Back-to-School Update from Dr. Hattar

August 19, 2026

Dear Yorktown School Community,

Welcome to the start of the 2026-27 academic year.  After a wonderful summer of work in preparing our facilities, instructional program, and district for the return of students, the 2026-27 academic year will soon be upon us!  Our entire school community looks forward to welcoming our students in Pre-K through Grade 9 to a new school year on Wednesday, September 2nd.  Students in grades 10-12 begin on Thursday, September 3rd.

As we start this school year, you and your children may be having some bittersweet feelings.  The joy and optimism of a new school year is one of the happiest times of the year.  It is a “new beginning” with each September.  However, I understand the bittersweet feelings of seeing our children grow one year older and one year closer to high school graduation.  For the families who are sending their oldest child to pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, I understand how you are feeling.  The days of preschool are now behind you and your children are entering a new chapter of their schooling.  I very clearly remember that feeling with my own children.  Please take comfort in knowing that your children are in the most capable hands.  We will celebrate their unique abilities, support their academic growth, and foster a climate of kindness and empathy.  

For families who have children entering their senior year of high school, this is the final chapter of your child’s educational journey in our district.  I am hopeful that you will enjoy every moment because in less than one year, the feeling you had when seeing your child off to kindergarten will return.  Please try to enjoy every moment!  

Regardless of the grade level that your child is entering in September, I wish them an excellent school year.  There will likely be ups and downs during the course of the school year.  I encourage you to remain in close communication with your children and their teachers.  We are all working together toward a common goal--the success of your children.  May we always remember this profound shared purpose that unites us.  This school year promises to be an excellent one!  

Communication Protocols

There will no doubt be times when you have a question and/or concern, and would like to reach out to a member of the school or district.  In accordance with our Board Policy 1400, which encourages families to first reach out to staff who are closest to the situation before contacting building or central administration staff, we have developed a document that will assist you in identifying the appropriate point of contact for a specific matter.  In general, families would first contact the teacher, then a building administrator, and finally a central office administration (including the Superintendent).

• Yorktown CSD Communication Chain (this link includes a printable version as well)

Most often, a conversation between the parent and the staff member closest to the situation (teacher, coach, etc.) is very helpful in bringing the matter to an efficient and effective resolution.  If further outreach is necessary after this initial conversation, the communication link above will be helpful in identifying the most appropriate person in the organization with whom to speak next.

To access our full staff directory, you will be prompted to log into our parent portal.  With the rise in spamming and phishing attempts on our district, facilitated by our directories being openly posted on our website, our staff directories now reside within our parent portal.

School Calendars

We have several calendars posted to our website.  Please see the link for each calendar below.

• One-page calendar at a glance

• Daily calendar with specific events listed

• Weekly Athletics calendar

School Lunch Menus

School lunch menus for the upcoming month are generally posted to our website a few days prior to the start of the next month.  You may use this link to access school lunch menus throughout the course of the school year.

School Lunch Information

All students will once again be eligible for one free school lunch each day.  Please note that snack items, a second meal, and any beverage (other than milk) will be charged at their a la carte price.  

Please note that students will not be allowed to carry a negative lunch balance of more than $25.  Students will always be able to receive their free meal each day; however, they will not be able to charge snacks or other a la carte items once their balance reaches this level.  To replenish lunch balances, you may do so using the My School Bucks (MSB) platform/app or you may send a check payable to YCSD to school with your child to be added to their account.  Cash is also accepted, but not preferred.  No fees are charged when sending in a check or cash to school; however, the MSB platform charges a processing fee.   

Bus Stop Information and Change Requests

Bus stop times are posted in the Stopfinder app.  Students should be at their bus stop a few minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the school bus.  Our bus drivers have many stops and service multiple schools; therefore, they are not able to wait at a bus stop for students to arrive.  We have advised our drivers that if students are not at the stop at their scheduled pick-up time, they should move to the next stop to avoid route delays.  

At the start of the school year, we sometimes receive requests for bus stop changes.  Please know that the bus stops for every bus route have been deemed safe for students.  Safely getting your child to and from the bus stop is the responsibility of the parent--please be especially careful during days of inclement weather or early mornings when the sun has not yet risen.

Please note that our buses do not go down dead-end streets, into cul de sacs, or other roads that we deem are not safe for school buses.  Exceptions to this will not be made.    

Additionally, kindly refrain from requesting bus stop changes or modifications through the driver.  Buses are GPS and speed tracked, and the drivers are not able to accommodate requests.  Any transportation request should be made through our transportation office at 914-243-8016.  In accordance with district policy, stop change requests will not be made within the first three weeks of school as our transportation office is evaluating the timing, actual route durations, and many other factors of our bus routes at the start of the school year. 

Finally, the first week of school will inevitably bring delays to afternoon bus arrivals.  Our primary responsibility is to safely transport students and to ensure they arrive at the correct bus stop.  During the first week of classes, students are still learning their afternoon bus stop, and this results in delays.  We ask for your patience as this will naturally resolve itself once students and drivers are more familiar with their bus stop. 

Transportation for After-School Activities

We provide two bus runs at our MS and HS for after school activities.  The schedule and stops are included in this link.

Immunizations

Please know that there are no changes to the vaccination requirements for New York State  schools.  Our district is required to follow NYS law and regulations, and there have been no changes to the school vaccination requirements in NYS.  Schools districts received this letter from the NYS DoH earlier this month.

Construction Update

The additions at Mohansic and Brookside are being finalized.  The additions are absolutely beautiful (and within budget).    

The turf baseball/field hockey field is also being finalized this week.  We are so pleased with the new field (which is also within budget).  Our students will undoubtedly enjoy this facility for years to come.  

We now look forward to the next stage of construction.  The final remaining turf field, concession/bathroom building and site work will be completed late winter (weather permitting).  Construction of the building addition at Crompond will begin later this school year.

Fall Sports

HS fall sports begin Monday, August 24 for all sports other than football (football began on 8/17).  If your child wishes to participate, they must register by the end of this week.  Please refer to the reminder that was sent Monday, August 17 for specific details.  

We Are Hiring!

We have some unfilled job openings in our district.  Please visit our website for a list of employment opportunities or click here.

Internet-Enabled Device Ban

As many families are aware, New York state passed the Distraction-Free Schools Law last school year that essentially requires internet-enabled cell phones and other unauthorized internet-enabled devices be stored out of sight during the entirety of the school day.  The law remains in effect for the 2026-27 school year.

At the Pre-K to Grade 5 level, internet-enabled devices (including smart phones and smart watches) must remain in a child’s cubby (and within their backpack).  

In grades 6-8, internet-enabled devices (including smart phones and smart watches) must remain in a child’s locker (and within their backpack).  

At the high school level, internet-enabled devices (including smart phones and smart watches) must remain out of sight--in the student’s backpack or locker.  

Bus Stop Arm Cameras

Since last school year, we have been using bus stop arm cameras to help enforce the law that requires all vehicles to stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing during the loading and unloading of students.  

The stop arm cameras will once again be used this school year.  The tickets for vehicles passing a stopped school bus (while its flashing lights are activated) are issued by the Westchester County Police Department, and they are the appropriate agency to contact for questions and/or concerns regarding violations/tickets.  The District has no authority over the issuance of tickets nor do we receive any of the ticket revenue.  

Towing of Illegally Parked Vehicles

We have contracted with Don’s Towing of Peekskill to tow vehicles that were illegally parked on our campuses.  Please know that unauthorized vehicles parked on our campuses may be towed.  This includes vehicles:

• parked overnight

• illegally parked in handicapped spaces

• parked in a fire zone

• parked in any 24/7 reserved parking spaces

• parked during a snow event prior to the lots being cleared of snow (Parking may resume once snow has been completely cleared from the parking lots)

• blocking a fire hydrant or driveway  

As always, we appreciate your assistance and cooperation in keeping our school campuses safe.  

Picking-Up Your Child on the MS/HS Campus

The fall will be quite busy on our campuses as we resume school, athletics, and after school activities.  As a reminder, when picking your child up after school hours, please do not double park along the curb.  This creates an unsafe situation by forcing vehicles into an oncoming traffic lane and impeding sight lines.  Rather than double parking along the curb, kindly pull into a parking spot and wait for your child to exit.  Additionally, please do not wait in an accessible parking stall, even if remaining in the vehicle, unless you have an approved parking permit from NYS. 

Parent Portal

Our parent portal is where you will access your child’s schedule as well as report cards and course grade data.  Please ensure that your contact information is accurate.  

Link: https://parentportal-lhric.eschooldata.com//Yorktown

Emergency Drills and Notifications

School districts in NYS are required to conduct various safety drills (fire, evacuation, lockdown) in the fall and spring.  All drills are conducted in an age-appropriate manner, and families will be notified approximately a week in advance of any drill.  

Clarification on U.S. News and World Report Rankings

The 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report rankings were released yesterday, and I thought the change to their ranking calculation warranted clarification, especially in light of our excellent rankings in each of the most recent nine years.  

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) withheld Advanced Placement (AP) score data from U.S. News & World Report due to what I understand are privacy concerns under Ed Law 2-d.  Scores from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program were provided to U.S. News and World Report.  This discrepancy disproportionately affected Yorktown and many other high-achieving districts in NY who participate in the AP program (rather than the IB program).  Although our scores were very impressive in the other categories for which scores were given, because AP performance accounts for upward of 40% of the publication’s college readiness index, the absence of this data substantially skewed their calculations and rankings.  

I understand that NYSED will be issuing a letter to provide additional details on this. 

Nevertheless, Yorktown HS has generally been ranked in the top 2-4% of the country in recent years, and I trust that will be the case if (and when) the U.S. News and World Report and NYSED are once again able to work more closely together on the sharing of AP data.

As always, I thank you for your continued support of our excellent school district.  I wish you and your children the very best this school year!

Respectfully,

Dr. Ron Hattar