Pelham public commenters press board to include ADA fixes in Siwonoy plan and question geothermal, environmental review

Residents at the Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education meeting on March 26 pressed the board to include full Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades and classroom expansions at Siwonoy School in upcoming bond propositions, and several speakers raised questions about the district’s geothermal proposal and the environmental review.

Many parents and PTA members said Siwonoy lacks instructional space and basic accessibility. Erin DeSimone, a Siwonoy parent, said she supported the district’s Proposition 1 work but urged the board “to reconsider the decision to separate Siwonoy’s ADA from Proposition 1,” adding, “Ensuring accessibility for all of our residents regardless of ability must remain the District’s top priority.” Madeline Mercer, speaking as a PTA member, told the board her group had high turnout and growing support for the expansion, saying community sentiment “is perhaps not as mixed as the original public comment led you all to believe.” Diana Milano, a kindergarten parent at Siwonoy,…