Welcome to the MyRye.com Q&A series with your Rye City School District board of education candidates.
The upcoming board of education election will be uncontested. Two seats are open on the board, and voters will be also asked to vote on the proposed $117 million dollar budget (a 3.08% increase over last year).
Shaun Kloepfer, who joined the board in 2023, will be running for re-election. Current board member Tom Stein is not running again. Emily Borell is running for the board of education for the first time. Read our interview with Borell.
Today we are pleased to present the MyRye.com Q&A with Shaun Kloepfer. You can also read our 2023 interview with Kloepfer. The board and budget vote is on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 6:00am – 9:00pm in the Rye Middle School gym.
Your Name: Shaun Kloepfer
MyRye.com: Why are you running for re-election for the school board?
Kloepfer: Having found my experience as a Trustee on the Board of Education to be both challenging and rewarding, I am running for a second term. I welcome the opportunity to continue to support and give back to the Rye community while ensuring our students have access to a high-quality education with social and emotional support.
Why are you running for school board re-election now?
Kloepfer: Having served a three-year term on the Board I must say I am thoroughly impressed with the Administration’s commitment to our students and faculty. With a five-year strategic plan now in place, I look forward to the ongoing work that will bring the District and Board of Education goals closer to fruition and continue to provide a challenging, supportive and inclusive learning opportunity for all of our students. While there have been significant improvements over the years, there is always more we can do.
Yes or No: Do you plan to support the upcoming school budget vote on Tuesday, May 19th?
Kloepfer: Yes
What are three or four features of the current budget that make it worthy of voter support?
Kloepfer: About 80% of the budget is comprised of fixed costs such as salaries and benefit costs for our valued faculty and staff. Additionally the District is impacted (as we all are) by the rising costs of insurance, utilities and materials. The 2026-27 proposed budget was comprised in a thoughtful and fiscally responsible manner with consideration given to declining enrollment and a reduction of full-time positions through attrition, while maintaining all current programming and enhancing several academic areas as well.
- The proposed budget is tax-cap compliant.
- This budget provides additional STEM opportunities at the elementary level with the addition of two STEM positions and provides one faculty member per building focused on STEM opportunities for our Kindergarteners through fifth graders. These new positions are budget-neutral due to declining enrollment.
- I am excited about the creation of eight academic teams (formerly clubs) at the secondary level that the District can now support financially with entrance and travel fees. This addition to the proposed budget expands academic opportunities for our students outside of the classroom.
What are the three biggest opportunities / challenges facing the Rye schools over the next 3-5 years?
Kloepfer:
- Continue to enhance current academic program offerings and grow our International Baccalaureate program.
- Continue the work being done by the SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Committee and develop a SEL curriculum for all grades, K-12, ensuring our students feel a sense of belonging in their school community while providing additional mental health support.
- Continue to invest in thoughtful and appropriate professional development as well as facility and technology upgrades.
What are the three biggest areas for cost containment with the Rye schools over the next 3-5 years?
Kloepfer:
- Over the last few years the District has focused on the professional development of our facilities department. This has saved the District considerable funds with in-house capabilities we did not have before. Continuing this training will provide ongoing savings down the road.
- Continuing to monitor the state of our buildings and grounds and performing ongoing maintenance according to the District plan will help avoid infrastructure issues down the road.
- Optimizing staffing to provide flexibility where possible will help the District maintain small class sizes while offering a wide variety of programming to our students as enrollments continue to shift.
What year did you move to Rye?
Kloepfer: My family moved to Rye in August of 2015.
Where do you live in Rye?
Kloepfer: We live on Florence Avenue and both of my daughters attended Osborn School.
Where did you grow up?
Kloepfer: I grew up in Sparta, New Jersey.
Thanks Shaun
Kloepfer’ bio:
Shaun Kloepfer has lived in Rye for eleven years and has one daughter at Rye High School and another who graduated from the district. She has served on the Board of Education for three years. Since moving to Rye, Shaun has been actively involved in the District’s Parent Organizations. She has served 10 annual terms across the Osborn, RMS and RHS Executive Boards as News Editor or Co-President. She is also on the High School’s Challenge Success team.
Shaun has served on several committees for Rye Middle School and the District over the past several years, including the RMS Excellence Committee, the Professional Learning Committee, and multiple interview committees to assist in screening potential administrators and faculty. Shaun has a background in Human Resources, most recently focusing on benefit plan design and strategy for Marsh & McLennan Companies and Avon. Previously she worked at JP Morgan and Hull Trading/Goldman Sachs. She has a BA from Binghamton University.
“I have greatly enjoyed the challenging and rewarding work of serving on Rye’s Board of Education for the past three years. It has been an honor to advocate for families in our community while working to provide equal educational opportunities for all students in our District while ensuring they are fully supported socially and emotionally. My background in Human Resources and prior volunteer service enable me to be an objective, collaborative and dedicated member of the Board of Education. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve on the School Board.”
