Dear Putnam Valley Community:
As you know, school districts across New York State hold their annual budget votes and board elections on the third Tuesday of May. Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the vote has been postponed until June 9 as per Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.6. Voting will be done by absentee ballot only. The District will not be open for voting on Tuesday, May 19.
As directed by the Executive Order, postcards explaining the details of the vote will be mailed to all residents in the next few days. On May 26, we expect absentee ballots to be mailed to all qualified voters. Ballots must be completed and mailed as soon as possible to ensure their delivery back to the District no later than 5 pm on June 9. There will be no in-person voting.
On Tuesday, May 19 there will be a special meeting of the Board of Education to adopt the 2020-2021 budget. The final Budget Hearing is scheduled for May 26. Both meetings begin at 7 pm and are available to the public via live stream at pvcsd.org. Please email any questions to boardquestions@pvcsd.org. Questions will be answered live or we will respond with an email.
All updated budget information can be found at pvcsd.org. Please check the website for the most up to date information after the Budget is adopted on Tuesday evening. Click here.
While the process for voting will be different this year due to COVID-19, we are working hard to communicate these changes to every household in our community. We encourage all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote via absentee ballot.
We are actively working to develop a budget that responds to significant state aid reductions and maintains a quality educational program for our students. Your participation in this process is important and valued.
Please also take a few minutes to complete the 2020 Census. This information determines the amount of state and federal funding Putnam and Westchester Counties receive for public services and schools. Low response rates create underfunding in the future. Please click here.
Timeline:
- May 18 – Postcard mailing to all residents explaining the voting process as per Executive Order
- May 19 – Budget Adoption meeting – live stream – 7pm – pvcsd.org
- May 26 – Budget Hearing – live stream – 7pm – pvcsd.org
- May 26 – Budget Notice and Budget Newsletter mailed to all residents
- May 26 – Absentee Ballots mailed to all qualified voters w/postage paid return envelopes
- June 1 – Return ballots via US Post Office to ensure receipt by PVCSD no later than June 9 at 5pm
- June 9 – Day of vote – Votes will be counted and results posted – No in-person voting
Please reach out to me with any questions.
Thank you,
Jill Figarella
District Treasurer
jfigarella@pvcsd.org
(845) 528-7976