The Rye City School District Board of Education election race, along with the vote on the $110 million school budget, will be next Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Voting will take place in the Rye Middle School gymnasium between 6:00am – 9:00pm.
The three candidates will be Callie Erickson (incumbent, has served two terms), Valerie Lapham (new), and Matthew Schibanoff (new). Chris Repetto (served 4 terms) is not standing for re-election and Kelsey Johnson is not standing for reelection (served 1 term).
MyRye.com will be running question and answer interviews with each of the three candidates. Although the race in uncontested, we wanted to give our readers an opportunity to hear from each candidate as they will represent three of the elected seven-person Board of Education.
Today we introduce you to Callie Erickson.
Your name: Callie Erickson
MyRye.com: Why are you running for reelection for the school board?
Erickson: I am running for reelection and to serve a third term because I have found my experience as a Trustee on the Board of Education to be rewarding, challenging and fulfilling. My three children have all had wonderful experiences at Osborn, Rye Middle and now Rye High School. The schools are run by such an amazing and caring group of administrators, teachers and staff; I feel like my Board service is a way of giving back to them and supporting them the best I can.
Why are you running for reelection now?
Erickson: I am running for reelection now because, over the past six years, while I have served on the Board, I have seen the enormous amount of progress the district has made to provide a supportive, inclusive, and challenging learning experience for all our students. Even though we have made great strides and significant improvements, I believe there is always more you can do.
Yes or No: Do you plan to support the upcoming school budget vote on Tuesday, May 21st?
Erickson: Yes
What are three or four features of the current budget that make it worthy of voter support?
Erickson:
- It maintains all current programs and updates/enhances curriculum to ensure that students are receiving rigorous instruction and being held to high standards
- It includes expanded class offerings in areas such as engineering, art, technology and world language
- It addresses safety and security features with a centralized lockdown system at all schools
- It supports long-overdue and much-needed renovations at the high school’s main gymnasium, wrestling room, and girls’ softball field
Beyond its budget, the Rye City School District sees financial support from the parent organizations (POs) from each of the five schools, as well as the Rye Fund for Education (RFE). Financially, what role do and should each of these entities play in the life of the school district?
Erickson: We as a district are extremely fortunate to have the generous volunteer and financial support from the 5 parent organizations POs and the Rye Fund of Education RFE. As we have stated to the community, over 77% of the annual budget goes to fixed costs such as salaries and benefits, which leaves a small percentage of discretionary revenue. The district is immensely thankful to work in partnership with the POs and RFE to help supplement and fund certain initiatives that would not be possible without their financial support. Some recent projects include the new Osborn playground that was donated entirely by funds raised by the Osborn PO, and also several technology initiatives generously funded by the RFE, including an animation studio, large-scale printer, and STEM and engineering elementary workshops.
What are the three biggest opportunities/challenges facing the Rye schools over the next 3-5 years?
Erickson:
- Continue to provide and enhance our current program offerings in a rising cost and inflationary environment
- Ensure the capital bond project is carried out to completion in a timely and fiscally-responsible manner
- Continue our investment in thoughtful and well-planned out professional development and continue our focus on critical thinking initiatives
What are the three biggest areas for cost containment with the Rye schools over the next 3-5 years?
Erickson:
- Continue to actively monitor the annual budget and look for operating efficiencies where possible
- Complete Phase 3 and 3A of the capital bond project in a financially responsible way, which has been challenging in a post-COVID and inflationary environment
- Continue our investments in areas such as the Heggerty Phonics assessment, ICT classes, and special services, so that we can keep students in-district. This is optimal not only for the students as they receive better and more consistent services in their neighborhood school, but also saves money for the District, as we do not have to pay to outsource these services
What is your favorite book?
Erickson: I just finished reading Range by David Epstein, which was a book recommendation by Dr. Byrne. I really enjoyed understanding the author’s perspective of the numerous long-term benefits of being a generalist in a specialized world.
What are you watching these days?
Erickson: N/A
How many years have you lived in Rye?
Erickson: We have lived in Rye for over 13 years.
Where do you live in Rye?
Erickson: We live on Locust Avenue.
Where did you grow up?
Erickson: Dallas, Texas
When you were a kid, what was your favorite thing to do on a snow day?
Erickson: Unfortunately, we did not have snow days!
Thanks Callie!
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LinkedIn: n/a
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Bio & Quote as provided to the school district:
Callie Erickson has lived in Rye for over 13 years with her husband and three children who attend Rye Middle School and Rye High School. Callie has been a Trustee on the Board of Education for six years and is running for a third term. Currently, she serves as the Facilities Committee Chairperson and is a member of the Policy Committee and the Curriculum Council. Prior to joining the Board, she volunteered at several community organizations and served as the Secretary of the City of Rye Finance Advisory Committee, Treasurer of the Osborn Executive Board, Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Rye Presbyterian Nursery School, and Treasurer of the Rye Free Reading Room’s Auxiliary Board. Callie previously worked in Business Development and M&A at JPMorgan, Chancellor/AMFM, and IDT Entertainment. She has a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
“I have greatly enjoyed the challenging and rewarding work of serving on the Board of Education for the past six years. During my tenure, I have served as Chair of both the Audit and Facilities Committees and utilized my finance background to help ensure the District operates as efficiently as possible and remains fiscally responsible, while still continuing to provide rigorous academic opportunities for all students. I look forward to the chance to continue my service to the school district and the community.”
