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I hope this letter finds you well. Below please find a brief recap of the presentation and announcements from the Board of Education Meeting that took place on March 4, 2025. You can watch the meeting video here.
2025-2026 Superintendent’s Proposed Budget Presentation
John Chow, Assistant Superintendent for Business, and I presented the proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year, which you can review here, along with additional budget information. As we approach the annual school budget vote on May 20, please see the important dates below.
3/18/25: Budget Presentations: HS, MS, BRS, Special Education & Technology
4/1/25: Budget Presentations: Athletics, Operations & Maintenance, Revenues, Tax Cap & Contingency Budget
4/22/25: Adoption of Budget
5/6/25: Public Budget Hearing
5/20/25: Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election
Pleasantville Pride
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Middle School Science Olympiad – Congratulations to our Middle School Science Olympiad team for earning first place at the Lower Hudson Regional competition this past weekend. Their hard work and dedication have paid off, and we are excited to see them compete at the state level in April. We are so proud of these talented young scientists!
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Katonah Museum Young Artist Exhibition – We are delighted that ten of our High School art students have their work featured at the Katonah Museum of Art Young Artist Exhibition. These students were honored at a special reception over the weekend, where their creativity, passion, and artistic ability were celebrated.
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Athletics – Last weekend, Ciaran Egan represented Pleasantville at the NYS Wrestling Championships, and this coming weekend, Zachary Arnold will compete at the NYS Swim Championships as part of the merged boys’ swim team. Great job Ciaran and good luck Zachary!
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High School Musical– The Music Man – The High School musical opens this Friday night! Our students have been working incredibly hard, and we appreciate all the support from staff and families in preparing them for this exciting production. Audiences are in for a real treat! Click here to grab tickets.
Portable Lights for Spring Athletics
The spring athletics season begins on March 17 for JV and varsity teams and on March 31 for modified teams. The District has explored portable lighting options to accommodate adjusted start times and scheduling needs. During the meeting, the Board reviewed and approved a contract for six LED portable 30-foot retractable lights for the main field. The lights will be used as needed between March 24 and May 26, exclusively for District purposes. This topic was discussed at the first Community Facilities Committee meeting, with the Lights Usage Committee, and with neighbors on Ashland and Romer. The decision to use these specific portable lights is for the spring of 2025 only. This is an opportunity for us to assess their effectiveness and inform future decisions.
Community Facilities Committee
The first meeting of the Community Facilities Committee took place last week. The committee reviewed ongoing and planned facilities improvements, including the portable lights. A follow-up meeting will be scheduled so the committee can discuss the potential of meeting district needs with a May 2025 capital project vote. This advisory committee will make a recommendation to me.
The trustees and administration will discuss the potential for a May 2025 capital project at the March 18 board meeting. A formal proposition would need to be considered at the April 1 Board meeting. We are committed to ensuring proper communication and community engagement throughout this process.
Community Survey Results: The results of our recent survey will be shared at the next Board meeting on March 18.
Planning for the 2025-26 School Year
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ELA Resources at BRS – BRS staff are exploring new ELA resources for the upcoming school year. They have selected programs to pilot, with materials and training arriving this month. The goal is to make a final purchase recommendation by year-end for implementation in 2025-26.
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Middle School Technology Shift – The Middle School will transition to Apple devices in 2025-26. Purchases and professional learning for staff are planned this year to prepare for students using Apple devices in September.
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ParentSquare Implementation – Starting in the 2025-26 school year, we will implement ParentSquare, a unified communications platform for emergency notifications and parent-teacher communications.
More details on these initiatives will be shared in upcoming budget meetings.
Parent and Community Engagement
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Extended School Year (ESY) Program Adjustments – Parents and staff expressed concerns about the ESY start dates. ESY will begin on July 7 and run for six consecutive five-day weeks. This schedule ensures consistency and a more effective program for students and allows teachers access to professional learning taking place June 30 to July 3.
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BRS Internet Access and Digital Safety – Following concerns raised by BRS parents regarding internet access and filtering, we have implemented a short-term adjustment. We are collaborating with faculty to explore long-term solutions to enhance digital safety. This was discussed at last week’s BRS PTA meeting.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement in our schools. We appreciate the dedication of our students, staff, and families in making Pleasantville a wonderful community for learning and growth.
For the youth,
Dr. DeSa
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