Update from Dr. Hattar

April 7, 2026

Sheridan Gorman Memorial Girls Lacrosse Game

Please consider attending the Sheridan Gorman Memorial Girls Lacrosse Game on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 to honor beloved YHS graduate, Sheridan Gorman.  The JV game begins at 4:30pm and the Varsity game begins at 6pm.  Please click here for more information.  I hope to see you there.   

Yorktown Police Department vs. Yorktown CSD Faculty and Staff Basketball Game

Please join us for a wonderful night of community and partnership as the Yorktown CSD Faculty/Staff play the Yorktown Police Department in a community basketball game on April 10th.  Please see the flyer for more information.

Concerning Off-Campus Conduct

A concerning social media trend involving students filming themselves entering, and at times vandalizing, vacant buildings has come to my attention.  Yesterday, I had separate conversations with Chief Noble of the Yorktown Police Department and Major Daniel Smith of the NYS Police Department regarding this concerning behavior, specifically with regard to individuals illegally entering buildings on the shuttered IBM campus in Somers, NY.  The NYS Police Department is taking the matter on the IBM campus very seriously, and will assuredly arrest individuals who trespass on private property.  The same is true for the Yorktown Police Department should any of these crimes be committed in town.  

Please note that our Code of Conduct could also apply when students violate laws off of school grounds.  

I am hopeful that you will discuss the potential legal and safety implications with your children, especially middle and high school aged children.  

After-School Care Program for 2026-27

As a reminder, the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester will be administering an after school care program in each of our elementary schools for the 2026-27 school year.  Information regarding program times and pricing may be found here.  Please note that students may only attend the after-school program housed at the school that they attend.  

Any inquiries should be made directly to the YMCA as this is not a district program.

2026-27 School Budget Update

At the April 13 Board of Education meeting, the Board will be reviewing my final budget proposal prior to the scheduled budget adoption on April 20th.  If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, I encourage you to view the presentation on our YouTube channel or website the following day.  All budget information is available on our website. 

As a reminder, the budget vote and trustee election will be held on Tuesday, May 19, from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. in the French Hill School. 

Public Hearing on Proposed Tax Exemption for Volunteer Firefighters and Ambulance Workers (2027–28 School Year)

Also at the April 13th Board of Education meeting, the board will hold a public hearing to discuss and consider whether to authorize a partial real property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers in accordance with Section 466-a of the Real Property Tax Law. This exemption would be effective beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.

The meeting will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Mildred E. Strang Middle School cafeteria for anyone wishing to attend.

Internet Safety Presentation

PNW BOCES is sponsoring a presentation on internet safety that will be delivered by Thomas Roidl at 7:00 p.m. on April 7 (this evening).  Although this virtual presentation is not sponsored by the District, members of the Yorktown community are invited to participate at no cost.  Pre-registration is required.  Additional information can be found here.

Student Illnesses and Absences

We are seeing an uptick in respiratory illnesses.  Should your child have a fever, please be sure they remain home for at least 24 hours after being fever-free without the use of fever reducing medications.  Please visit our school nurses’ webpage for additional health office guidelines. 

Pre-K, Kindergarten, and New Student Registration

If you have recently moved to our district and/or are intending to register your child to attend school in the Yorktown CSD for September, including pre-k, please begin the process immediately.  We still have limited space available in our pre-k program.  Kindly visit our registration page to begin the registration process.  

You may contact Patty Sauber (psauber@yorktown.org) or Val Biberaj (vbiberaj@yorktown.org) for additional information.

Campus Safety

As the weather improves and more vehicles come onto our campuses, I ask that you be mindful of the various traffic safety expectations. 

• Please travel no more than 15 mph on our campuses.

• Only park in designated parking spaces; vehicles parked illegally or in 24/7 reserved parking spots will be towed.

• Do not idle vehicles for more than three minutes (in accordance with Westchester County law).

• Please adhere to the no parking/standing signs on Broad Street and any other street locations that restrict parking.

• Do not pass a school bus with its red lights flashing as this will likely result in a ticket by mail from the Westchester County Police Department. 

Hiring Updates in the Yorktown Central School District

We continue to update our website with various job opportunities--both instructional and non-instructional opportunities.  If interested, please visit our website for a list of vacancies or you may click here. 

As always, thank you for your continued support of our excellent school district.  I wish you a terrific remainder of the week.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ron Hattar