Inside Yorktown CSD

We are heartbroken by the tragic and senseless loss of Sheridan Gorman, a beloved Yorktown graduate. Our hearts are with Sheridan’s family, friends, and loved ones. Sheridan was loved by all who knew her, and her impact on students and staff was profound. She was a shining light for so many people.

If you wish to honor Sheridan’s life and legacy, there are several ways our community is coming together in her memory. A community vigil will be held at Jack DeVito Veterans Memorial Field on Saturday, March 28, at 6:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, April 8, the girls lacrosse program will host the Sheridan Gorman Memorial Games at Charlie Murphy Field. The JV game begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 6:00 p.m. T-shirts can be purchased here by March 30, with all proceeds donated to the GoFundMe in Sheridan’s honor.

Additionally, many community members have chosen to change their porch lights to green in remembrance of Sheridan.

• March 30-April 3 – Spring Recess (Schools Closed)
• April 6 – YCSD K-12 Art Show Opening Reception, 6:00 p.m., Jefferson Valley Mall
• The show will exhibit all month (April 1-30) at the mall.
• April 10 – YPD vs. YCSD Basketball Game, 6:00 p.m. YHS Gymnasium
• April 13 – YCSD Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m., MESMS Cafeteria
• April 17 – MESMS Musical Performance (Finding Nemo Jr.), 7:00 p.m., YHS Auditorium
• April 18 – MESMS Musical Performance (Finding Nemo Jr.), 7:00 p.m., YHS Auditorium

• April 20 – YCSD Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 p.m., MESMS Cafeteria
• April 22 – Mohansic Kindergarten Concert, 9:30 a.m.
• April 22 – Brookside Family Book Fair & Literacy Night, 5:00 p.m.
• April 24 – Dr. Hattar's Senior Citizen Breakfast, 9:00 a.m. (If interested in attending, please call the Superintendent's Office at 914-243-8001)
• April 24 – MESMS Grade 6 Night Out, 6:30 p.m., MESMS Gymnasium

Visit the District website for more calendar information and a detailed Athletics schedule.

Following a series of presentations, Dr. Hattar has submitted the proposed 2026-27 budget for the Board of Education’s consideration. Overall, the budget proposes a 2.38% tax levy increase, which is within the allowable tax levy cap. This results in the following:

• 2.11% anticipated tax rate increase in Yorktown
• 6.90% anticipated tax rate decrease in New Castle
• 9.98% anticipated tax rate decrease in Cortlandt

The Board will continue its review at the April 13 meeting and is scheduled to adopt the budget on April 20.

For ongoing updates throughout the budget development process — including key dates, presentations, and voter information — please visit the District’s 2026–27 Budget website.

Below are links to the presentation materials shared to date:

• February 9 – Budget Overview & Tax Cap, State Aid, Debt Service & Reserves

• February 9 – General Support, Employee Benefits, Facilities, and Transportation

• March 2 – Athletics, Co-Curricular, and Technology

• March 16 – Instruction, General Education, and Pupil Personnel Services

• March 23 – Superintendent’s Budget Presentation

Upcoming dates:

• April 20 – Budget Adoption

• May 11 – Budget Hearing

• May 19 – Budget Vote (7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. at French Hill School)

We are pleased to announce that an after-school child-care program within each of our elementary schools will be implemented for the 2026-27 school year. After a comprehensive request for proposal (RFP) process, the YMCA will be administering the program. Our experience with the YMCA from our UPK program has been excellent in every regard, and we are confident they will be able to deliver an excellent after-school program as well. Please note that students may only attend the after-school program housed at the school that they attend.

Any inquiries should be made directly to the YMCA as this is not a district program. Information regarding registration, program times, and pricing can be found at: https://ymca-cnw.org/yorktown

As you may be aware, New York State is requiring school districts to fully transition their bus fleets to electric by 2035. Beginning in 2027, districts may only purchase electric buses, and by 2035, all fleets must be fully electrified.

As part of our due diligence, we commissioned a fleet electrification feasibility study, which is available here for your review. In sum, the transition to electric buses would cost the District at least $42 million (including incentives), with an estimated annual operating cost of approximately $600,000 in electricity. This represents roughly 30% of next year’s maximum allowable tax levy. By comparison, our current annual gasoline costs total approximately $120,000. Additionally, based on current battery limitations, at least three additional school buses would be required to maintain our existing routes.

This mandate is of great concern to our district as the financial implications are beyond what the District can sustain.

This study has also been shared with our state representatives. We are sharing this information with our community to provide context on the scope and impact of this forthcoming mandate, as well as the financial impacts and operational considerations. The District does intend to seek a waiver from this mandate while continuing to monitor any potential policy changes at the state level.

If you have recently moved to the District or plan to enroll your child in Yorktown CSD for September, please begin the registration process as soon as possible. Early registration is especially important, as it helps the District accurately plan for kindergarten enrollment and staffing, particularly with new residential developments in the community. Please visit our registration page to get started. For additional information, contact Patty Sauber (psauber@yorktown.org) or Val Biberaj (vbiberaj@yorktown.org).

Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES is hosting a virtual “Internet Safety for Parents” presentation at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. The presentation is free but registration is required. The Zoom link will be sent to the email provided during registration. The event's keynote speaker will be Thomas Roidl, a retired state police investigator. Please see the flyer for more information.

The YCSD Board of Education will hold its next meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 13. Video replays of all meetings are available on the District's YouTube channel.

Unless noted otherwise, all Board of Education meetings will be held in the middle school cafeteria. You can find agendas and upcoming meeting dates by visiting the following link: BOE Agendas.

On March 25 and 26, our orchestra and band musicians shined at the District-wide String Fest and Bandapalooza concerts! Crompond, MESMS, and YHS students came together for two great nights of music, showcasing their dedication, talent, and growth. More than 800 students performed in total. Bravo to all!

• String Fest Photos
• Bandapalooza Photos

Yorktown High School is proud to announce that five seniors have been named 2026 National Merit Scholarship Finalists: Connor Ropke, Akhil Bollimpalli, Jashvi Desai, Siddharth Nair, and Jack Falk.

The National Merit Scholarship Program begins with about 1.3 million students nationwide taking the PSAT/NMSQT as juniors. Roughly 16,000 are named Semifinalists, and about 15,000 advance to Finalist standing after meeting additional academic requirements. National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group later this spring.

Congratulations to these outstanding students on this remarkable achievement!

Yorktown High School transported audiences to Oz earlier this month with its production of The Wizard of Oz, featuring dazzling sets, colorful characters, and unforgettable music.

The three performances drew strong crowds, including a Saturday matinee that was followed by the Emerald City Lounge and Café, where attendees enjoyed autographs, photos, treats, and live performances by the YHS Legends.

Great job to the cast, crew, and everyone who helped bring this classic story to the stage.

More Wizard of Oz Photos

International Night returned to MESMS on March 13. Students and families came together to share delicious dishes, lively performances, and meaningful customs — celebrating the many cultures within the Yorktown community.

More International Night Photos

What a great turnout at Mohansic Elementary School’s Spring Family Book Fair & Literacy Fair on March 11. Families explored interactive literacy stations in the gymnasium and shopped the book fair in the cafeteria during a fun evening celebrating reading.

More Mohansic Literacy Fair Photos

Crompond Elementary School welcomed families for its ESTEAM Family Night earlier this month, centered around the theme “Famous Americans in STEM.”

Students and their families rotated through hands-on ESTEAM stations. Each activity highlighted not only scientific thinking and creativity, but also the role of empathy in innovation — a key component of the District's ESTEAM approach.

More Crompond Family ESTEAM Night Photos

Two students from Yorktown High School are heading to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)!

Congratulations to senior Aryan Shenoy and sophomore Sophie Zhong, who placed among the top 20 research projects out of 850 at last week’s Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF). That finish earned them a spot at ISEF, taking place May 9-15 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Our incredible YHS Science Research Program also has six students who qualified for the New York State Science and Engineering Fair (NYSEF) on Monday, March 30. Additional students may advance to ISEF based on their performance at NYSEF.

In total, the YHS Science Research Program had 17 WESEF award winners! The full list is below:

• Aryan Shenoy: ISEF Finalist

• Sophie Zhong: ISEF Finalist

• Alexander Altamuro: 1st Place in Category

• Aryan Shenoy: 1st Place in Category

• Sophie Zhong: 1st Place in Category

• Siddharth Nair: 2nd Place in Category

• Jashvi Desai: 2nd Place in Category

• Saarth Desai: 2nd Place in Category

• Akhil Bollimpalli: 3rd Place in Category

• Selma Lyons: 3rd Place in Category

• Willa Olson: 3rd Place in Category

• Luke Evangelista: Scientific Inquiry and Research Initiative Award

• Susie Sciuto: Scientific Inquiry and Research Initiative Award

• Dhayashree Ravi: Innovations in Biological Science Research Award

• Vaishnavi Ravindranath: Excellence in Medical Research Award

• Shane Goff: Excellence in Medical Research Award

• Mary Cabral: Ingenuity in Research Award

• Meera Karintholil: Teatown Young Environmentalist Award

• Alexander Altamuro: Rising Scholar Award

• Natalia Lyon: Science Research Academy Award for Excellence in Remote Research

• Saarth Desai: The Holmes Family Engineering Innovation Award - 1st Place

Recorders, kazoos, and even a little jazz improvisation — Mohansic’s third graders put on a fantastic concert on March 5 that showed just how much they’ve grown during their time at Mohansic. A link to more photos is below and a video replay is available on our YouTube channel.

More Mohansic Grade 3 Concert Photos

Brookside’s first graders did an amazing job on March 18 with their “Move to the Music” concert! More photos can be found through the links below, along with concert replays on our YouTube channel.

Photo Galleries:

• 9:30 Brookside Grade 1 Concert Photos

• 10:30 Brookside Grade 1 Concert Photos

Innovation was on full display at Crompond's recent ESTEAM Showcase hosted by Ms. Williams’ fifth-grade class. Students researched notable figures and worked with technology specialist Ms. Burns to design interactive presentations using Canva, Tynker, and Makey Makey. The projects demonstrated not only what students learned, but how technology and creativity can bring ideas to life. Amazing job!

More Crompond ESTEAM Photos

A dragon that sneezes marshmallows? It was the perfect mystery for Mohansic’s readers to solve!

Students gathered earlier this month for a One School One Book kickoff assembly, launching the schoolwide read of “Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows” by Asia Citro.

During the assembly, students watched a skit introducing the mystery: why Sassafras the dragon kept sneezing marshmallows. Along the way, they learned the same problem-solving approach Zoey uses in the book — Observe, Ask Questions, Test Ideas, and Help Others.

In the days that followed, the entire school read the book together as students followed Zoey’s investigation and worked to solve the mystery alongside her.

More Mohansic OSOB Kickoff Photos

Brookside kicked off this year’s One School One Book with fun-filled assemblies earlier this month, launching the schoolwide read of “Fort Builders Inc.: The Birthday Castle” by Dee Romito.

Throughout the following week, Brookside K-3 students followed along with the Fort Builders as they planned, designed, and worked together to create the ultimate birthday castle. Families were able to follow along each night using the school’s reading calendar and listen to guest reader recordings.

The celebration continued with OSOB Spirit Days, including Royal Day, PJ Day, STEAM Superhero Day, and more.

More Brookside OSOB Kickoff Photos

Brookside wrapped up its One School One Book celebration of “Fort Builders Inc.: The Birthday Castle” by assembling about 100 birthday boxes filled with cake mix, frosting, candles, cards, and other items so local children in need can celebrate their special day.

The birthday boxes will be donated to several local food pantries: First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown Food Pantry, The Community Pantry of Mount Kisco, Ossining Children’s Center, and the Fran Boylan–Holy Spirit Food Pantry in Cortlandt.

Great job, Brookside!

More Brookside OSOB Donation Photos

You can visit the District's Communications website to keep up with the latest news and to read archived stories. All Capital Bond Project Updates will be published here.

Below are highlights from across our schools shared on social media in March.

• “Three Top 10 medals [at the NYS Science Olympiad]! Congrats to our Science Olympians and entire YHS program. Thank you seniors, Mr. Downing, & Mr. Agosta.” -@YHSDeGennaro

• "Congrats to the MESMS Science Olympiad team. They placed 7th overall out of 29 schools." -@MESMSHorowitz

• “Our Pioneer League had a great game with peers from Lakeland and Peekskill last Wednesday at Yorktown High School.” -@YorktownPPS

• “Busy day at Mohansic. Dress like your favorite book character for OSOB (One School One Book) and Rockin’ our Socks for World Down Syndrome Day.” -@MohansicElem

• “It’s a busy time at Brookside! We are celebrating the 100th day of school, starting the March Madness reading tournament in third grade, looking forward to our one school one book kick off this week and celebrating our school social worker and music teacher!!!!” -@Brookside_YCSD

• “Great pics of our YHS students that attended today’s Human Rights Institute of High School Leaders at Iona University. Thank you Ms. Criscione & Ms. Fink for organizing this trip.” -@YHSDeGennaro

• “Congrats to YHS Wrestling Coach Kaishian on being named the Section 1 Coach of the Year. Tremendous honor for him, his staff, athletes and the program. 2x Team Section Champs and this year winning the 1st Section Championship in program history.” -@YCSD_Athletics

• “Juniors and parents attended our College Admissions Panel event featuring Andrea Nadler (Hofstra), Joe Tiesi (Binghamton), Haley Carr (Delaware), Margaret Morrell (Fairfield U), Amina Alam (WCC), and Joe Giacalone, (Marist). Coordinator Erin Fink served as the moderator.” -@YHSNYGuidance

• “Congratulations to MESMS student, Jason Swift for placing #2 in the USA for Snowboarding in the 13 to 14 year category!” -@MESMSHorowitz

• “We had such a great turnout for Bring a Friend to Choir Day yesterday! Hope to see many of these faces in class with us next school year!” -@MsStockChoir

• “Another great event yesterday sponsored by our YHS Math Honor Society. Thank you students, Ms. Deyorio & Ms. Tibbetts for organizing. A big thank you to our teacher/admin teams for participating. And a special shoutout to this year’s champions Mr. Altman & Mr. Kennedy.” -@YHSDeGennaro

• “Congratulations again to Jashvi! As an STS finalist, she joins the ranks of distinguished alumni, including 13 Nobel Laureates, 23 MacArthur Fellows, and 14 winners of the National Medal of Science. We look forward to all she will accomplish!” -@YHSSciResearch

• “Great pic of our YHS students at yesterday’s Regional History Day Competition. Thank you for representing us! Special thanks to SS teachers/advisors Mr. Howard & Mr. Egan for leading our team.” -@YHSDeGennaro

• “Wizard of Oz at YHS is a MUST SEE! Possibly the best HS performance I have ever seen! Bravo!“ -@RonHattar

• “Thank you to our PTA for a great kickoff event. Students got to build cat and dragon buddies.” -@MohansicElem

• “Incredible assembly yesterday for our 10th & 11th grade students. Our YHS United Against Hate Club sponsored guest speaker Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan. Special thanks to student leader Talia Pierson & teacher/advisor Ms. Knopp.” -@YHSDeGennaro

We continue to update our website with various job opportunities for both instructional and non-instructional roles. If interested, please visit our website for a list of vacancies or you may click here.

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Board of Education meetings, concerts, and other programming are available on our cable channel (Optimum 18, Verizon 27).

Website: www.yorktown.org
Location: 2725 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
Phone: 914-243-8000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YorktownCSD/
Twitter: @YorktownCSD