IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

I am appealing to the NY Commissioner of Education in regards to the North Salem Central School District (NSCSD) Board of Education (BOE) decision to merge Middle and High School football programs with the Somers Central School District. This decision affects the 2025 season beginning in August. 

The BOE approved this vote during their January 8, 2025 meeting. The community, players, and parents were never given fair notice. The decision was made by Athletic Director Denise Kiernan, without proper consultation with the affected families.

I am urging all football parents in the North Salem and Brewster communities to join this effort by signing and sharing this petition. We must send a clear message to the North Salem AD and Superintendent that parents, students, and the community MUST have a voice in this decision.

Background

For years, North Salem Elementary School (PQ) has been affiliated with the Brewster subsection of the Taconic Youth Football League, with multiple elementary students participating.

At the Middle School and High School levels (Modified, JV, and Varsity), North Salem students have been merged with the John Jay School District in recent years.

As of January 2025, John Jay has dropped North Salem Middle and High School football players. 

In response, both Brewster and Somers submitted proposals for our players to merge with their districts. On January 7, 2025, AD Kiernan signed the Somers proposal without informing affected parents or students of the change.

On the afternoon of January 8, I received a phone call from AD Kiernan, inviting me and a few Brewster football parents from North Salem to a 5:30pm meeting at the district office. Superintendent Adam VanDerStrufy was also in attendance.

We were led to believe this meeting would involve an open discussion of the two proposals. Instead, we were informed that the Somers proposal had already been signed the day prior by AD Kiernan and the superintendent. This decision was scheduled to be finalized at the BOE meeting that evening at 7:30 PM.

Parents were not given adequate time to prepare or present their case at the BOE meeting. Despite this, I and other parents attended and spoke during public comments, highlighting the lack of transparency in this process. I requested the Board to postpone the vote to allow families to share their views at a future meeting, but this request was denied. The vote passed, though not unanimously.

Why Brewster Is the Better Option

1. Brewster Offers Full Competitive Teams:

• Modified (7th & 8th Grade)

• Junior Varsity (9th & 10th Grade)

• Varsity (11th & 12th Grade)

North Salem students would compete as part of Brewster’s school district teams, free of charge for families.

2. Somers Lacks Key Opportunities:

• Somers does not offer a Modified (7th & 8th Grade) or Junior Varsity (9th Grade) team.

• Instead, 7th and 8th graders would be placed in a youth program, requiring families to pay $300 per student

• 9th graders are excluded from JV and placed on a separate freshman team for additional coaching. This means for a total of three years the players are not on a competitively participating team

3. Brewster’s History with North Salem:

• On the youth level (K-6), North Salem players have been part of Brewster’s teams for years. Parents and students have developed a supportive relationship that fosters amazing team spirit and lasting friendships. 

• Somers has historically not accepted players from any other districts, only now offering this option with a $300 fee to the families.

Who Am I?

I am a parent of four students in the North Salem District. Two of my sons will be enrolled in 7th and 8th grade this upcoming 2025 football season, as well as a rising 6th grader going into the Brewster youth program. My two older sons have always played with the Brewster youth league, with my oldest participating since 2019 on the 8U team. Football has been a vital part of their lives, fostering physical and emotional health benefits while building strong bonds with their teammates—a family-like connection that cannot be easily replaced.

As parents, we rely on our school officials to make decisions based on the best option for our  students. We feel that was not done with the decision to sign with Somers. 

I believe this decision will have a significant impact on our families and community.

Please sign our petition and support giving families a voice in this critical decision