Yonkers Board of Education: 2026–27 Schools, Calendar & Parent Help
Yonkers Board of Education is the policy-making body for Yonkers Public Schools, but many everyday family tasks are handled by separate district departments for enrollment, PowerSchool, transportation, meals, special education and student support.
This 2026–27 guide helps you find the right office first, then complete the task: check Board meetings, speak during public comment, find a school, register a child, understand School Choice, access PowerSchool, check bus or transit information, request disability support or follow a district complaint route.
Yonkers Board of Education quick facts
District Office
One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701.
Main district phone
Board President
Dr. Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio.
Vice President
Gail Burns.
Superintendent
Aníbal Soler, Jr.
Adult Board
Nine trustees.
Trustee selection
Appointed by the Mayor of Yonkers.
Student voice
Non-voting ex-officio student representation.
Board of Education or Yonkers Public Schools department?
| Your need | Best first route |
|---|---|
| Board policy, agenda, meeting or trustee issue | Yonkers Board / Trustees Office |
| Register a new student | Student Enrollment Center |
| School Choice or PEARLS application | School Choice / Student Support Services |
| Grades, schedule or attendance portal | PowerSchool Parent Portal / school |
| Bus or student public transit | Transportation Department |
| IEP evaluation | School team / CSE or CPSE |
| 504 accommodation | Section 504 Compliance |
| Bullying / harassment | School / DASA reporting process |
| Sex discrimination / sexual harassment | Title IX Coordinator |
| Statewide New York education matter | NYSED / Board of Regents rather than Yonkers BOE |
Yonkers trustees are appointed—not elected
The Yonkers Board of Education is the district’s official policy-making body. Unlike many local New York Boards of Education, Yonkers trustees are appointed by the Mayor.
SEO/content accuracy point: do not describe Yonkers Board members as locally elected trustees. That would give users the wrong governance model.
Current adult trustee roster
| Trustee | Current role |
|---|---|
| Dr. Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio | President |
| Gail Burns | Vice President |
| Dr. John C. Castanaro | Trustee |
| Sheila Greenwald | Trustee |
| Amjed I. Kuri | Trustee |
| Rosemarie P. Linton | Trustee |
| Lorraine Lopez | Trustee |
| Arz Raheem | Trustee |
| Lawrence R. Sykes, Esq. | Trustee |
Board officers: trustees reelected Dr. Del Vecchio as President and Gail Burns as Vice President at the May 12, 2026 Annual Meeting. Their officer terms are one year.
Trustee appointments can change, so recheck the official roster before addressing formal correspondence.
Check current Yonkers Board trustees →How Yonkers student trustees fit into the Board
The City added student representation to the Board in June 2026 following New York’s student-representation requirement.
Riyana De Guzman
The City’s June announcement identifies De Guzman as the student trustee.
Abdulrahman Sadiq-Onilenla
The same City announcement identifies Sadiq-Onilenla as the alternate student representative.
What “ex-officio” means here: student representatives are non-voting. They can participate in public Board activities as permitted, but do not attend executive sessions or other non-public meetings.
Yonkers Stated Meetings, committees and public participation
Stated Meetings
Generally held on the third Wednesday of the month.
Usual Stated location
Angelo E. Paradiso Auditorium at Saunders Trades and Technical High School, 183 Palmer Road.
Committees / summer
Usually use the 4th Floor Board Room at One Larkin Center.
Do not calculate the next meeting yourself. “Generally third Wednesday” is a pattern, not a guarantee. The February 2026 Stated Meeting, for example, was canceled after a blizzard and rescheduled. Special hearings and summer meetings can also use different arrangements.
Latest fully indexed 2026 notice located during this audit: July 15, 2026 included committee meetings, a Smart Schools Bond Act public hearing and a 6:00 p.m. Stated Meeting at One Larkin Center. Check the live Upcoming Meetings area for the next posted session.
The official Board page should control—not a calculated third-Wednesday date.
Check current Yonkers Board meetings →How to register to speak at a Stated Meeting
Confirm the actual meeting
Open the live Board page and verify date, location and meeting type.
Use the Speaker Sign-up Form
Public speakers must register online in advance for Communications from the Community.
Meet the posted deadline
The current main Board page says the completed form must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the Board meeting.
Verify the session time
The normal Board page describes Communications from the Community at 5:30 p.m., but a public hearing or special agenda can shift the Stated Meeting start.
Meeting-specific notice wins: some archived notices show different registration closing times. Use the current speaker form/meeting notice rather than an old article.
Live stream, agendas and archived meetings
Live stream
Board meetings are streamed by Yonkers Public Schools.
Archived video
Use archived meeting video when you need to review discussion after the meeting.
WDMC-TV
Board meetings are carried on the district educational channel, including Optimum Channel 75.
Agenda abstracts
Use the posted Board agenda/abstract to see what is scheduled rather than relying on social-media summaries.
Archived meetings
Past meeting pages help trace earlier agendas, cancellations and committee work.
Official action
Distinguish a proposal, hearing or discussion item from something formally adopted by the Board.
Yonkers school-year quick-reference dates
Yonkers Public Schools has posted its official 2026–27 school-year calendar PDF. The dates below are a planning summary; the official district PDF controls if a date is revised or if you need half-days, observances, staff days or other detailed calendar information.
| Planning item | 2026–27 quick-reference date |
|---|---|
| First day | Thursday, September 3, 2026 |
| Thanksgiving Recess | November 26–27, 2026 |
| Winter Recess | December 24, 2026–January 1, 2027 |
| Mid-Winter Recess | February 15–19, 2027 |
| Spring Recess | March 22–26, 2027 |
| Last day | Friday, June 25, 2027 |
Not a complete calendar audit: the current YPS document library confirms the official 2026–27 PDF, but its full page text was not directly machine-readable during this audit. Treat this table as fast planning help and confirm the actual PDF before booking travel, childcare or appointments.
Open the official district calendar document rather than relying on the abbreviated table above.
Open the official 2026–27 calendar document →Also check your school’s letter-day calendar
Yonkers introduced a six-day letter-day cycle for 2025–26, and the district document library continues to list a Yonkers Public Schools Letter Day Calendar resource.
Do not automatically assume an old A–F date repeats in 2026–27. If a class, special, rotation or intervention follows a letter day, use the current-year district/school letter-day calendar.
How to find a Yonkers Public School
The district’s current school directory spans early-childhood, elementary, Montessori, Paideia, academy, middle/high, specialized and alternative programs. Use the official school page rather than assuming the closest building serves the student’s grade or program.
Early childhood / elementary
Yonkers Early Childhood Academy and many neighborhood, academy, Montessori and themed elementary campuses.
Secondary schools
Current directory options include Gorton, Lincoln, Riverside, Roosevelt Early College Studies, Saunders, Yonkers Middle High and other 6–12 or secondary programs.
Specialized programs
Examples include Robert Halmi Sr. Academy of Film and Television, PEARLS Hawthorne and career/technical pathways.
Major secondary/program names families often search
Use the district school directory to reach the live school site.
Open the Yonkers school directory →Register a child for September 2026
Prekindergarten
Four years old on or before December 1, 2026.
Kindergarten
Five years old on or before December 1, 2026.
Student Enrollment Center
General enrollment document checklist
Residency detail: current enrollment guidance calls for three recent Yonkers residency proofs—not just one utility bill.
Use the current Student Enrollment checklist and forms before visiting the center.
Open Yonkers Student Enrollment →What if you do not have a standard birth certificate or custody document?
The district’s proof-of-age guidance describes alternatives when the usual birth record is unavailable.
Notarization: the district’s custody affidavits specifically require notarization and supporting documentation. Do not assume every enrollment form uses the same requirement.
UPK3 is a separate program from regular Pre-K
Yonkers’ current 2026–27 early-childhood listing describes Universal Prekindergarten-3 through participating community-based organizations.
UPK3 age
Three years old with a birth date on or before December 1, 2023 for the 2026–27 cycle.
Registration
Current 2026–27 listing says registration began March 1, 2026.
Placement
Students are assigned through a lottery.
Transportation
Transportation is not offered for this UPK3 CBO program.
Funding condition: the 2026–27 UPK3 listing says the program is contingent on grant-funding approval. The district’s early-childhood page has also had older indexed wording, so verify the live current-year section before relying on a seat count or provider list.
2026–27 School Choice is different from enrolling a new student
| 2026–27 process | Status |
|---|---|
| Registration for School Choice participation | Began October 1, 2025. |
| School Selection Month | December 1–31, 2025 — concluded. |
| Assignment letters | Scheduled for February 2026. |
| Assignment appeal / transfer | Closed March 31, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. |
Need a school now? The closed Choice deadline does not mean new-student enrollment is closed. Families moving into or registering with the district should use Student Enrollment.
PEARLS uses a separate selection process
PEARLS Hawthorne serves an academically talented Pre-K–8 program and is not simply another general School Choice selection.
Pre-K / Kindergarten
Students are individually evaluated using a nationally normed standardized aptitude measure.
Grades 1–8
Multiple criteria include school-ability testing, New York State testing, teacher evaluation and report-card grades.
2026–27 application period: the district states that it concluded December 19, 2025.
How Yonkers PowerSchool Parent Portal accounts work
The district creates parent/guardian PowerSchool accounts using the email address supplied during Student Enrollment.
Confirm the enrollment email
Make sure the district has the correct parent/guardian email address.
Look for the support email
Yonkers PowerSchool Parent Portal Support sends account username/password information.
Use the official portal
The Parent Portal can provide grades, assignments, scores, attendance, schedules and school bulletins.
Contact support rather than duplicating accounts
If the account never arrives or login information is wrong, use district support.
Protect the account: do not enter PowerSchool credentials, student IDs or private academic information into an unofficial “school lookup” website.
Yonkers school bus and student public-transit help
The Transportation Department maintains separate resources for PreK–8 bus transportation, applications/forms, transportation facts, non-public schools and high-school public transit.
School bus
Use the district bus resources for eligibility, assignments, requests and current route guidance.
High-school transit
Eligible high-school transportation can involve Westchester Bee-Line/public-transit support rather than a yellow bus.
2026 OMNY transition
The current Transportation document library contains an “OMNY Metrocard System 2026” resource.
Old MetroCard instructions can be stale. Because Westchester public transit is transitioning to OMNY, verify the 2026 district resource before buying, replacing or expecting a specific transit product.
Bus-safety reminders from district guidance
Yonkers school menus and allergy support
The district publishes live breakfast/lunch menus and provides Food Services support for menu and food-allergy questions.
Breakfast menus
Use the live Dining pages for current breakfast offerings.
Lunch menus
Menus can vary by grade level/school and are subject to change.
Food allergies
Speak with the cafeteria manager/food server and use Food Services for additional help.
Do not carry the old free-meal statement forward automatically. Some indexed district text explicitly references 2025–26. Check the 2026–27 district meal notice for the current eligibility/funding rule before publishing a universal-free claim.
How a parent can request a special-education evaluation
Yonkers recommends beginning with the child’s teachers and school supports when a student is struggling. Parents also have a route to make a formal written referral when they believe an evaluation is needed.
Discuss the concern
Talk with the teacher and school team about academic, behavioral or developmental difficulties.
Write the referral
State that you are asking Yonkers Public Schools to evaluate the child for special-education services.
Include identifying information
Include the child’s name, current school/grade, date of birth and a daytime phone number.
Use an original signature
The district specifically states that the parent/guardian referral requires an original signature.
Send it to the Committee
Committee on Special Education, Yonkers Public Schools, One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701.
Preschool child: the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) handles the preschool special-education process. School-age students use the CSE route.
Current district framework: Yonkers links a Special Education Plan covering 2025–2027, parent New York State guidance and procedural safeguards from its Special Education hub.
504 accommodations do not use exactly the same referral as an IEP
DASA and Title IX are different complaint routes
DASA
Use for qualifying harassment, intimidation, bullying, bias-based incidents and cyberbullying affecting students.
Title IX
Use for sex discrimination, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment or retaliation covered by Title IX.
DASA practical escalation
Tell school staff
Students can talk to a teacher, nurse, counselor, principal, assistant principal or another trusted adult.
Escalate within the school
Parents can move from teacher/nurse/counselor to the principal or assistant principal.
Contact the building DASA liaison
Use the Dignity Act liaison if the issue remains unresolved.
Use the online reporting form
The district accepts online harassment/intimidation/bullying reports, including anonymous reports.
Anonymous DASA reports: the district form allows anonymous reporting but warns that anonymity can limit the district’s ability to respond.
Title IX contact
Immediate danger: an online school form, future Board meeting or administrative email is not an emergency-response service.
Annual directory-information opt-out deadline
Yonkers’ annual notices identify certain student information as directory information that may be disclosed under applicable rules unless a parent opts out.
September 30 deadline: parents who do not want directory information released without prior consent must notify the child’s principal in writing by September 30. The request applies for that school year and must be renewed annually.
Examples listed by the district include student name, grade, photograph, honors/awards, participation in activities, address and telephone listing, among other designated directory-information categories.
Do not use the old $101 million projected gap as the final budget story
In March 2026, Yonkers publicly warned of a projected $101 million school-district budget gap. Later City and State budget actions materially changed that picture.
$101M projected gap
Early March advocacy figure—not the final adopted funding position.
$56.3M
Additional Yonkers Public Schools support identified in the City’s adopted FY2026–27 budget.
$17.3M
City budget identifies this amount for school infrastructure and Wi-Fi enhancements.
$6.3M
City budget identifies this amount for textbooks, laptops and educational equipment.
State support changed the outlook too: a June 2026 announcement said more than $189 million was secured for the City of Yonkers in the FY2027 State Budget, including additional support that helped close the school-district gap and avoid contemplated layoffs.
Do not call $1.64 billion the Yonkers school budget. That is the City’s total adopted FY2026–27 budget. Use the district’s dedicated budget documents when you need the school system’s own detailed revenue, expenditure or adopted-budget figures.
Yonkers 2030 Strategic Plan
The Board unanimously adopted the Yonkers 2030 Strategic Plan in August 2025 as a five-year student-centered district roadmap.
Why this helps residents: when you see a new program, technology initiative or academic priority, the strategic plan can help distinguish long-term district direction from a one-time announcement.
Yonkers Promise direct-admission college pathways
Yonkers Public Schools and Yonkers Partners in Education launched Yonkers Promise in June 2026 to create clearer direct-admission pathways from district high schools to participating colleges and universities.
First cohort
The district expects eligible students to begin accessing Yonkers Promise opportunities in Fall 2026.
Founding institutions
Invited institutions include Lehman, Manhattanville, Mercy, SUNY Purchase, SUNY Westchester Community College and University of Mount Saint Vincent.
Goal
Make the transition from high school to college more transparent and predictable for eligible Yonkers students.
Direct admission does not mean automatic admission for every student. Participating institutions establish eligibility/admissions criteria through their agreements with the district.
Important Yonkers school phone numbers
| Need | Office | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| General district help | Yonkers Public Schools | 914-376-8000 |
| Board / meetings | Trustees Office | 914-376-8095 |
| New student registration | Student Enrollment | 914-376-8050 |
| Parent Portal | PowerSchool Support | 914-376-8229 |
| Bus / transit | Transportation | 914-376-8015 |
| Meals | Food Services | 914-376-8166 |
| 504 accommodation | Special Education / 504 | 914-376-8209 |
| PEARLS | Student Support Services | 914-376-8189 |
| Title IX | Title IX Coordinator | 914-377-6176 |
Make sure Yonkers is the district you actually need
New York Board of Education
Use the broader guide for NYC Public Schools, PEP, NYSED/Regents and the common “New York Board of Education” entity confusion.
Buffalo Board of Education
Buffalo Public Schools has its own Board, calendar, enrollment and local district procedures.
Common Yonkers Board and school-service mistakes
🗳️ I thought the Board was elected
Fix: Yonkers adult trustees are appointed by the Mayor.
📅 I calculated the next meeting
Fix: third Wednesday is the normal pattern, but cancellations, hearings and summer schedules can change it.
🎤 I found an old 5 p.m. speaker deadline
Fix: the current main Board page says noon on meeting day; the live meeting-specific notice controls.
🏫 School Choice is closed
Fix: a new student may still register through Student Enrollment.
🏠 I brought one proof of address
Fix: current general enrollment asks for three recent Yonkers residency proofs.
🧸 I need a 3-year-old program
Fix: check UPK3 separately; it uses community-based organizations, a lottery and no district transportation.
🔐 PowerSchool login never arrived
Fix: verify the email given during Student Enrollment and contact Parent Portal Support.
🚍 I found old MetroCard instructions
Fix: check the 2026 OMNY/MetroCard transition resource before taking action.
🍎 I assume meals are universally free in 2026–27
Fix: verify the current-year district meal funding statement rather than extending 2025–26 wording.
♿ I verbally asked for an evaluation
Fix: the formal CSE referral is written and requires an original parent/guardian signature.
🛡️ I want to report bullying anonymously
Fix: the DASA form allows anonymous reporting, but warns it can limit the district’s response.
💵 I found the $101M budget-gap headline
Fix: that was an early projection. Later City and State funding changed the district’s FY2026–27 outlook.
Yonkers Board of Education FAQs
Are Yonkers Board of Education trustees elected?
No. The nine adult trustees of the Yonkers Board of Education are appointed by the Mayor of Yonkers.
Who is the Yonkers Board of Education President?
Dr. Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio is the current Board President and Gail Burns is Vice President. Trustees reelected them to one-year officer terms in May 2026.
When does the Yonkers Board of Education meet?
Stated Meetings are generally held on the third Wednesday of the month, usually at Saunders Trades and Technical High School. Committee and summer meetings are commonly held at One Larkin Center. Always verify the current meeting notice before attending.
How do I speak at a Yonkers Board meeting?
Use the Communications from the Community Speaker Sign-up Form. The current main Board page says the completed form must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. on the day of the Board meeting, but the specific meeting notice should always be checked.
When does Yonkers Public Schools start in 2026–27?
The current 2026–27 planning calendar lists Thursday, September 3, 2026 as the first day and Friday, June 25, 2027 as the last day. Confirm the official district calendar PDF before making date-sensitive plans.
How old must a child be for Yonkers Kindergarten in September 2026?
A child must be five years old on or before December 1, 2026. Regular Prekindergarten eligibility is four years old on or before December 1, 2026.
How many residency documents are needed for Yonkers enrollment?
The current general-enrollment checklist asks for three proofs of Yonkers residency from the last 30 days, together with the other applicable registration records.
Is Yonkers UPK3 the same as regular Pre-K?
No. The current UPK3 program is for eligible three-year-olds through participating community-based organizations, uses a lottery and does not provide transportation. The district says the program is contingent on grant funding.
How do I request a special-education evaluation in Yonkers?
A parent or guardian can submit a written referral to the Committee on Special Education at One Larkin Center. The district says the referral should include the child’s identifying information and requires the parent or guardian’s original signature.
Is Yonkers School Choice still open for September 2026?
No. The main 2026–27 School Choice submission period ended December 31, 2025, and the assignment appeal/transfer period closed March 31, 2026. New-student enrollment is a separate process and remains the appropriate route for a child who needs to register with Yonkers Public Schools.
Final Yonkers verification checklist
Recheck time-sensitive facts
Meeting dates, speaker forms, calendars, School Choice, transit procedures and programs can change.
Use the correct office
The Board makes policy, while enrollment, transportation, PowerSchool, Food Services and special education use separate operational routes.
Protect private information
Do not upload PowerSchool credentials, identity documents, IEPs, health records or custody papers to an unofficial information website.
Fresh audit coverage: current Board governance and leadership, student trustee structure, Board meeting/public-comment rules, 2026–27 calendar access, school directory, Enrollment Center, current age/residency checklist, UPK3, School Choice, PEARLS, PowerSchool, transportation/OMNY transition, Dining/Food Services, CSE/CPSE, Section 504, DASA, Title IX, annual privacy notices, FY2026–27 funding context, Strategic Plan 2030 and Yonkers Promise were checked for this rebuild.
Independent-site notice: BoardofEducations.org is an informational guide and is not Yonkers Public Schools, the Yonkers Board of Education, the City of Yonkers or the New York State Education Department. Official notices, Board actions, school placements, transportation decisions, student records and current district policies control.