The 2026-27 Rye City Schools budget vote and board of education trustee election is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, in the Rye Middle School gym.
The proposed budget supports an anticipated enrollment of 2,805 students, with a 3.08% budget-to-budget increase and a 2.96% tax levy increase over last year.
The board of education election will be uncontested. Two seats are open, with new candidate Emily Borell and current board member Shaun Kloepfer running. Kloepfer and Tom Stein were both elected to the board in 2023, and Stein has chosen not to run for another three-year term.
Meet the Candidates:
Emily Borell has lived in Rye for 10 years and has two children currently attending Rye City schools.
Since moving to Rye, Borell has been an active member of the community. She has served as president on the Early Childhood Center PTO, was a board member of 5 Steps to Five, and has been a member of the Osborn Elementary School PTO executive board for the past five years.
“I believe deeply in the power of public education and the importance of strong community involvement,” Borell said. “My background in education, along with my professional experience and continued engagement in our schools, has given me a well-rounded perspective that I believe is an asset to the board of education.”
Borell was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. She earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Florida State University and began her career as a third-grade teacher. She later pursued a master’s degree in reading from Florida Atlantic University, after which she worked as a professor in the teaching and learning department.
In 2011, Borell moved to New York City, where she served as a reading specialist at a multi-year early childhood development program. In 2016, she and her husband, Jon, relocated to Rye with their daughter.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve at a higher level and remain committed to strengthening educational opportunities for all students while ensuring they are supported both academically and socially,” she said.
Shaun Kloepfer has lived in Rye for 11 years and has a child 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, Kloepfer 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.
Kloepfer 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.
“I have greatly enjoyed the challenging and rewarding work of serving on Rye’s board of education for the past three years,” Kloepfer said. “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.
Kloepfer has career experience 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.
“My background in human resources and prior volunteer service enables me to be an objective, collaborative and dedicated member of the board of education,” she said. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve on the school board.”
