Pleasantville BOE March 3 Meeting Recap
March 10, 2025
Dear Pleasantville Families,
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the March 3 Board of Education meeting, whether in person or virtually. The Board continues to focus on maintaining transparency, celebrating student achievement, and engaging the community in meaningful discussions about district priorities.
If you were unable to attend, a full recording of the meeting is available on the district’s YouTube channel, and the meeting agenda can be found here.
Below is a brief summary of key items from the meeting:
SPECIAL REPORT: Superintendent's Proposed 2026-27 Budget Presentation (Click for Presentation)
Dr. Eric Lutinski and Assistant Superintendent for Business John Chow presented the proposed 2026–27 school budget.
The proposed budget totals $65,114,168, representing a 3.39% increase over the current year. The proposed tax levy increase is 2.96%, which remains below the District’s allowable tax cap of 2.98%.
The District remains in negotiations with one bargaining unit.
The proposal also includes one new position: a 1.0 FTE ENL teacher to support student needs.
Additional budget presentations will continue over the coming weeks according to the following schedule:
March 17: High School, Middle School, and Bedford Road School budgets; Instructional areas including Curriculum, Special Education, and Technology
April 7: Instructional – Athletics; Non-Instructional – Operations & Maintenance, Revenue, Tax Cap, and Contingency Budget
April 21: Budget Adoption
May 5: Budget Public Hearing
May 19: Annual Budget Vote & School Board Election
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Following last week’s blizzard, the District has now exhausted its two designated snow/emergency days. To maintain the State-required 180 instructional days, any future weather closures will be implemented as remote learning days.
We are looking forward to several upcoming student performances across the District this spring:
Pleasantville High School Musical
Guys & Dolls
March 13 & 14
Tickets: https://phsfopa.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200516319
Bedford Road School Drama Club
Matilda Jr.
March 11, 12, 14 & 15
Tickets: https://cur8.com/40381/project/137326
Pleasantville Middle School Musical
Legally Blonde Jr.
March 20 & 21
Tickets: https://cur8.com/40069/project/137821
In Our Schools
At Bedford Road School, students are in the second week of their Read-a-Thon and have already logged more than 150,000 minutes of reading. The event will culminate this Friday with the annual Book Character Parade.
At Pleasantville Middle School, eighth graders are preparing for the annual writing contest under the advisement of local author Joe Wallace. Students recently took part in a creative activity in which they assumed the personas of historical figures from the 1920s.
We also wish the Middle School Science Olympiad team the best of luck as they compete at the Regional competition this weekend. The High School Science Olympiad team has already qualified for the New York State competition.
Finally, congratulations to our winter athletic teams on a strong season. As winter sports conclude, we look forward to the start of the spring sports season in the coming weeks.
SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATE ON THE CAPITAL PROJECT
At the Mach 17 Board of Education meeting, the board is expected to take action on the following items related to the Capital Project:
- Type II SEQRA Review for potential environmental impact
- Final propositions for the ballot in May (see Superintendent’s recommendation below)
Upcoming Project-Specific Community Forums
This spring, the District will host project-specific community forums. These sessions will include walking tours so families can see proposed spaces firsthand and better understand the impact of the work being discussed.
- STEAM: Monday, March 16 at 7 PM, Pleasantville Middle School Cafeteria
- BRS Outdoor Space: Tuesday, April 14 at 6 PM, Bedford Road School
- Fields & Lights: Monday, April 27 at 7 PM, Pleasantville High School
A separate trip to view fields with lights at neighboring districts is also being planned for this Spring.
Dr. Lutinski reiterated that full project details, FAQs, financial information, and timelines are available at pleasantvilleschools.org/capitalproject, including two (2) new assets:
As a reminder, the proposed capital project includes a maximum estimated cost of approximately $17.5 million, with $4 million available in reserves and savings and $13.5 million in borrowing. The project is designed to be tax-levy neutral and is separate from the annual operating budget, with approximately 53 cents of every borrowed dollar reimbursed through state aid.
The Superintendent recommended bundling the project into two propositions:
Proposition I
- Expedited infrastructure and securityitems(BRS HVAC,CHHS Hot Water Pumps, CHHS Auditorium Lighting, and Districtwide Public Adress System & Security Upgrades)
- Track and main turf replacement (end-of-life repairs)
- BRS external security upgrades, including a new entrance gate,perimeter fencing, and ADA accessible liftforschool-day security whilemaintainingafter-hours community use
- Main FieldSafetyFencingtoprotect the field and track from improper use (bikes, e-bikes, scooters, etc.); “S” gate will still allow community access
Proposition II
- BRS outdoor space reconfiguration forincreasedcapacity,accessibility,and flexible studentuse; replace turf with natural grass
- Districtwideinteractive classroom displays,upgrades in science, arts, and multi-use spacestofacilitateSTEAM instruction
- Athletic facility improvements,including restrooms,upper field turf, and lights with mitigation measures
DISTRICT CLERKS REPORT: May 19 - Annual Budget Vote & BOE Election
The Pleasantville UFSD Annual Budget Vote and Board of Education Election will be held on May 19, 2026. Residents will vote on the proposed 2026–27 school budget, capital project items, and two Board of Education seats.
To vote, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen
- At least 18 years old by May 19, 2026
- A Pleasantville UFSD resident for at least30 daysprior to the vote
- Registered with the Westchester County Board of Elections or with theDistrict
The last day to register with the District is May 14, 2026.
Board candidate petitions are due by 5 p.m. on April 20, 2026. Absentee and early mail ballot applications are available beginning April 20.
Please visit our website for voter information and Board candidate materials. Questions should be sent to the District Clerk: VitucciD@pleasantvilleschools.org
BOARD POLICIES: SECOND READING
Policy #1510 - Regular Board Meetings and Rules: The Board approved the second reading of revisions to Policy #1510 (5–0).
RECOGNITION OF THE AUDIENCE/PUBLIC COMMENT: One (1) member of the public addressed the board.
CONSENT AGENDA: Approved (5–0)
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 7:30 PM in the PHS library. The agenda will be posted to BoardDocs when available.
Warm regards,
The Pleasantville Schools Board of Education
Michael Busch, Erin Ballard, Lucas Cascardo, Loredana Coughlan, and John Vamossy