School Budget Vote 2025-26

The Pearl River Board of Education announces two seats open for the Board of Education, currently held by Denise Caunitz and Terrence Cortelli. Mrs. Cauntiz has informed the District that she will be seeking re-election to the Board of Education; Mr. Cortelli is undecided at this time.  The term commences on July 1, 2025 and runs through June 30, 2028. Elections will be held on Tuesday, May 20th, together with the Annual School Budget Vote.

Qualified Board of Education candidates interested in running for the board must submit a nominating petition signed by twenty-five (25) or more Pearl River School District qualified voters. District residents seeking to place a citizen-initiated petition on the May 20th ballot must submit a petition signed by forty-one (41) or more Pearl River School District qualified voters. All petitions must be returned to the District Clerk’s office by 5:00 PM on Monday, April 21^st.  In order to qualify for membership on the school board, a candidate must:

• be a citizen of the United States;
• be 18 years of age or older;
• be able to read and write;
• a qualified voter in the district;
• be and have been a district resident for at least one year prior to the election;
• be the only member of his/her household on such school board;
• not be an employee of the school district;
• not simultaneously hold another, incompatible public office;
• not have been removed from a school district office within one year of the election.

For additional information and how to obtain a Nominating Petition during days when school is in session, please contact our District Clerk, Kathleen Hamlin at districtclerk@pearlriver.org or 845-620-3924. Petitions must be returned to Mrs. Hamlin by Monday, April 21st at 5:00 PM.

To be eligible to register, you must be:
• 18 years of age or older on the day of the vote;
• A citizen of the United States;
• A resident of the Pearl River School District for at least 30 days prior to the day of the vote.

In order to vote in the upcoming School Budget Vote and Board of Education Election, voters must be registered with the Rockland County Board of Elections or Pearl River School District. If you are registered but have not voted in a general or school election since 2021, you must re-register. If you are registered but have either moved into the District or moved from one address to another within the District, you must re-register. 

If you would like to check your registration status, visit the NY Board of Elections website at: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. Please note that the polling site listed on your NY Board of Elections account is for general elections. All voting for our school budget will take place at Pearl River High School's Pirate Cove.

Residents can register to vote online through the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website:
https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application.