The Croton-Harmon Board of Education adopted a $62,762,808 budget for the 2026-27 school year at its April 21 business meeting, sending the spending plan to voters on May 19. The vote was 6-0. Assistant Superintendent for Business Denise Harrington-Cohen presented the final budget details, covering budget drivers, anticipated state aid, the allowable tax levy, tax rate history and projections, revenue and expense overviews, reserves, and the three-part budget structure. The presentation also included a vehicle proposition and a repair reserve proposition that will appear on the ballot alongside the budget and the board election. According to the official minutes, Superintendent Stephen Walker framed the budget around the district's vision map priorities and enhancements, noting that a new district video would launch April 22. Walker posed the planning challenge: “So the question then becomes how do you add to the student experience without adding any members of the team in order to facilitate that.” Read 61:20▶ The budget follows months of development, including an April 9 work session where building-level and personnel budgets were reviewed in detail. The proposal includes a $46,417,623 tax levy, a 2.19% increase within the allowable limit, according to the April 21 budget presentation. Budget presentation Harrington-Cohen explained the pressure on other revenue sources: “So the levy, even though it's our biggest revenue source, it's really only covering half of our increase.” Read 69:09▶

District declines to back BOCES candidate

In a notable split, the board voted 5-1 against casting a vote for Richard Kreps, the sole candidate for a vacancy on the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES board. Trustee Neal Haber was the lone yes vote; Vice President Anamika Bhatnagar, Trustees Sarah Carrier, Omar Mayyasi, and Theo Oshiro, and President Ana Teague all voted no. According to the official minutes, resident Michelle Minoff urged the board not to support Kreps because of past antisemitic remarks, while Haber said he had not heard those remarks at the meeting in question—although he acknowledged they had been established—and had not witnessed inappropriate conduct by Kreps. Vice President Anamika Bhatnagar explained her opposition: “I'm uncomfortable with the idea of qualifying someone's behavior to one person versus another person” Read 106:03▶ The board separately approved the 2026-27 PNW BOCES administrative budget of $12,679,000 by a 6-0 vote. According to the official minutes, Haber explained that the administrative budget covers internal operations, rather than student programs and services or professional development. Official April 21 minutes and agenda

New Building Leaders Named

The board approved three building-level administrative appointments: two beginning July 1 and one beginning July 15. Board President Ana Teague also outlined a longer-term change to hiring oversight: “We will develop clear policies and avenues of process for the benefit of future leadership candidates, future board members, the community, and most importantly, our students.” Read 4:05▶ Maylien Herm was appointed as principal of Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School at an annual salary of $190,000, with a four-year probationary term beginning July 1, 2026 and running through June 30, 2030. Walker said the search team was impressed with Herm throughout the process and read supportive comments from PVC parents, faculty, staff, and students. Herm holds professional certification as a School Building Leader. Erica Fiorini was named interim principal of Croton-Harmon High School for the 2026-27 school year at $190,000. Walker praised Fiorini's qualities, saying she was the right leader at the right time and that the appointment reflected how the district achieves longevity in its school system. John Bohuniek was appointed interim assistant principal at the high school at an annual base salary of $158,000, prorated, effective July 15. Walker described Bohuniek’s work as a curriculum coordinator, coach and mentor. He told Bohuniek: “A mentor, a supporter, a coach, a curriculum coordinator, a phenomenal educator, dynamic leader” Read 37:45▶ The board also appointed Alexandra Palmatier as a 1.0 FTE English teacher at the high school at $114,691, and approved a leave of absence for elementary teacher Bianca Pizzuti.

Public Comment: Technology and Curriculum Concerns

Several residents raised concerns during the hearing of the public. A kindergarten parent criticized celebrity-read book videos for lacking interaction and, separately, complained about low-quality, high-stimulation videos used for brain breaks. The parent’s objection was to passive viewing: “educational value that you think this type of content has is lost without any interaction and it is disguised as literacy.” Read 14:05▶ Leslie Pollak raised equity concerns, questioning how community members are selected for district committees and calling for broader parental participation. According to the official minutes, the kindergarten parent also objected to a corporate TV show being used for math instruction and reported difficulty getting curriculum details or assurances of change; Pollak sought curriculum information and tenure rationales; and Ed Riely praised the cell phone policy as overdue while arguing that children should not be viewed as a threat. During the board's end-of-meeting polling, several trustees echoed the technology concerns. Trustee Omar Mayyasi said the board needs a better understanding of how technology is involved with curriculum to address parent concerns. According to the official minutes, Bhatnagar asked about the technology review process, and Teague and Walker settled on an April 27 question deadline to give administrators time to prepare responses.

Other Actions

The board approved a memorandum of agreement with the CSEA Custodial Unit establishing a Maintenance Foreperson position and accepted the R.S. Abrams & Co. revenue and cash-management report, which found no observations requiring corrective action. The separate risk-assessment update rated the reviewed controls as low risk but still recommended an updated multi-year financial plan and a consolidated five-year capital-assets preservation plan. It also noted that an external-audit corrective-action plan had not been posted at the time of testing, and acknowledged that it had since been posted. Revenue and cash-management report · Risk-assessment update According to the official minutes, Audit Committee chair Omar Mayyasi reported on the April 9 committee meeting and credited the district's business team. The board also approved the 2026-27 Property Tax Report Card, awarded a gas supply services contract to NRG Business Marketing LLC for November 2026 through April 2027, accepted a $250 donation from Agnes Zaharias to the Christos Zaharias Memorial Scholarship, and approved side letters of agreement with both the Croton Teachers' Association and the Croton Harmon Administrators' Association. The next regular meeting and budget public hearing is scheduled for May 7, with the budget vote and board election set for May 19.