Franklin Place Property Acquisition

VOTE: Tuesday, May 20, 2025| Polls Open 7am-9pm in Pelham Middle School Gym

A photo of 29 Franklin Place showing a blue two-story house with a fence in front

How to Vote in the May 20 School Budget Vote/ BOE Member Election

Polls will be open from 7am-9pm on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in the Pelham Middle School Gym. All registered voters in the Pelham Union Free School District are eligible to vote.

Voter Registration

The following information pertains to the annual budget vote and school board member election on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

Voter Qualifications

Voters must:

be 18 years of age or older on the day of the vote. Those who will turn 18 on or before May 20, 2025 can register to vote and then be eligible to cast a vote on May 20, 2025
be a United States citizen
be a resident of the Pelham Union Free School District
have lived in the District for at least 30 days prior to the day of the vote
not be in jail or on parole for a felony conviction
not claim the right to vote elsewhere
be registered to vote with either the County Board of Elections or with the School District Board of Registration.

*You are registered if you are on the Westchester County voters’ list and voted at least once during the last 4 years or you have personally registered with the District.

If you are not registered

You can register in person with the School District Board of Registration on the following dates in the Office of the District Clerk at The Sanborn Map Building, 629 Fifth Avenue:

Wednesday, April 9 from 10am-2pm
Saturday, April 19 from 10am-2pm
Tuesday, May 6 from 4-8pm

Any resident of the district who is registered to vote in general elections may vote in the annual budget vote and school board member election without registering with the school district Board of Registration.

A qualified voter may register to vote in the May 20, 2025 election by registering to vote with the Westchester County Board of Elections. You may contact the Westchester County Board of Elections for additional information at: Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, New York 10601, or by calling (914) 995-2000, or by their website at: citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/register-to-vote. You may also register through the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website at: https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application

Please call Valerie Miller, District Clerk, at 914-738-3434, x-1155 if you have any questions.

Absentee Ballots

Qualifications for Absentee Ballots

If a registered voter will not be able to get to the polls on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 between 7am – 9pm, for one or more of the following reasons, absentee ballots are available:

absence from county on election day
temporary illness or physical disability*
permanent illness of physical disability
duties related to primary care of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled
resident or patient of Veterans Health Administration Hospital
detention in jail/prison, awaiting trial, awaiting action by a grand jury, or in prison for conviction of a crime or offense which was not a felony

To Vote by Absentee Ballot

Fill out a School District Absentee Ballot Application (not before Monday, April 21, 2025) and return it to the District Clerk by mail, email or in person
Upon receipt of an Absentee Ballot, fill out the ballot
Return the completed Absentee Ballot to the district

Applications, together with instructions for absentee ballots, can be downloaded from the District website.

Download Absentee Ballot Application (English)

Download Absentee Ballot Application (Spanish)

If absentee ballots are to be mailed to the voter, completed applications must be returned to the District Clerk, at The Sanborn Map Building, 629 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803 no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

If applications are delivered personally, they must be turned in to the District Clerk at The Sanborn Map Building, 629 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803 by 4pm on Monday, May 19, 2025.

All absentee ballots must be returned by 5pm on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in order to be included in the tallies.

Valerie Miller, District Clerk, is located in the The Sanborn Map Building, 629 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803. Please contact her for any questions on the Budget Vote and School Board Election at (914) 738-3434, ext. 1155 or via email at vmiller@pelhamschools.org

New York Early Mail Voting

To Vote by Early Mail Voting

Fill out a School District Early Mail Voting Application (not before Monday, April 21, 2025) and return it to the District Clerk by mail, email or in person
Upon receipt of an Early Mail Voting Ballot, fill out the ballot
Return the completed Early Mail Voting Ballot to the district

Applications, together with instructions for Early Mail Voting ballots, can be downloaded from the District website.

Early Mail Voting Application

Early Mail Voting Application - Spanish

If Early Mail Voting ballots are to be mailed to the voter, completed applications must be returned to the District Clerk at The Sanborn Map Building, 629 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803 no later than 4pm. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

If applications are delivered personally, they must be turned in to the District Clerk at The Sanborn Map Building, 629 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803 by 4pm on Monday, May 19, 2025.

All early mail voting ballots must be returned by 5pm on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in order to be included in the tallies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What am I being asked to vote on?

Why is the District seeking to purchase this property?

The house could fill an immediate need for administrative offices, relocating a portion of the staff members whose offices are now in rental space at the Sanborn Map Building. Moving existing staff into District-owned property would allow the District to eliminate or reduce the amount of money it pays in rent.

Additionally, the property at 29 Franklin Place is in close proximity to the Pelham Memorial High School and Pelham Middle School campus. This rare opportunity to purchase property at this location could fulfill long term educational purposes for our students.

Doesn't the District already have property for administrative offices?

Following the successful 2018 bond referendum, which in part funded conversion of administrative office space in PMHS into classrooms, the community voted in 2019 to acquire property at 314 Pelhamdale Avenue adjacent to Colonial School. That property is now office space for the District's Business Office (8 staff members).

The remaining staff who could not be accommodated at Pelhamdale Avenue are now working in rental space at the Sanborn Map Building.

Will the house require renovations prior to District administration moving in?

Why purchase the property now?

Property in close proximity to our schools is in short supply and it is rare for the District to have an opportunity to acquire land that will fulfill District needs. The current property owners approached the District this year to see if there was interest in purchasing the property. Given the immediate potential use for administrative offices and the long-term possibilities for other educational uses, the District pursued the opportunity.

How much will this cost and will it be part of the bond?

The negotiated purchase price for the property is $1.45 million. The District estimates a renovation budget of $400,000 to convert the house into office space, add accessibility ramps/bathroom updates for ADA compliance, etc. bringing the total cost to $1.85 million. The Board of Education will use unassigned fund balance to pay the full cost. The house purchase and renovations will not be part of the proposed capital bond. Accordingly, no additional taxes will be levied for the purchase or renovation of the house.

How was the purchase price of $1.45 million established?

What is Unassigned Fund Balance?

How many staff members can be accommodated in the house?

Currently, 15 staff members are located in the Sanborn Map Building rental space. The District estimates that approximately 9 staff members can fit into the house at 29 Franklin Place. If/when the proposition to acquire the house is approved by voters, the District will engage architects to create final plans for offices and workstations.

The District will also explore alternative locations for the remaining 6 staff members with the goal of no longer needing to rent office space.