The Greenburgh Central School District (GC) has 21,609 residents, which is 24% of the Town of Greenburgh's population and just under half of Unincorporated Greenburgh. GC's resident are old. How old? According to 2018 census estimates, the median age of GC residents is 46.7. For context, the entire town of Greenburgh has a median age of 43.8, and Westchester County is 40.9. The same census data tells us that GC's under 18-year-old population is 16%. This is a remarkably low percentage of children for a suburb and is the lowest among Westchester County's 40 public school districts. In contrast, the Town of Greenburgh's population consists of 20% children, and for Westchester County it is 22%. If one believes that the lifeblood and vitality of a suburb depend on its ability to attract young families to purchase homes and enroll their children in the school district, then GC's aging population and dearth of children are concerning. https://censusreporter.org
GC's registered voters are, on median, 54 years old, but, as we know actual voters tend to skew older. In the vote to consider a bond issuance for GC in March 2019, the median voter was 60 years old. Not surprisingly, these voters turned down the school bond in overwhelming numbers. When so few voters are directly tied to the school district through children who are currently enrolled, or have recently attended, it can be expected that voter approval for tax increases that may arise from school budgets or bonds will not be easily won.
Now, GC is about to become rapidly even older. The Town of Greenburgh has already approved an assisted living facility for the Franks Nursery property, and is now set to approve the construction of two additional assisted living facilities in GC, one on a parcel of land at the Metropolis County Club, and another transforming of site of the recently closed Maplewood Swim and Tennis Club. A major "active adult" (age 55+) community (about 175 townhouses) is planned for the former Elmwood Country Club, largely also within GC. These four projects would potentially add more than 700 new seniors to the district who will have few, if any, ties to, or interest in, the school district.
To complicate and add urgency to these issues further, GC is struggling to maintain enrollment. According to numbers released by the New York State Department of Education, GC's current school year (2019-2020) enrollment for K-12 is 1583. This number is the lowest enrollment since the current boundaries of GC (formerly Greenburgh Central #7) were formed after the G7 (Hartsdale) and G8 (Greenburgh/Faiview) merger in 1968. http://www.nysed.gov// The school district is taking positive steps to try to attract more young families. One such step was the introduction of full day pre-k for all eligible 4-year-olds whereas previously full day pre-k was by lottery.
It is incumbent on the Town of Greenburgh to look beyond technical questions of zoning to examine the long-term impact on GC from the approval of new residential developments that will exclude children. What will be the consequences for the school district and home-owners that will arise from a rapid increase of 15% in a segment of the population that is unlikely to engage with and invest in the school district? How will perceptions about GC neighborhoods change? The Town Board should immediately begin a series of public forums with GC stakeholders, including residents and school officials, to discuss the role the town is playing in shaping the district's future.
