[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6577868,"mediaKeyId","3091188-2a9d32bd65f554f5d292d40ffad66663","parentId",3091188,"title","Pelham Board adopts $96 million tentative 2025-26 budget, adds clerical post for digital registration","audioSeconds",2131,"startMs",5150000,"endMs",7281000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091188-2a9d32bd65f554f5d292d40ffad66663&start=5150&end=7281","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091188-2a9d32bd65f554f5d292d40ffad66663/thumbnail_5150000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577868/New-York/Pelham-Board-adopts-96-million-tentative-2025-26-budget-adds-clerical-post-for-digital-registration","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577868-c752a2de5ad12b79f50ee7328ce32f11/orig.mp4?Expires=1776067082&Signature=ladSP82m0HpAN1GBzaclGkq6KPHPrz-SAR6wlknoHGn-39BAOSjpxwykLprTvFenXSAEEW79YVB~DYY0hww-r1eM4AMirYHoxaFoW-lwd-gPO7TfGN763H-qUjKGwrEIsVhvXaokApnhw4P8i~XrvPn6I1crRaBCFpGlc6PXYyFD5vLs0UdcuM9JZ2m6Gs-OX~4RD4gmAfQuRmq9~rr9vJIM1kq8UdbggGmdqoO44tQRVZuDjChYsgRV485025Hp8axv6oGOmhhGL-Ik3y0~PPkN3G3BUxZKEAtq9iiYfO5Gi7wF8tIqGI6xGsCF083Ybx~cjYC0c15au5zIBeigYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT","date","2025-04-23T01:44:15.583Z","article","The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on April 22 voted to adopt the district's proposed 2025-26 budget and to file the required property tax report card with the New York State Education Department.

The superintendent said, \"If approved, this becomes the Board of Education's official budget to present to voters on May 20.\" The board then moved and adopted the budget in a roll-call procedure; when asked, the board chair called the motion passed.

Why it matters: The budget funds the district's operations, staff and programs for the coming school year and will appear on the May 20 ballot for voter approval. Administrators described the spending plan as focused on maintaining program quality while managing long-term sustainability amid rising costs.

Key numbers and structure: District staff presented the budget as a roughly $96,000,000 plan (presented as the total budget figure in the budget overview). Instruction and employee benefits together account for the largest share of expenditures. Administrators said state aid represents just over 14% of projected revenues, with roughly 77% coming from local property taxes; officials also identified modest use of appropriated fund balance and miscellaneous receipts. The administration described expected budget drivers as contractual salary and benefit increases, higher health insurance and liability costs, and rising transportation and BOCES-related expenses.

Tax levy and cap: Administrators said the presented documents show an \"adjusted tax cap\" and discussed a 3.48% figure for the allowable tax-cap calculation. At one point in the discussion staff described a proposed tax increase figure as 2.48% and later noted both allowable and proposed figures of 3.48% in related slides. The board did not alter the budget document on that point during the meeting; the board adopted the budget as presented. The property tax report card accompanying the budget must be submitted to the New York State Education Department within 24 hours, the business office advised.

Program and staffing changes: The administration told the board it expects a net reduction of about 4.61 full-time equivalent positions budget to budget, largely achieved through retirements (13 teacher retirements plus one teaching assistant) and scheduling or program adjustments. The budget provides for expansion in some areas: adding an AP Seminar course, expanding full-time special-education staffing at the secondary level, maintaining ICT at Hutchinson, and creating a new kindergarten special-education class. The administration said it plans to preserve class-size guidelines and use attrition and scheduling efficiencies to limit layoffs.

Digital registration and the new clerical position: Administrators proposed adding a part-time clerical position (about a 15-hour workweek) to accelerate conversion to electronic student registration. Juliana DePaolo, the school's registrar, tracked time spent on transfers and kindergarten registrations this year and presented that digitizing certain transfer workflows can be time-consuming and variable by family responsiveness. District staff recommended the part-time role as a measured investment to re-register two grade levels in the first year and expand thereafter.

Facilities and near-term projects: Facilities staff reported installation of window air-conditioning units on upper floors of several elementary schools (Siwanoy, Colonial and Prospect Hill) and planned high-school work to be completed by September. Administrators said there are no large-scale capital projects scheduled this summer, though HVAC work is anticipated at the middle school in August. The board noted a scheduled drop-off in state building aid related to prior capital projects.

Board discussion and disposition: Several trustees expressed support for the budget and praised the administration for restraint and creativity in preserving programming while addressing rising costs. A trustee read a letter from Trustee Natalie (absent), who wrote she supported the budget as lean but sufficient to maintain programming. The board voted to adopt the budget and approved the property tax report card and a consent agenda of routine items, with a few personnel tuition-reimbursement items tabled for follow-up.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to approve 2025-26 Property Tax Report Card: motion moved and seconded; chair indicated approval and recorded \"Aye\" with no opposing votes announced (motion declared carried).
- Motion to adopt the 2025-26 budget for presentation to voters on May 20: motion moved and seconded; chair indicated approval and recorded \"Aye\" with no opposing votes announced (motion declared carried).
- Consent agenda (items 5.3'5.12) adopted with amendment and with items 5.6'5.8 tabled for follow-up; motion moved and seconded and carried.
- Motion to take 6.1, 6.2 and 7.1 as consent agenda items: motion moved and seconded and carried.

What the board did not decide: The board did not change the budget after presentation; staff warned that final state aid could shift pending a state budget settlement and that any changes would be addressed later if necessary. Administrators also cautioned that some line-item balances (for reserves and tax certiorari) are estimates until year-end close.

Looking ahead: With the board's adoption, the proposed budget will appear on the May 20 ballot for voter approval. Administrators said they will continue monitoring state aid, final reserve balances and other revenue items and will report back to the board as needed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Events from the Pelham Public Schools -","oneSentenceSummary","The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on April 22 voted to adopt the district's proposed 2025-26 budget and to file the required property tax report card with the New York State Education Department.","taxTitle","PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",48009,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6577855,"Board to await governor's cell-phone law before finalizing school policy; administrators to operationalize recommendations",228,5864000,6092000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091188-2a9d32bd65f554f5d292d40ffad66663&start=5864&end=6092","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091188-2a9d32bd65f554f5d292d40ffad66663/thumbnail_5864000.jpg","/articles/6577855/New-York/Board-to-await-governors-cell-phone-law-before-finalizing-school-policy-administrators-to-operationalize-recommendations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577855-42d8d24753e6bba254937daeefba612c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776067082&Signature=PKQ~UqM0kzv8FO2QgndHporCqEO27UOvGSdaAuB8SBavjw0Mn1cy9dWFNGL7~qcA1XO1JhO5NmAoq4zQU~Fr2-fiX3kIQNIa-gwELE~wvvOJ8Bv8ZwefLTxIolhamXs7XJOAssUupnd51al7C8VdzOEIgKEQ9xARjZ8jTkeu0XuelrswqW7LBYPx-QnznBuhyytvfieebgRDjzOpdUmmtRJOl8zuxWcXwv9Dp9V5tV7SXnXFWTaE304SrheRmW0Fx71y-AjDAYjJEoHTTLS7h6y4Pfqk9HfeaZnAuQ9PedNBfMAegFB-gjwFpLhU6ZdsWbt3c16~NJYimeChkp88Lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District administrators told the Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on April 22 that a high-school committee has been studying cell-phone use and potential restrictions throughout the academic year and will return recommendations for operationalizing a phone policy.

Administrators said the committee has reviewed research (including The Anxious Generation), surveyed students and staff, monitored effects of interim changes this year, and explored options ranging from limited rules to \"bell-to-bell\" restrictions (interpreted variously as per-class period or whole school-day restrictions). The superintendent said the board's goal was moving \"towards as much of a phone free environment as possible.\" The committee will provide recommendations on how to operationalize the approach; the board expects to revisit policy after the governor's final bill or law is issued since state law would supersede local board policy.

What the board can expect next: Staff said administrators will operationalize committee recommendations, bring them to the policy committee for revision of existing policy, and then present the revised policy to the full board for a vote. Trustees asked for clarity on whether the committee's work would result in policy or operational guidance; staff said the current plan is for the committee to outline operational steps and then have policy committee memorialize any required policy changes. The timing depends on the final state law, which administrators said remained outstanding and was one item holding up the state budget at the time of the meeting.

Quotations and context: The superintendent said the district is \"waiting to see what the governor's bill finally looks like,\" and noted that the board's policy will be updated to reflect any statutory changes. The board discussed that if the state law is very restrictive (\"bell to bell\"), local discretion may be limited; if it is more permissive, the district could adopt a stricter local approach and then vote to codify it.

Outcome: No formal vote on policy was taken; the board instructed staff to proceed with the committee's operational recommendations and to return to policy committee and the full board once the state's guidance is finalized.","Pelham administrators described ongoing high-school study of cell-phone use and said the board will formalize any changes in policy after the governor's final law is issued. The district's committee has reviewed surveys, literature and interim measures and will bring operational recommendations to policy committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6577862,"Pelham officials outline process after investigating 20 families for student residency; 10 nonresident determinations reported",844,6262000,7106000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3091188-2a9d32bd65f554f5d292d40ffad66663&start=6262&end=7106","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3091188-2a9d32bd65f554f5d292d40ffad66663/thumbnail_6262000.jpg","/articles/6577862/New-York/Pelham-officials-outline-process-after-investigating-20-families-for-student-residency-10-nonresident-determinations-reported","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577862-dde44846b37f2fa18bb1e6731dc27f78/orig.mp4?Expires=1776067082&Signature=S8HTDetIMwCjhIpJB4hZREZB4s44yNnHKqsO80Ix0awQVyIQWbdldN6d0k94WFYXTXkvxyv7yZAqL8LFxDIO8WKqwTQAftaM4hktV10hkH5lzNgPTMDQC5u1wwnHLNorc3FCscUqt73TgOqWwV1SKLiZtMeN584pGfREL~W5dBgFhwhPtkVuUjfpGKZhXRvo5cNAD~UYJrXKjewQnYl6CUEJzUtpwzGm-2lCxgFZo29XpQ4X~2rYh~G~d848bY~Q4L0NfepoDWkWgARH7u9hBO-~Y4l67p0joLqIwDUkYMmNCaQnbKRNrkCq38LR9xdtwBYnZfAFuBVh47-e0v1YPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District administrators reported to the Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education on April 22 that, through the first three quarters of the school year, the district investigated 20 separate families representing 32 students for residency compliance.

The district's staff described the investigations as following counsel-recommended procedures: evidence gathering (including surveillance and home visits), an initial determination letter to the family, an opportunity for the family to respond, and then a final determination letter if no adequate response is provided. The superintendent said the final-determination letter includes instructions on how to appeal to the State Education Department and that families have 30 days to file an appeal.

Results reported: Administrators said the 20 investigations have yielded 10 confirmed nonresident determinations, one case that was determined to be homeless, and three cases still in process. Staff said some families subsequently moved into district or otherwise changed circumstances, which resolved certain cases without further action. The district also reported that a number of investigations stemmed from returned mail, plate checks or educator notices, and that response times from families vary and affect investigation length.

Process details and timelines: The district indicated it typically seeks multiple surveillance visits as part of an investigation and provides families an opportunity to respond before issuing a final determination. If a family appeals to the state, administrators said the state often rules quickly on requests for immediate relief and that, at school-year end, the state commonly allows students to remain through completion of the school year while the longer appeal proceeds. The district said extended appeals to the state can take many months to reach a final ruling.

Enforcement and discretion: Administrators emphasized privacy and the need to follow counsel's recommendations; they said they do not automatically open full investigations on every item of returned mail but may start with a letter requesting information. The district said it uses a dedicated investigator (with access to a second person) and the district's attorney evaluates evidence to support removal proceedings when necessary. Staff also noted legitimate situations that can complicate determinations, including split-parent households, temporary out-of-district overnight stays for childcare or work schedules, and situations where a family is listed on a lease but does not physically reside at the address.

What the board asked and directed: Board members asked staff to confirm publicly that allegations are investigated; administrators reiterated that they follow a defined process and work with counsel. Trustees asked for continued transparency about procedures (while respecting family privacy) and requested follow-up details on the cases tabled or in process.

Clarifying numbers and next steps: District staff said the auditor/investigator workload varies and that investigations can restart if a family's circumstances change. The district will continue investigations and follow state appeal outcomes; in cases where families move into district before an appeal concludes, the district said that halts removal proceedings because the student becomes a resident.","District officials described investigations into student residency that, through the first three quarters of the year, involved 20 families (32 students); administrators said 10 determinations of nonresidency were made, one case was classified as homeless and three remain in process.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Pelham Board adopts $96 million tentative 2025-26 budget, adds clerical post for digital registration

Board to await governor's cell-phone law before finalizing school policy; administrators to operationalize recommendations

Pelham officials outline process after investigating 20 families for student residency; 10 nonresident determinations reported