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Yorktown board appoints first student ex officio members and honors retiring employees
Summary
Board appoints Hunter Mazatesta as ex officio student member and Luke Evangelista as alternate for 2025–26; the board also recognized dozens of employees for milestone service and retirement, including a 40‑year custodian.
YORKTOWN, N.Y. — The Yorktown Central School District Board of Education on June 16 appointed two high‑school students to serve as ex officio members of the board beginning in the 2025–26 school year and used a portion of its meeting to recognize staff milestone anniversaries and retirees.
Following a superintendent recommendation and a student interview process led by the high school student council, the board resolved to appoint Yorktown High School junior Hunter Mazatesta as an ex officio member for the 2025–26 school year and named Luke Evangelista as the alternate, subject to district policy 2245. The motions were moved and seconded and the board voted to approve the appointments.
“I'm honored to be a part of the school board and to be the student voice for all students across all grade levels in Yorktown School District,” Hunter Mazatesta said after the appointment. Luke Evangelista said he was “excited to be able to learn from the board and Hunter and really develop to hopefully fulfill the role in the future.”
The board also staged an extended recognition for employees marking 20, 25, 30 and 40 years of service and for those retiring. Hundreds of staff, family members and students attended; multiple students and colleagues delivered presentations describing individual retirees’ contributions. Notable recognitions included Edward (Ed) Frederick, who was honored for 40 years of service across Yorktown’s facilities, and Frank Guenti and others who were singled out for long tenures in operations and instruction.
Superintendent Dr. Ron Hatter thanked retirees and anniversary celebrants and highlighted programs the staff helped build; he and PTSA leaders presented tokens of appreciation. The district noted that several retirees planned to return in part‑time or substitute roles, a pattern Dr. Hatter said he has observed in recent years.
The appointments of student ex officio members follow recent state legislation and the district’s policy procedure for student appointees. The board’s resolution names the students and ties their service to district policy 2245, which sets eligibility and obligations for ex officio student members.
The board recessed briefly after the recognition and then continued to public comment and its business agenda.
