFP is the best way to ensure that we cast a broad net and find the best possible person or organization,” Gardner said.
Under the plan, at least one representative from recognized organizations within the community that work with children and/or on school issues will be part of the committee, Gardner said. Among the groups to be represented are the PTA, sports boosters, the town recreation department, the police department, the Coalition for Youth and the district’s R21K Committee, she said.
It was not known last week how many members will serve on the committee, trustees said.
The announcement came as the district continues to fend off a torrent of criticism for its handling of the case of Christopher Schraufnagel, the former Horace Greeley High School drama teacher who was brought up on charges last year for sexually and emotionally abusing students.
Last Thursday afternoon’s hastily called meeting attracted community members, including those who complimented district officials for forming the committee. However, various concerns were also raised, ranging from having a manageable number of committee members, to improving district communication to whether the current board and administration are capable of implementing needed changes.
One skeptical resident was Jules Buxbaum, who commended the board for the action but questioned how effective that step would be. He said what’s more important is learning why the system broke down, permitting Schraufnagel to apparently go undetected for so long.
“The critical thing should be what went wrong, how was this allowed to happen,” Buxbaum said.
Resident Jane Shepardson said the community needs to have a better understanding of the type of guidelines that will be used in developing the RFP.
She also said communication between the district and the community has been lacking during her 18 years living in Chappaqua.
“I think the district has not gotten out in front of things, and for whatever reason we don’t seem to have anyone in the district in charge of communication, letting the community know that you’re doing this, letting people have comments, letting people know what’s being taken care of, and I’m hopeful the board can move forward and make that more of a priority,” Shepardson said.
Another resident questioned whether meaningful progress can occur without change on the board or the administration.
Lynne Lambert said she was hoping to have come to last week’s meeting to see resignations submitted. While the committee is a necessary step forward, she said there needs to be a shakeup because the current group of school officials failed the students and the community.
“You’re taking some steps forward but in my mind you don’t have the crew that you need to make change,” Lambert said.
Board Vice President Victoria Tipp said the committee will be formed and the RFP will be drawn up as quickly as possible. She expressed confidence the group will assist the district to properly address the matter.
“We are putting our trust in community-based organizations to do what’s right for the district, and we believe they will do that, and we believe in complete transparency as to the process,” Tipp said.
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