A Message from Dr. V. Regarding Transportation Appeals & Tuesday's Community Forum

Dear Eastchester Families,

I am looking forward to sharing my formal ‘Welcome Back to School’ letter with you next week. In the meantime, I wanted to provide an important update following our recent community forum and share information that will help families prepare for the start of the 2026 - 27 school year.

On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Mulino’s, the Town of Eastchester, in partnership with the Eastchester Police Department and the Eastchester Union Free School District, held a community forum to provide updates regarding traffic flow, arrival and dismissal patterns, transportation, and parking lot improvements across our schools. Please click here for a copy of the handout provided at the meeting.

Town Supervisor Tony Colavita, Eastchester Police Chief Joe Rodriguez, and I shared information about the upcoming school year’s arrival and dismissal procedures, as well as details regarding the parking lot construction currently underway at each of our school campuses. Also in attendance were Town Council Members Anthony Giacobbe, Sheila Marcotte, Town Clerk Joe Dooley, and District Administrators, Mr. Elliot Sheldon, Mr. Rob Jacoby and Dr. William Meyer.

As a follow up to the building principals’ welcome-back letters sent to families on August 14 and the recap of the special Board of Education meeting held on Thursday, July 30, we are providing the images and diagrams presented at the community forum regarding arrival, dismissal, and traffic flow. Building Principals will be sending out another message later today with reminders about arrival and dismissal.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING APPEALS

Community Forum Questions & Answers

Tuesday evening’s community forum also provided an opportunity for audience members to ask questions about the parking lot improvements, updated arrival and dismissal patterns, and changes to transportation eligibility. A greater FAQ will be posted on our transportation website button soon.

An important question raised at Tuesday’s meeting concerned the transportation appeal process. We understand that many families have questions about the decisions that were made, particularly when a family’s appeal was not granted. While we recognize that not every outcome will be what a family had hoped for, we want to provide as much clarity as possible about how the process worked, what was considered, and what families can expect as we begin the school year.

Were any families who appealed granted transportation?

Yes. Some families were granted appeals.

Approximately 295 families submitted an appeal. Each appeal was reviewed individually. The review included the student’s distance from school, student status (any transportation services or accommodations required by a student’s IEP, 504 Plan, or other applicable student support plan) and individual circumstances, childcare considerations, and other information provided by the family.

The District could only grant an appeal when the circumstances remained within the parameters permitted by New York State law and when a bus seat was actually available in the appropriate area. In some cases, the appeal process allowed us to identify combinations of circumstances that may have made a student eligible for transportation.

It is important to understand that the appeal process did not create additional bus seats. Appeals could only be accommodated when a seat was available after students who were eligible under the established transportation guidelines had been assigned.

Our current fleet includes six large yellow school buses, compared with 18 large yellow school buses previously. The District also continues to utilize special education vans and mini-buses. Because of the significant reduction in the number of large buses, the number of available seats was substantially reduced from the beginning of this process.

How were some families granted an appeal when others were not?

This is understandably one of the most difficult questions for families.

The appeal process was designed to allow the District to look at individual circumstances rather than simply apply a single factor to every family. The information submitted through the appeal form was reviewed in combination with the transportation information already available to the District.

Once students who were eligible based on the established mileage guidelines or other qualifying student status were assigned, the District reviewed whether any seats remained on particular routes. Where a seat was available and a combination of circumstances could be accommodated within the parameters of New York State law, an appeal could be granted.

Because the number of available seats was very limited, not every family whose circumstances were similar could necessarily be accommodated. A family receiving an appeal does not mean that every family who did not receive one was overlooked. Rather, decisions depended on the specific circumstances, applicable requirements, route configuration, and availability of an actual seat.

We recognize that this can be frustrating, particularly when families know that another student received transportation. We want families to know that each appeal was reviewed, and that the District did not have the capacity to grant every appeal that was submitted.

When will I know whether my appeal was granted?

On Thursday, August 13, 2026, families received updated transportation letters through ParentSquare notifying them of their transportation eligibility. At that time, all appeals had been reviewed, and families who were granted an appeal had already been contacted directly through a specific email from the Superintendent’s office. Those appeal approvals were communicated individually rather than through a general ParentSquare notification.

To provide additional clarity for families who submitted an appeal, the District will also send an additional email to everyone who was on the appeal list, confirming that all appeals have now been reviewed and that all available bus seats have been assigned.

Families who were granted an appeal should have received a separate, individualized email directly from the Superintendent’s email address.

What happens now as we begin the school year?

First, I want to thank our families and our transportation team for their patience and cooperation throughout this process.

Nearly 3,000 students had their transportation status reviewed for either initial routing or a change in routing. Managing this process required the review and coordination of a very large number of student records, home addresses, routes, eligibility requirements, and available seats.

We also recognize that circumstances can change, particularly over the summer. Families may have moved, new students may have registered, a student’s status may have changed, family circumstances may have shifted, or another unexpected situation may require a last-minute adjustment. The Transportation Department has been working to address these changes while simultaneously balancing routes and the limited number of available seats.

At this point, all students who have been assigned a bus seat have been notified, and students who are not eligible for transportation have also been notified.

As we begin the school year, we will closely monitor each bus run. As happens every year, it may take some time for new routes, arrival procedures, dismissal procedures, and transportation routines to become familiar. Our building principals will also be working closely with faculty, transportation staff, and families to support smooth arrival and dismissal procedures.

We know from experience that as students, families, drivers, and schools become accustomed to the new routines, the process becomes smoother.

What if I believe there is an error or my circumstances have changed?

If you believe there is a discrepancy in your transportation information, or if your circumstances have changed since your original appeal or transportation review, you may contact the Transportation Department. They will review the information and assist you to the greatest extent possible within the applicable requirements and available transportation resources.

If you have already emailed the Superintendent’s Office directly, please know that the team is working through the messages received. We recognize that many families are waiting for answers, and we will respond as we are able.

We understand that transportation is an important part of getting children to and from school each day, and we appreciate that changes to transportation can create real challenges for families. Our goal throughout this process has been to review each student as carefully and fairly as possible while operating within New York State requirements and the very real limitations created by the number of buses and seats available.

Thank you for your patience as we move through this transition together and begin the 2026–2027 school year.
 

OTHER INFORMATION

Parking Lot Improvements

The parking lot improvements currently underway are anticipated to be completed on schedule. These improvements have been on the School District’s radar for some time, as we have consistently received feedback from families regarding congestion during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal.

We are pleased to be able to move forward with these improvements and address a number of longstanding traffic flow and ‘narrow Westchester parking’ concerns. While these projects will not eliminate congestion entirely, we believe the improvements will help create a smoother and more organized drop-off and pick-up experience for our families.

I would like to thank Mr. Elliot Sheldon and the entire EUFSD Facilities team for the tremendous amount of work they do throughout the year, and particularly during the summer months when our schools are not in session. Preparing four campuses for the opening of a new school year requires an enormous amount of planning, coordination, and behind the scenes work.

I would also like to recognize our administrative and secretarial teams, who have worked throughout the summer to prepare our schools and provide the information and visual materials that allow our community to better understand the changes taking place.

A Community Effort

As stated during the meeting, I would once again like to thank the many individuals and organizations who have collaborated to help the Eastchester Union Free School District prepare for a successful 2026–27 school year.

In particular, I want to recognize Town Supervisor Tony Colavita and Chief of Police Joe Rodriguez, who have been at the table with us since the passage of the second budget vote in June. Their partnership and willingness to work collaboratively with the School District have been instrumental as we have worked through the many operational challenges associated with beginning a new school year under significantly different budgetary circumstances.

I would also like to recognize New York State Senator Shelley Mayer and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin for their advocacy and efforts to secure a combined $2 million in state emergency aid to support improvements, as well as other needs that will help offset some of the significant costs that were removed from the District’s budget in order to achieve passage of the revised budget.

Our Transportation and administrative teams also deserve tremendous acknowledgement for their continued work throughout the summer. Even with unexpected glitches and obstacles, they have been organizing, preparing, problem-solving, and working through countless operational details to ensure that we maintain the high expectations, strong programs, and services our community knows and expects from the Eastchester schools, all the while simultaneously ensuring that we follow District policies, remain in compliance with New York State Education Law, and are prepared to safely and effectively open our schools.

Looking Forward to a Successful Start of School

Finally, please be on the lookout for a follow-up to each building’s original welcome-back letters later today and the transportation website will be updated with FAQ’s from Tuesday night’s community forum. 

Thank you, as always, for your partnership, patience, and support as we prepare to welcome our students and families back to our schools. We are looking forward to a strong and successful start to the 2026 - 27 school year.
 
Dr. Villanueva