A Message from the Board of Education | | |
Dear Members of the Eastchester Community,
On behalf of the Board of Education, we want to sincerely thank every district parent and community member who took part in the recent school budget vote.
While the proposed budget was not approved, we value your participation and respect the outcome. Your voice is an important part of this process. We’ve heard your feedback and the thoughts you’ve shared throughout this process and we remain committed to working together as we consider the path ahead for our district.
The Board of Education and district administration are carefully reviewing the results, analyzing the data and considering the options available as we prepare a revised budget for another community vote on Tuesday, June 16th. Please mark your calendar. In the days ahead, we will carefully consider the concerns, questions, and input raised by residents as we evaluate next steps. We will continue listening, reflecting, and working thoughtfully to balance the needs of our students with the priorities shared by our residents.
Our shared goal remains the same: to provide students with a strong educational experience while being mindful of the financial concerns expressed by the community. We are committed to moving forward with transparency, care, and collaboration, and we will continue to keep our parents and residents informed as decisions are made.
We also encourage anyone seeking additional information, clarification, or facts regarding the budget and district finances to please reach out. Open communication and community engagement are important as we move forward together. We continue to remain committed to providing transparency throughout this process. All information about timelines and public meetings will be shared through district communications and on the district website (insert website) so that our community can stay informed and involved throughout this process.
The Board will continue these discussions at the specially-scheduled Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 26th.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for the care you show our students, staff, and schools. We are grateful for the shared commitment that helps strengthen our district and community.
Sincerely,
The EUFSD Board of Trustees
| | May 19 School Budget Vote & Trustee Election Results | | |
On May 19, the Eastchester community turned out to vote on the 2026-2027 School Budget and elect three Board of Education Trustees.
With 2581 ballots cast—which represents a sizable increase from the 974 cast last year—voters declined to pass the proposed budget by a vote of 1385 (NO) to 1196 (YES).
Robert Krukowski (1223 votes), Sean Fellin (1198), and Jill Cosentino (1444) were all elected to second terms on the Board of Trustees, edging Reid Kornman (1059) and Brenna Gethers (1116).
The district will now propose a revised budget to the community. This second proposed budget will be voted upon on Tuesday, June 16. Prior to the vote, the Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, May 26 at 7 PM, a public budget hearing on Tuesday, June 9 at 6 PM, and a regularly scheduled Board meeting at 7:30 PM on the day of the vote.
Please stay tuned for more information regarding next steps.
| | Eastchester Celebrates Veterans, 250 Years of Independence | |
On Memorial Day, the country will honor the sacrifices of the servicemen and women who lost their lives defending our nation.
Last Thursday, Eastchester and Tuckahoe veterans held their own celebration—with a little help from local high school students—in the EHS Auditorium, commemorating those who gave their lives to shape this country and remembering the courage of those who helped our nation gain its independence 250 years ago.
The annual Eastchester Veterans Ceremony, held on May 14, featured a number of local veterans speaking to the immense debt we owe to those who fought in the Revolutionary War. But the event also featured the voices of several Eastchester and Tuckahoe students—along with a performance by the EHS band—bringing generations together to acknowledge the heroism of those who built our nation.
Three EHS students—Elias Alexander, Miranda Correa, and Daniel Bellach—took the stage on Thursday night, with Alexander speaking about the 1777 Battle of Saratoga and Correa and Bellach exploring the lives of Sybil Ludington and Joseph Plumb Martin—two notable Revolutionary War figures—respectively.
The Battle of Saratoga saw American forces earn a decisive victory over the British, prompting France to form a military alliance with the revolutionaries which helped turn the tide of the war. The stories of Ludington—often called the “female Paul Revere” for her efforts in rallying American forces prior to the Battle of Ridgefield—and Plumb Martin, a teenaged combatant who served in the Connecticut militia as well as the Continental Army, continue to serve as great examples of the American spirit.
“I didn’t have much of an idea about Sybil Ludington before researching her,” said Correa. “But it was so interesting to learn how she was 16 or 17 and still making a contribution to the American Revolution.”
Bellach said the trio was approached by EHS Principal Chris Welsh about participating in the Veterans Celebration, and they jumped at the chance to get involved.
“He asked us if we had interest in it, and we said ‘of course,’” he said. “And I’m really happy that I did.”
Alexander said that being a part of this celebration helped to open his eyes to the acts of bravery that helped our country gain its independence and also served as a way to reaffirm our common bonds as citizens in the present day.
“It was a great honor to be here with all of our veterans before Memorial Day Weekend,” said the junior. “It’s a super-positive event and something that really brings the community together.”
| | Eastchester Trio Takes Third at National History Bowl | | |
A trio of Eastchester students demonstrated the breadth and depth of their knowledge last month, when Maximillian Lin, and siblings Erika and Kenji Lunenfeld shined at the National History Bowl in Arlington, VA.
The group placed third in the Standard-Small School Division, finishing 21st over all, which served as a fitting sendoff to EHS seniors Erika and Maximillian, as well as an auspicious introduction to varsity competition for Erika’s brother Kenji, who is currently in the eighth grade.
The National History Bowl is a buzzer-based history quiz competition for teams. Teams compete against other teams in a series of rounds where they attempt to be the first to ring in and answer paragraph-length questions about various topics in history. Last year, the two seniors competed as a duo, bringing home the school’s first-ever National History Bowl title.
Kenji—who has previously competed at the regional, national and international level as a solo competitor in other academic challenges—noted that it was an honor to team up with his sister and Maximillian for this event.
”This was my first time competing at a group above my age group, and on the same team as Erika,” said Kenji. “It has been a very valuable learning experience for me, being able to compete alongside two amazing competitors and surrounding myself with like-minded students.”
Erika said that she hopes her brother will end up getting as much out of academic challenge events as she has, adding that even though her time as an EHS competitor may be coming to an end, she hopes to continue her relationship with International Academic Competitions—the organization that runs events like the National History Bowl—in the future.
“I think I'll continue to seek out opportunities to compete in academic competitions in college, but I'm not sure if I'll participate in the same forms of quizbowl,” she said. “I'm thinking of volunteering at IAC's International History Olympiad as staff for next year's competition in Berlin, though, because I've always been fascinated by Berlin's music history and its intertwinement with its political past.
“Over the past five or six years of doing this, I've been very privileged to be surrounded by other passionate people. I think it was great for my development to not feel isolated in my passions,” she added, noting that younger students who may be thinking about participating in academic challenge competitions should remember that learning should be fun. “I would tell students to keep learning about what they enjoy. It's very easy to achieve depth in areas that you're already passionate about, and learning more intricacies about that area can lead to new passions. Always prioritize joy in learning.”
| | EHS Athletes Commit to College Programs | | |
This week, Eastchester celebrated a group of distinguished student-athletes who plan to continue their sports journeys in college, as nine “Next Level Eagles” were honored at a signing ceremony held in the EHS Main Gymnasium.
Surrounded by family members, friends, teammates and coaches, the student-athletes put pen to paper, all clad in the garb of their respective college, giving the community a chance to recognize their accomplishments on the fields, pools and mats of Eastchester and wish them the best of success as they prepare to tackle their next challenges.
From baseball to cheer, and lacrosse to swimming, Thursday’s celebration shined a light on the many different fields in which our student-athletes excel. Please join us in congratulating the following students and wishing them the best in their future endeavors!
-
Quinlan Hood – Golf, Alvernia University
-
Eva Muzichenko – Cross Country & Track, Amherst College
-
Tabi Taras – Acrobatics & Tumbling, Iona University
-
Blake Gessa – Baseball, McDaniel College
-
Amelia Fix – Lacrosse, Emmanuel College
-
Dylan Burbridge – Football, Springfield College
-
Claudia Rapisarda – Swimming, Ramapo College
-
Yianni Mamais – Hockey, Stevenson University
-
Isabella Caserta - Cheer, Iona University
| | EHS Players Club Earns Metros Nominations | |
On Monday night, Eastchester’s stars of the stage were recognized for their work on Groundhog Day: The Musical, as the EHS Players Club’s Spring Musical garnered five Metro Award Nominations across both performance and technical categories.
The Metropolitan High School Theatre Awards—or “Metros”—are an annual regional competition that recognizes excellence in student-lead high school musical productions across Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Bergen counties in the New York/New Jersey area. The awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 15 at 7:30 PM at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center in Purchase, NY.
Below is a list of Eastchester’s nominees:
“Outstanding Comedic Performance by a Male-Identified Performer”: Luke Ambrogio as Phil Connors
“Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble Group”: Samuel Frederick and Matthew Gutierrez as Gus and Ralph
“Outstanding Performance by a Student Critic”: Lyla Harrison-duBoulay
“Outstanding Student Technical Achievement”: Bailey Shaw
“Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design”: Bao Nghiem
Let’s hear it for the performing artists and crew members who made this spring’s production a success!
| | Click on video above to watch the trailer for the 23rd Annual Film Festival. | | Student Films Honored at 23rd Annual Film Festival | | |
On Friday, May 22, Eastchester will hold its 23rd annual Film Festival, putting the spotlight firmly on the district's student-filmmakers.
Come out to show your support as our talented student bring their visions to life on the big screen. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. so be sure to get there early to grab a seat!
23rd Annual Eastchester Film Festival Award Nominations
Best Film
Alone, Directed by Abby Seminara
Briefcase Dilemma, Directed by Julian Storch
Credentials, Directed by Stella Bowman
Monster Hunters, Directed by Tyler Luisi
Best Story
Breakin Jaws, Directed by Bodhi Lasalle
Briefcase Dilemma, Directed by Julian Storch
Credentials, Directed by Stella Bowman
Monster Hunters, Directed by Tyler Luisi
Best Cinematography
Body Bag, Directed by Jake Olivier & Tyler Luisi
Briefcase Dilemma, Directed by Julian Storch
Case 53, Directed by Jaxon Keiler
Grim Crow, Directed by Joshua Power
Monster Hunters, Directed by Tyler Luisi
Best Editing
Alone, Directed by Abby Seminara
The Legend of MIchael, Directed by Connor Swick
& Louis Navarro
Trapped, Directed by Isabella Russo
Grim Crow, Directed by Joshua Power
Best Performance
Jake Olivier, Monster Hunters
Matt Gutierrez, Briefcase Dilemma
Mara Collins, Alone
Tyler Luisi, Monster Hunters
| | Eastchester UFSD | 580 White Plains Road, Eastchester, NY 10709 | 914.793.6130 | | | | |
