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Pleasantville district finalizes start date, student meals, buses and Chromebook rollout ahead of Sept. 4 opening
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Martinez told the Board of Education Aug. 26 that students will begin classes Sept. 4; the district will provide free breakfast and lunch through the federal Community Eligibility Provision, add five buses and distribute Chromebooks and IDs before term start.
Dr. Martinez, superintendent of the Pleasantville Public School District, told the board during its Aug. 26 regular meeting that students will begin the 2025–26 school year on Thursday, Sept. 4. "All students will have free breakfast and lunch," she said, noting the district’s participation in the federal Community Eligibility Provision but adding that parents must still submit the application "as a matter of compliance."
The announcement came as the district outlined operational details intended to reduce morning congestion and support an on-time opening. Proposed student start times included an elementary start at 8:55 a.m. and dismissal at 3:14 p.m., and a middle school start at 8:30 a.m. and dismissal at 3:20 p.m.; Dr. Martinez said staff start and dismissal times would be finalized and shared with staff following board approval. She also said the district purchased five new buses and hired three new bus drivers to operate a three-tier transportation system intended to reduce campus congestion.
The superintendent said high school staff schedules went live Aug. 14 and that the district plans to distribute Chromebooks and student ID cards to middle- and high-school students ahead of the opening. "We want to start teaching and learning on day 1," Dr. Martinez said, describing Chromebook and ID distribution as part of that preparation.
The district also reviewed summer-program results. Dr. Martinez reported that 400 students participated in a July summer program that provided daily breakfast and lunch and focused on English language arts, mathematics and STEM. She presented pre- and post-assessment gains the administration attributed to the program, including a reported 16% ELA increase for grade 1, roughly 19%–24.5% gains in grades 2–6 (district-provided figures varied by grade), and math growth ranging from about 7% in grade 1 to averages near 20% in upper elementary and middle grades. The superintendent said STEM was provided through the district's PCS Adventure STEM program.
The board heard a report on the district’s aquatics and athletics work. Dr. Martinez credited Dr. McCann and aquatics staff for running a swim instruction program in the district’s six-lane, 25-meter indoor heated pool; she said roughly 50 campers a day participated over four weeks and that five high-school students earned lifeguard certification in July. "Our goal wasn't just to teach swimming, it was to build survival skills," the superintendent said. She thanked the board for funding the pool and related resources.
Captain Maldonado of the Pleasantville Police Department’s Community Engagement Accountability Division told the board the department will provide a school resource officer for the year and introduced Officer Barris as the assigned SRO. "We are committed to working hand in hand with the district," Captain Maldonado said.
The superintendent closed by listing outreach and orientation dates: a pre-K orientation on Sept. 3 from 1–3 p.m., back-to-school nights on several dates in mid-September and three parent community strategic-planning meetings scheduled for Sept. 23, Oct. 16 and Nov. 20. Dr. Martinez said staff would receive final schedules and related details the day after the meeting upon board approval.
Quotations in this article are taken directly from the Aug. 26 meeting transcript and attributed to speakers included in the official meeting record.
