Leslie Pollak for Croton Board of Education

02/07/2026

We are so proud of Jeremy for being named 2026 Valedictorian of croton Harmon Schools. He worked
So hard to achieve this wonderful accomplishment. Congrats to Maya for being named salutatorian! .

🎓 CHHS Announces the Class of 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian 🎓

Congratulations to Jeremy Pollak, Valedictorian, and Maya Sebestyen, Salutatorian!

From a shared love of learning and curiosity to leadership in academics, athletics, clubs, and research, Jeremy and Maya exemplify what it means to be engaged, thoughtful, and well-rounded learners. Their journeys reflect years of perseverance, balance, and passion nurtured throughout their K–12 experience in the Croton-Harmon School District.

👏 We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the example they set for our school community.

🔗 Read the full story: www.chufsd.org/news

01/25/2026

Why is our BOE using data comparing us to PNW Boces schools? Is it bc one of our board members is a board member of that org? It is misrepresented data. I am pretty confident Chappaqua compares themselves to Westchester County Schools not Putnam county schools. We pay Westchester taxes not Putnam County. Unacceptable! The entire country uses data from each county not made up rules. To the public: time to wake up.

12/10/2025

Hello everyone! Happy holiday season! Just curious: parents and community members: what are your most significant concerns about the current state of affairs within the Croton Harmon School District? Many of you reached out to me.. I want to hear from you and see how I can help. How many of you are interested in the next board election? Let’s see how many comments and likes appear here over next 72 hours

09/26/2025

Congratulations to my son Jeremy and all of his classmates who have earned the honor of being named national merit commended scholars. Congrats to Gaby Stok for being named a semifinalist. These children are examples of children who mastered ELA and math.. two very important disciplines. To all parents: do not underestimate the importance of simple literacy. It is the foundation of an education. And despite croton BOE members and administration not caring about measurable outcomes, the rest of the world does. They care if their children are proficient and literate. Let’s see what happens when the grades are published.

👏 Congratulations to CHHS seniors Romy Files, Celia Gesue, Bronwyn Hunt, Max Kramer, Jeremy Pollak, Maya Sebestyen, Michael Sena, and Archer Sheridan for being named Commended Students in the 2026 National Merit® Scholarship Program! 🌟
Only about 2.6% of students nationwide earn this distinction.
📖 Read more: chufsd.org/news

09/16/2025

Congratulations to Michael Plotkin! He has been a wonderful caring principal who has made a difference. Parents: there may be 2-3 vacancies for principals this year. Parents should demand that well qualified experienced educators be hired for these positions and that there by a transparent hiring process. Our district is lacking expertise in many areas.

09/16/2025

Looking forward to hearing more!!

09/16/2025

Hello everyone. There have been many views on this site lately. Many people have been contacting me about loss of instruction time and increased free time for their Children at CHHS due to change in schedules. My advice has been to wait and watch and learn. However, teachers are expressing their concerns about loss of instructional time. Please know that my belief in accountability, measurable outcomes and schools providing a safe space by which we impart knowledge and a love of learning still exists.

I am planning to share some important information that has been asked of me regarding certain matters in the near future. Please let me know if you wish to have a meeting to discuss concerns or simply to ask parents of older parents some advice. I will happily make that happen. I can also do a zoom or meet with people individually. Simply pm me or messenger or indicate here.

Enjoy your children and school! They grow up fast. Happy September everyone!

05/21/2025

As predicted, all my past work in demanding accountability and putting students first which lent itself to a concerted school wide campaign against me, had the predicted outcome. It was a surprisingly close race considering the dirty politics, but I am thrilled that my running mate Allison Samuels was elected as the favorite. She deserves it. I feel so happy knowing that she will be a part of that BOE. I will continue to do what I have done for 15 years to help support Croton Kids and their families. A special thanks to my “cabinet” friends who supported and drove our campaign. You made this all possible and more importantly opened up district wide conversations.

05/18/2025

Mark your calendars to vote this Tuesday, May 20 at the High School. Vote on the BOE, School Budget and Library Budget. Watch the candidates forum from 5/14 here: https://www.youtube.com/live/SK5Pj-lvmAs

05/18/2025

Classes run until the end of June and the health of our students must be a top priority as we learn about the effects of rising temperatures on children. Is the air conditioning installation in CET complete? Are the plans in place for their physical safety in the heat adequate? This article from Harvard gives some good guidance on managing this new reality.

A paper published earlier this year highlighted the dangers of rising temperatures on infants’ development and health, offered practical solutions to mitigate its effects

05/18/2025

Many parents have requested more information from points Allison and I made at the forum. This post gives some of the answers. I encourage every parent to watch the forum and see how some candidates do research, learn from asking questions of the faculty and parent body, provide data, and solutions. It is important that this community make an informed decision.

Let's ask the hard questions! Last night I had a chance to speak with concerned parents of PVC and CHHS students who were uncomfortable with the large (40 students) and long (two class periods) first-year CHHS classes their kids were taking or scheduled to take. It has been challenging for many and it is unclear how the success of these new courses is being measured. Larger, less personal classes, is this the direction our kids need?

05/16/2025

Please check out the CHUFSD Board of Education Candidate Forum from last night!! I am very pleased with how Alison and I presented facts and prepared to show why we believe that Croton Kids always come first. https://www.youtube.com/live/SK5Pj-lvmAs?si=0oWqpit4VCZ5yYk_

CHUFSD Board of Education Candidate Forum