We are pleased to announce Kim Manikas as our new Director of Pupil Personnel Services, pending Board of Education approval at their October 5 meeting.

Following a rigorous selection process involving an exceptionally talented and deep candidate pool, Ms. Manikas’ outstanding expertise, visionary leadership, and dedication to student support ultimately distinguished her as the ideal fit for this role.

Ms. Manikas joined our district in August 2024 as Supervisor of Special Education for the secondary levels. A native of the Albany area, Ms. Manikas spent seven years as a school psychologist in upstate New York and Westchester before coming to Yorktown. She holds a bachelor's degree from Roger Williams University and completed her graduate studies at the College of Saint Rose.

“I’m very excited to begin this new chapter as Director of Pupil Personnel Services and look forward to collaborating with our students, families, and staff to maintain and create meaningful supports and opportunities for every student to succeed,” said Ms. Manikas. “I’m honored to be part of a team that is so committed to putting students at the center of what we do.”

In her current role, Ms. Manikas works closely with our current Director of PPS, Ms. Caroline Almeida, who is retiring on September 30 after years of distinguished service and commitment to our district. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Almeida for her invaluable contributions, and we warmly welcome Ms. Manikas into this leadership position.

We are thrilled to formally introduce Crompond Principal Scott Saperstein to the Yorktown School Community!

Principal Saperstein began his new role on July 1, coming to Yorktown with nearly two decades of administrative experience. A Sullivan County native, he spent the summer months introducing himself to families, meeting with staff, and learning all about what makes his new district special. Three weeks into the 2026-27 school year, Principal Saperstein is happy to confirm that “the rumors are true” when it comes to Crompond’s community-focused reputation.

“From everything I have learned about Crompond, it is clear that this is a very special place — a school with a proud tradition of excellence, a strong sense of community, and an unwavering commitment to helping every child succeed,” Principal Saperstein said.

Referring to his leadership role as a “Supporter in Chief,” Principal Saperstein praised the collaborative spirit at Crompond and noted his excitement to work alongside a “fantastic” PTA and a “dynamic” staff in supporting our 4th and 5th graders.

Principal Saperstein began his educational career as a middle school teacher in Los Angeles before spending the last two decades in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, most of which were spent serving as an elementary and K-8 principal. He shared that he is happy to be back home in New York, where he can enjoy the changing seasons and root for his favorite sports teams, the Yankees and Knicks.

“As I begin this new journey, I look forward to listening, learning, and building strong relationships with our students, families, staff, and community members,” Principal Saperstein said. “Together, we will continue to celebrate Crompond's many successes while creating new opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.”

The Yorktown Central School District is proud to announce that five Yorktown High School seniors — Charlie Zhong, Benjamin Smith, Ryan Zheng, Zoe Yau, and Saarth Desai — have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

This honor places them among the top 1% of U.S. high school seniors, based on their scores on the 2025 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Of the more than 1.2 million juniors who took the exam, only about 16,000 earned this distinction.

These five students now advance in the competition for nearly $24 million in scholarships to be awarded next spring. About 95% of semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, with roughly half earning the title of National Merit Scholar.

Congratulations to Charlie, Benjamin, Ryan, Zoe, and Saarth on this incredible accomplishment.

Please see the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's press release for more information.

Congratulations to our All-State musicians!

Danielle Fruchtman was selected as Soprano 2 in the All-State Mixed Chorus, and Zachary Sunaz was selected as an Alternate for Tenor 1 in the Mixed Chorus. The Yorktown High School juniors earned their spots through standout auditions at the NYSSMA All-State evaluations this past spring.

The 2026 NYSSMA Winter Conference/All-State Festival takes place Dec. 3-6, 2026, in Rochester. Congratulations to Choral Director Ms. Stock and the entire Music Department on another incredible accomplishment.

The Yorktown High School Science Research Department has concluded a banner year, with students earning top honors at regional, state, national, and international competitions.

From the Regeneron Science Talent Search to the International Science and Engineering Fair to the Genius Olympiad, YHS students represented Yorktown among some of the top young scientists, engineers, and researchers in the country and world.

Among the year’s highlights, senior Jashvi Desai was named a Top 40 finalist in the nationwide Regeneron Science Talent Search after first being selected as a Top 300 Scholar alongside classmates Willa Olson and Siddharth Nair. Sophomore Sophie Zhong and junior Saarth Desai both placed fourth in their respective categories at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona, where senior Aryan Shenoy also competed as a finalist.

YHS students continued their success into June. At the Genius Olympiad International Competition in Rochester, Dhayashree Ravi earned a silver medal in science, while Alex Altamuro and Saarth Desai earned bronze medals. Sophie Zhong and Abhi Ravindranath received honorable mention recognition. Dhayashree and Alex were also named finalists at the New York State Science Congress in Syracuse.

The accomplishments were part of a strong year across the entire Science Research Program, with students earning first-, second-, and third-place category awards, special research honors, finalist distinctions, and international recognition.

A full list of this year’s Science Research honors is included here.