District overview
Pleasantville Union Free School District
Funding, governance, current policies and projects from reviewed official records.
Who decides, and how is Pleasantville funded?
Five elected trustees govern the district. Local property taxes provide about two-thirds of the operating budget; state aid and tuition for students placed by other districts provide substantial additional revenue. New York’s tax-cap formula limits levy growth but is not a flat 2% ceiling. Capital bonds are voted separately from the annual operating budget.
Board leadership
John Vamossy is president and Erin Ballard vice president. Michael Busch, Lucas Cascardo and Loredana Coughlan are the other elected trustees. Student representatives are nonvoting.
District leadership
Eric Lutinski was appointed permanent superintendent October 20, with a contract through 2028–29. Donna Vitucci is the business official; Robyn Dunn is district clerk.
Committees and community groups
The full board serves as audit committee. Board liaisons cover safety, wellness, technology and facilities. The Community Facilities Committee advised on the capital project; it did not approve the bonds. PTA, SEPTA, Pleasantville Fund for Learning, Friends of the Visual Arts and Dad’s Club support distinct activities.
Reserves have restrictions
Restricted capital, tax-certiorari, retirement and employee-benefit reserves are not interchangeable with unassigned fund balance. The April health-insurance reserve letter sought state authority; it did not create a reserve.
The records do not establish that benefits or technology spending are excessive compared with comparable districts. Account reclassifications, restricted funds and gross merger-program expenses can otherwise make comparisons misleading.
Where the district stands
Approved by the board April 21; voters approved May 19. This covers the district, not a single school allocation.
Annual tax warrant; individual town tax-rate changes differ from the levy change.
Projection, not the later official BEDS enrollment count. Different presentations use different comparison dates.
Context calculation: $65,114,168 divided by 1,573 projected students. Includes district operations, benefits, debt and central services; not audited spending per pupil or a peer comparison.
Major projects
Pleasantville Forward Together
Voter approved; design and implementationTwo propositions totaling $17.5 million cover infrastructure and security, track and turf, STEAM spaces, Bedford Road School outdoor improvements and athletic facilities. Approval does not mean all work is finished.
- Board approved two ballot propositions
- Voters approved both propositions
- Board certified results and authorized bonds
Funding
$13.5 million authorized borrowing and $4 million reserves/savings; state building aid is tied to eligible costs.
Student-assistance and mental-health prevention
Services continued with funding changesThe district absorbed prevention-program costs as Pleasantville Strong grant support ended. Student Assistance Services serves middle and high school students; Sources of Strength, JCK and other partnerships complement counseling. Increased participation and survey outcomes are program-reported, not a controlled clinical evaluation.
- Board approved Student Assistance Services contract
- Provider reported participation and survey outcomes
Funding
District budget and BOCES service purchasing; no new clinical FTE established by these records.
AI, personal devices and school technology
Policies adopted; final AI text gapPersonal internet-enabled devices are restricted throughout the school day with exceptions. The high school transitioned toward district MacBooks and ended BYOD. AI policy 5840 was adopted October 20; its final attachment remains uncollected.
- Personal-device policy adopted
- High-school MacBook decision announced
- AI policy adopted
Funding
Operating technology budget and installment-payment agreements; exact device model and license costs not established.
Recent news
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Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Reviewed 213 unique collected official documents and recordings, accounting for five byte-identical duplicates; captions were reconciled with available agendas, minutes and financial attachments.
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