Community Group to Present Petition Thursday

After several months of grassroots efforts—including circulating and growing a petition to include over 700 names of local residents and launching a Facebook page, website and Twitter account—a community group will formally make its case to the Katonah Lewisboro school board Thursday.

The group plans a presentation after the district holds its budget hearing. They are calling upon their peers in the community to gather more signatures and attend the meeting in a show of support for their goals.

Among their stated goals is to have the staff, teachers and administrators unions to work together with district officials to negotiate sustainable labor contracts.

Here's a full statement from KLSD Forward Together sent to Patch via email: 

Forward Together KLSD is a group of parents, residents and taxpayers who are concerned about the financial future of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District (KLSD)  district – and about what the sobering financial situation could mean to KLSD employees, students and taxpayers in the near future.

As with all school districts in Westchester,  KLSD's expenses are far outpacing revenue due to current contract obligations and the tax levy limit imposed by the NYS tax cap. We know that teachers and administrators in Briarcliff, Brewster and Chappaqua have come together to address these structural deficits -- and we must see the same collaboration in KLSD in order to preserve the quality of our school district.  

Please add your voice to this community movement that calls for COLLABORATION for the sake of our teachers, our students and taxpayers. 
Forward Together KLSD petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/forwardtogetherklsd/

On Thursday, May 9th at Increase Miller Elementary School, we will present the petition to the KLSD Administration and BOE during their public meeting (7:30 start).  Please make every effort to attend this meeting so we can urge KLSD stakeholders (BOE, Administration and labor unions) to COLLABORATE NOW in order to improve the long-term financial outlook of KLSD—which is truly in the best interest of KLSD employees, students and taxpayers.

Like us on FACEBOOK for frequent updates:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Forward-Together-KLSD/445205628882394
Follow us on Twitter:  @TogetherKLSD and on our website.  http://www.forwardtogetherklsd.org/press.html