Pleasantville Superintendent of Schools Makes Case for District’s Bond Vote
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Dr. Tina DeSa
Dear Pleasantville Community Members,
As a reminder, on Dec. 17, from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the middle school multipurpose room, the polls will be open for you to vote on the Pleasantville Forward Capital Project.
We are committed to getting you the facts. Up-to-date factual information about the project is readily available at www.PleasantvilleSchools.org or the district’s social media handles (@pleasantvillenyschools on Facebook and Instagram). Please use the facts provided by the district to inform your decision.
We are committed to responsible fiscal and facilities planning. Proposing a capital project bond reflects strong fiscal and facilities planning and responsibly allows the district to allocate general funds to prioritized areas like academics and the arts, which do not qualify for New York State Building Aid.
Our $15 million capital project remains on the lower end of what we’ve seen in our neighboring districts. For context, Yorktown residents voted to approve a $57 million project this February, Mount Pleasant approved a $35 million project last December, and earlier this fall, the Ossining School District passed a $210 million project.
Since the implementation of the tax cap in 2011, the Pleasantville Union Free School District (PUFSD) has consistently proposed, and the community has approved, an annual school district budget within the tax cap.
As a result of thoughtful long-term fiscal planning, the district is prepared to fund the $15 million project through the Capital Reserve Fund/fund balance and a bond, resulting in a minimal and short-term financial impact on our taxpayers: $1.7 million from the Capital Reserve Fund and $300,000 from fund balance (as a result of unused funds from the Middle School HVAC project), pending voter approval, will be used for this project.
The remaining $13 million will be borrowed through a bond.
School districts work to maintain a consistent amount of debt service year to year. In the 2029-30 school year, there will be a reduction of about $1 million on the district’s debt service. That means, if passed, to pay for this capital project, an average household will see an estimated increase in their annual school taxes of approximately $167 per year for the first two years of the bond only (2027-28 and 2028-29) – an estimated total of $334 for the life of this bond.
We are committed to all students. Our elementary school students are out on the Bedford Road School (BRS) playground, and our middle and high school students use the middle school/high school fields and track (weather permitting) every school day to participate in physical education, recess and outdoor learning opportunities. Additionally, more than 50 percent of our seventh- through 12th-grade students participate in a fall and spring sport, and more usable field space is needed to support the athletic programs.
Another point to note is that the limited field space at the middle and high schools negatively impacts our students in the Panther Club at BRS. They cannot use the playground turf when a team needs it for practice.
We are committed to partnership and community engagement. This is true for our partnership with the village and the greater Pleasantville community. Pleasantville is filled with sports families, whether they play in the schools or recreationally in the village. Due to the high number of student-athletes we’re so proud to serve, the district’s athletic programs require the full use of our on-campus fields and Parkway Field. Regardless of the improvements needed at each site, we require both to meet the needs of our students.
This process has given us valuable insights into effective communication with the community. Based on these learnings, we will adjust our processes moving forward and are committed to continuous improvement.
That said, it is critical to understand that the district must adhere to state Education Department regulations and processes. Many decisions the community is looking for cannot be made until voters approve the bond. Additional opportunities for engagement come during the design phase, which is when specific decisions about turf, lights and other important project elements will be made.
In closing, the vote is another step in the capital project journey. We are dedicated to sharing this journey, listening to and learning from each other throughout the project and beyond.
Thank you for your time, consideration and commitment to our students.
Dr. Tina DeSa is superintendent of schools for the Pleasantville Union Free School District.
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