Katonah-Lewisboro Super Ready for Challenges

LEWISBORO, N.Y. – New Katonah-Lewisboro School District Superintendent Dr. Paul Kreutzer knows he’ll be facing some tough fiscal challenges in the current economic climate, but he contends that whatever happens, the district and its teachers must remained focused on the students.

“Everything we do has to relate to the students,” he said. “We sometimes forget that that is the key.”

He says that as the district examines its budget and is forced to make some hard choices, he will introduce the concept of the mentality of “OR” versus the power of “AND.”

“I want to enter that concept into the culture and climate while I’m here,” he said. “For example, it’s not a choice of art OR athletics; we can enhance art AND athletics.”

Kreutzer said he used to a climate of austerity from his previous superintendent posts in Wisconsin, a state that had imposed a property tax cap well before New York did.

“It doesn’t have to make us regress,” he said. “It just has to make us do things better and more efficiently.”

Kreutzer said it’s a matter of becoming accountable for the district’s actions and scrutinizing its investments and how it goes about its business.

“If we don’t do it right, our opportunities will regress,” he said.

He cited the Governor’s Award for Energy Efficiency his school district in Wisconsin won while he was superintendent. He said making the district’s buildings greener save money, which could then be applied elsewhere.

“That money could then be used in classrooms, and then you work on health care [benefits],” he said “It’s one small step at a time.”

Kreutzer said the key is keeping the money out of the hands of the “third parties,” such as utility companies and insurance companies.

“When the third parties get the money, is that what is best for the kids?” he asked. “It is going into the wrong hands. I want to see our employees being paid instead.”

Kreutzer said if the school district can do that, it will be successful. However, he notes, success shouldn’t just be based on standardized test scores. He said the school community needs to understand there are different ways to define success. It means different things to different people.

“We really need to analyze how we define success,” he explained. “One definition may be that you get into the college of your choice. Another may be that you are a more rounded student with myriad activities. The third is special needs, which has completely different goals, such as independent living.”

 

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