2026 Budget Vote and Trustee Election - Bedford Central School District

Voter Registration Information

In order to vote in the Bedford Central School District's Annual Budget Vote/Election on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, you must be a registered voter.

To be eligible to vote you must:

be a citizen of the United States.
be at least 18 years old by May 19, 2026 (the date of the election).
be a resident of the school district for at least 30 days prior to May 19, 2026.
be registered with either the school district's board of registration or with the county board of elections. If you have previously registered to vote, but have not voted in either a school district or general election in the last four years, you must re-register to vote. (You can call the District Clerk to verify your registration status.)

Register to vote:

To register to vote in all elections including school district elections: please click here for Westchester County Voter Registration information.
To register to vote in the BCSD Budget Vote and Trustee Election only: You may register for school elections in person at the Administration Building with Sandra Speyer, District Clerk, at 632 South Bedford Road Bedford, NY 10506, during the hours of 8:30am-3:30pm up to five (5) days before the vote. The last day to register to vote is Thursday, May 14, 2026.
You may also register at the elementary school in your attendance zone Monday-Friday 10am-2pm.
The last day for personal registration is Thursday, May 14, 2026.

Prospective Board Member Information

PROSPECTIVE BOARD TRUSTEE CANDIDATE PACKET

Budget Vote and Trustee Election

MAY 19, 2026

2 Seats: 3-year Term, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029

PETITIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE DISTRICT CLERK

(OR HER DESIGNEE)

NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM ON MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2026

PLEASE DELIVER TO THE DISTRICT CLERK

IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ON THE FOX LANE CAMPUS

632 SOUTH BEDFORD ROAD, BEDFORD, NY 10506

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL SANDRA AT: SSPEYER3549@BCSDNY.ORG OR CALL (914) 241-6011

2026 Prospective Board of Education Trustee Information

The Bedford Central School District’s annual Budget Vote and Trustee Election will take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

There are two (2) open trustee seats on the board. Candidacy to run for the School Board must be declared by 5pm on Monday, April 20, 2026. The two (2) vacancies to be filled are for a full term of three (3) years commencing on July 1, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2029.

All seats are at-large, meaning candidates do not run for specific seats. The two (2) present incumbents are Ms. Betsy Sharma and Mr. Leo Sposato. The two highest vote getters will be elected to the three-year terms.

Candidate packets are available at the Administration Building on the Fox Lane Campus with the District Clerk, Monday-Friday 8:30am-3:30pm. You may also download and print the information below. Nominating petitions must be filed with the District Clerk, Sandra Speyer (or her designee), by 5PM on Monday, April 20, 2026 at the Administration Building at 632 South Bedford Road, Bedford, NY 10506.

All candidates must have the following qualifications:

Must be able to read and write;
Must be a US Citizen;
Must be at least 18 years old;
Must be a qualified voter of the school district;
Must be a resident of the school district continuously for one year before the election;
Must not reside in the same household with a family member who is already a member of the school board;
May not be a current employee of the school district;
May not simultaneously hold another incompatible public office.

In accordance with Section 2018 of the State Education Law, nominating petitions must state the name and residence address of the candidate and be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified district voters or two percent (2%) of the number of voters who voted in the previous annual election, whichever is greater. In the previous annual election we had a total of 2,054 voters of which 2% is 41, therefore each candidate will be required to have 41 signatures of qualified district voters. Please ask each signer to also PRINT their name, and the residence address must be listed by location, not mailing address (i.e., 100 Bedford Road, not RR# or Box 123). An RR# or Box will not be acceptable as a candidate’s or signer’s address.

Each petition must be directed to the Clerk of the School District and filed in the Office of the District Clerk in the Administration Building on the Fox Lane Campus between the hours of 8:30am and 3:30pm on any day the office is open, but on or before 5pm Monday, April 20, 2026.

The filing deadline for nomination petitions is 5pm on Monday, April 20, 2026.

Any candidate for election to the Board of Education must file sworn campaign expenditure and contribution statements with the District Clerk (and the Commissioner of Education in the event expenditures and/or contributions exceed $500) in accordance with the provisions of Article 32, Sections 1528 and 1529 of the Education Law. In addition, candidates must report, within 24 hours, any contribution or loan in excess of $1,000 received by the candidate within five days prior to the election.

Filing deadlines for the three (3) statements are:

Thirty days prior to the election: April 20, 2026 (first statement)
Five days prior to the election: May 14, 2026 (second statement)
Twenty days following the election : June 8, 2026 (third statement)

Please see the links below for helpful information from The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and Westchester Putnam School Boards Association (WPSBA).

WPSBA

School Board Governance

Prospective Candidate Information

Prospective School Board member Workshop-English

Prospective School Board member Workshop-Spanish

NYSSBA

School Board Member Experience

School Board Member Resources

Running for School Board-English

Running for School Board-Spanish

What all Prospective School Board Members Should Know

Prospective Candidate Forms - All Forms Must Be Submitted

All forms must be filled out and submitted to the District Clerk no later than 5pm on Monday, April 20, 2026. Missing information may void the submission.

Conflict of Interest Statement

No member of the Bedford Central School District Board of Education or any of its committees will derive any personal profit or gain, directly or indirectly, by reason of their participation with the Bedford CSD. Each individual will disclose to the Bedford CSD any personal interest which they may have in any matter pending before the Bedford CSD and will refrain from participation in any decision on such matter.

Any member of the Bedford CSD Board, who is an officer, board member, or a committee member will identify their affiliation with such agency or agencies; further, in connection with any committee or board action specifically directed to that agency, they will not participate in the decision affecting that agency and the decision must be made and/or ratified by the full board.

Any member of the Bedford CSD Board will refrain from obtaining any list of Bedford CSD staff, parents, students and vendors or contractors for personal or private solicitation purposes at any time during the term of their affiliation. At this time, I am a Board member, a committee member, or an employee of the following listed organizations:_____________________________________________

I hereby certify that except as described below, I am not now, nor at any time during the past year have been:

A participant, directly or indirectly, in any arrangement, agreement, investment, or other activity with any vendor, supplier, or other party; doing business with the Bedford CSD which has resulted or could result in personal benefit to me.
A recipient, directly or indirectly, of any salary payments, loans, or gifts of any kind (exceeding $75.00) or any free service or discounts or other fees from or on behalf of any person or organization engaged in any transaction with the Bedford CSD.

Any exceptions to 1 or 2 above are stated on the attached sheet with a full description of the transactions and of the interest, whether direct or indirect, which I have (or have had during the past year) in the persons or organizations having transactions with the Bedford CSD.

Printed Name: _________________________________

Signature: ____________________________________

Date: _________________

Conflict of interest statement - english

Conflict of interest statement - spanish

Release of Name, Address, and Telephone Number

RELEASE OF NAME, ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBER

The media calls upon the District Clerk to provide them with a list of candidates running for the Bedford Central School District Board of Education. In addition, PTA members and the community may request this information in connection with a Meet the Candidates Night designed to acquaint the community with the Board Candidates.

This release gives the District Clerk the authority to release your name, address and telephone number(s) as provided to them to any persons requesting the names of candidates seeking election to the Bedford Central School District Board of Education and/or candidates elected to the Board.

I hereby authorize the District Clerk to make public the following information:

Name: ___________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Telephone: ( ) Home ( ) Cell ____________________________

Email Address: _____________________

Candidate’s Signature:

___________________________________________________

Date: ___________________

candidate release of information statement - english

candidate release of information statement - spanish

Expenditure and Contribution Statements

FOR CANDIDATES OF THE

BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

MAY 19, 2026 ELECTION

In accordance with Sections 1528 and 1529 of Education Law, all candidates for member of the Board of Education must file three campaign expenditure and contribution statements (contained in this packet) even if nothing was spent $0.00 and remit them to the District Clerk on the following deadline dates:

The first statement is due on or before the 30^thday (counting weekends) before the election; April 20, 2026.
The second statement is due on or before the 5^thday before the election; May 14, 2026.
The third statement is due within 20 days after the election; June 8, 2026 .

If a board candidate expends and/or others expend on their behalf with their consent less than $500, and the aggregate amount of contributions to the candidate does not exceed $500, a sworn statement to that effect must be filed with the District Clerk.

If a board candidate expends more than $500 and/or others expend on their behalf with their consent, and/or receives more than $500 in contributions or loans, a sworn statement must be filed with both the District Clerk and the Commissioner of Education.

If the expenditures and/or contributions are more than $500, the expenditure and contribution statements must include the following information:

Dollar amount of any contribution or transfer or the fair market value of any item which is other than money;
The name and address of the transferor, contributor or person from whom received;
If the transferor or contributor is a political committee, the date of receipt, the dollar amount of every expenditure, and the name and address of the person to whom it was made;
The date of the expenditure(s) and a description of the expenditure(s).

Any contribution or loan that exceeds $1,000 received after the close of the period covered in the last statement before the election must be reported within 24 hours after receipt. That statement must be completed, signed by the candidate, and notarized.

This includes payments for travel expenses, writing, printing and transmission costs of any letter, circular or other publication containing a statement of position or views of the candidate or other person upon public or other questions, including stationery, and postage, telegraph, telephone and public messenger service.

EXPENDITURE STATEMENT BY CANDIDATE FOR ELECTION TO THE BEDFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

BOARD MEMBER ELECTION: TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2026

FIRST FILING: MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2026

SECOND FILING: THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026

THIRD FILING: MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2026

I, ______________________________ am a candidate for member of the Board of Education of the Bedford Central School District, at an election to be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

COMPLETE THIS SECTION IF LESS THAN $500 HAS BEEN EXPENDED OR RECEIVED IN CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THE PARTICULAR REPORTING PERIOD:

I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT:

as of _________, 2026, I have expended and/or others have expended on my behalf, with my approval, less than $500 on my campaign in support of my candidacy for this office; and

_____ as of ___________, 2026, the aggregate amount of contributions received by my campaign does not exceed $500.

COMPLETE THIS SECTION IF MORE THAN $500 HAS BEEN EXPENDED OR RECEIVED IN CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THE PARTICULAR REPORTING PERIOD:

I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT:

__ as of _________, 2026, I have expended and/or others have expended on my behalf, with my approval, a total of $ _____to my campaign in support of my candidacy for this office. If you check this, you must complete the attached sheet.

as of _________, 2026the aggregate amount of contributions made by others on my behalf, with my approval, was $ . If you check this, you must complete the attached sheet.

Signature of Candidate

______________________________

NOTE: IF YOU RECEIVE A CONTRIBUTION OR LOAN OF MORE THAN $1,000 AFTER THE FILING OF THE SECOND STATEMENT, YOU MUST REPORT IT, IN A NOTARIZED WRITING, TO BOTH THE DISTRICT CLERK AND COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION WITHIN 24 HOURS OF RECEIPT.

Sworn to before me this

____ day of ___________, 2026

______________________________________

Notary Public

EXPENDITURE AND CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT FOR

MAY 19, 2026 ELECTION

This form must be completed if you (and/or others) expend more than $500 on your campaign during any reporting period or if you receive more than $500 in campaign contributions during any reporting period.

CAMPAIGN EXPENSES:

EXPENSE	DATE	AMOUNT

CONTRIBUTIONS:

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR	ADDRESS	AMOUNT/FAIR MARKET VALUE

NOTE: If Contributor is a Political Committee, include Political Unit Represented, date of receipt, dollar amount of every expenditure and name and address of the person to whom it is made.

Name: _______________________________

Date Submitted: ______________________

Sworn to before me this

day of ________, 2026

_____________________________________

Notary Public

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT

FOR CONTRIBUTIONS OF MORE THAN $1,000 RECEIVED

AFTER FILING OF SECOND EXPENDITURE AND CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT

I, ___________________, am a candidate for members of the Board of Education of the Bedford Central School District, at an election to be held on May 19, 2026.

I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT:

The following contribution(s) made by others, on my behalf, with my approval, exceeded

$1,000 and was received after the filing of the second statement. This report is being made within 24 hours of receipt of the contribution.

NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRIBUTOR	DATE RECEIVED	AMOUNT/FAIR MARKET VALUE

Signature of Candidate: ___________________________________

Date: ______________________

NOTE: If Contributor is a Political Committee, include Political Unit Represented, date of receipt, dollar amount of each expenditure and name and address of the person to whom it is made.

Sworn to before me this

____day of ____________, 2026

____________________________________

Notary Public

Expenditure and contribution statements - english

expenditure and contribuiton statements - spanish

Nominating Petition

NOMINATING PETITION

41 Signatures required*

Must be returned to the District Clerk by 5 p.m. April 20, 2026

TO: Sandra Speyer

Bedford Central School District

Administration Building, Fox Lane Campus

632 So. Bedford Road

Bedford, NY 10506

We, the undersigned, qualified voters of the Bedford Central School District, Westchester County, Bedford, New York, pursuant to Section 2018 of the Education Law of the State of New York, do hereby nominate by this petition:

Candidate’s Name: _____________________________________

Candidate’s Address: _____________________________________

_____________________________________

for the office of trustee of the Board of Education of said Bedford Central School District.

#	Print Name	Signature	Address (No PO Box #’s)

*Note: Petitions require a minimum of 25 signatures or 2% of the number of voters who voted in the previous annual election, whichever is greater. There were 2,054 votes cast in the 2025 Budget Vote & Board Trustee Election; therefore, a minimum of 41 qualified voters’ signatures is required.

nominating petitions - english

nominating petitions - spanish

General Information for Bedford CSD Board Trustee Candidates

The Bedford CSD Board has 7 Board trustees who are elected by the community for a three-year term of office. Board trustee elections are held annually on the 3^rd Tuesday in May, at the same time as the annual budget vote.

Candidate Seat Award Process:

The person(s) receiving the highest numbers of votes (including write-in votes) are elected to the vacant seat(s). The top vote getter(s) will be elected to the three-year term seat(s).

If there are fewer candidates than seats available:

Only the names of candidates who submit petitions will be on the ballot.
Others can then run as write-in candidates.
The highest vote getters will be elected, with the highest vote getters receiving the longest term seats.

A school board trustee is an elected volunteer and a representative of the Board of Education, a member of the community and part of the District’s governance team. This team is comprised of the full Board and the Superintendent. Board trustees act as a unit, with actions made by majority vote of the full membership. As a Board trustee you will be asked to vote on decisions and major issues that affect students, staff and residents of the District. Board trustees are required to maintain confidentiality.

Board Meetings: Board trustees are expected to attend Board meetings, serve on board sub-committees and attend various school functions. Generally, the Bedford Central School District has one to two regular meetings per month, typically held on a Wednesday. There may be more or fewer meetings depending on need. Meetings typically begin at 6:00pm with a call to order and attendance taken, then the Board generally immediately enters into executive session (as needed). Executive Session is attended by the Board trustees, the Superintendent, and any person(s) invited by the Board or Superintendent. Open Session resumes when the Board is done with Executive Session, typically about 7:00 p.m. At times during the year, additional meetings may be required. “Special” meetings are called when a Board action must be taken on something prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. Summer meetings are typically held in the morning or as indicated. All meetings go until business is completed or an agreement to adjourn has been reached.

Board Trustee Attendance and Preparation: A board meeting cannot be held without a quorum of the board present (4 or more members for our district). It is important to notify the District Clerk if you are unable to attend a meeting. Board trustees receive regular communication from the Superintendent and District Clerk as a means of keeping them informed of events as they occur. Board meeting agendas are made available to the board trustees via BoardDocs in advance of the public agenda release. Board trustees are expected to become familiar with the items to be discussed and voted on at a meeting to enable them to cast an informed vote. School board trustees take official action only by majority vote at an official meeting.

Board trustees participate in Board advisory subcommittee groups. During the July Organizational Meeting, Board trustees volunteer to serve on specific committees for that particular school year. The maximum number of BOE trustees that can serve on any one committee is three (3), with two (2) members constituting a quorum of the subcommittee. The President of the BOE may attend any committee as an ex-officio non-voting member. All Board trustees should become familiar with the District’s policies, found on BoardDocs, and any issues the District is facing.

Board trustees must maintain confidentiality.

CAMPAIGN RULES

As we are entering our budget season and heading toward our May 19, 2026 budget vote and election, I would like to share some information for you to keep in mind as you may be campaigning. This might answer questions you might also have along the way.

The following are the guidelines for campaigning:

School district funds, resources, or property may not be used for campaigning. This includes School District emails which cannot be used to solicit support for the budget, a proposition, or a candidate or candidates at any time.

It is prohibited to campaign and/or distribute flyers, signs, posters, banners and/or any other campaign material, in or on any school building property, on vehicles parked on school property or on any part of the school’s physical campus, etc. This includes, but is not limited to, school sponsored events, sporting events, concerts, Board of Education meetings, School Board work sessions, and any other like events, etc. occurring on any campus.

It is prohibited to campaign and/or distribute flyers, signs, posters, banners and/or any other campaign material, at any place or location where budget information is being presented.  This includes, but is not limited to, School Board meetings, School Board work sessions or any other locations within the district where factual information regarding the budget is being presented to the public.

If you purchase lawn signs, they should not be placed on any school property and/or on the property of any voting location.  They should also not be placed near the driveway entrances of any of the school’s properties and/or voting locations.  Lawn signs found in those areas will be removed (no guarantee they will be returned).

Please be mindful of not placing signs, posters, banners, etc. on personal property without permission.  You should check with the three local towns regarding ordinances related to signs.

Flyers, signs, posters, banners and/or any other campaign material cannot be brought to, or left, in any building or on any campus for distribution.

After the election, signs, posters, banners, etc. should be removed as soon as you possibly can do so.

Placing flyers in individual mailboxes in the community may be a federal offense. Check with your local post offices.

On May 19, 2026:

Electioneering is defined as taking part, actively, in the activities of an election campaign; and/or trying to convince people how or who to vote for; and/or use of flyers, posters, banners, etc.
Electioneering will not be allowed within 100 radial feet of the front entrance of each of the three polling places.
Flyers, signs, posters, banners and/or other campaign material cannot be brought into or left inside any of the polling locations.

Absentee, Early Mail, and Military Ballot Information

To obtain a ballot for the 2026 Budget Vote and Trustee Election an application must be completed and returned to the District Clerk before a ballot can be provided. Applications cannot be accepted before April 20, 2026 (30 days prior to the election).

Absentee Ballots

Absentee ballot applications are available from Sandra Speyer, District Clerk, at the Administration Building on the Fox Lane Campus during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) or by downloading the application (aplicación).

Absentee ballot applications should be submitted in original form, with the original signature. Applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the vote/election (May 12, 2026) if the ballot will be mailed to the voter and by the day before the vote/election (May 18, 2026) if the ballot will be personally picked up by the voter or the voter’s agent. A ballot may not be given to anyone other than the voter or the person authorized by the voter to pick up the ballot on their behalf.

Once the application has been completed and returned to the District Clerk (in its original form), a ballot will be mailed to the address specified on the application. It is anticipated that the Board will approve the budget at their Wednesday, April 22, 2026 meeting. Ballots will be mailed out to applicants after this date. All applicants will be verified as a registered voter by the District Clerk before a ballot can be mailed or hand delivered to the voter or an authorized representative of the voter.

Early Mail Ballots

Early mail ballot applications are available from Sandra Speyer, District Clerk, at the Administration Building on the Fox Lane Campus during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) or by downloading the application (aplicación).

Early mail ballot applications should be submitted in original form, with the original signature. Applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the vote/election (May 12, 2026) if the ballot will be mailed to the voter and by the day before the vote/election (May 18, 2026) if the ballot will be personally picked up by the voter or the voter’s agent. A ballot may not be given to anyone other than the voter or the person authorized by the voter to pick up the ballot on their behalf.

Once the application has been completed and returned to the District Clerk (in its original form), a ballot will be mailed to the address specified on the application. It is anticipated that the Board will approve the budget at their Wednesday, April 22, 2026 meeting. Ballots will be mailed out to applicants after this date. All applicants will be verified as a registered voter by the District Clerk before a ballot can be mailed or hand delivered to the voter or an authorized representative of the voter.

Military Ballots

Military ballot applications are available by contacting the District Clerk at 914-241-6011 or by email: sspeyer3549@bcsdny.org.

You may download an application here (aquí).

Military ballot applications must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 P.M. on April 24, 2026.

All Ballots can be:

mailed to:

Sandra Speyer, District Clerk

P.O. Box 180

Mount Kisco, NY 10549

OR

personally delivered to:

Sandra Speyer, District Clerk

Fox Lane Campus

Administration Building

632 South Bedford Road, Bedford, NY 10506.

Absentee/Early Mail and Military ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5pm on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 to be counted in the vote.

Budget Timeline

2026-2027 BUDGET TIMELINE

Date	Description
November 2025	Budget Builders Workshop - December 19th Return of Budget Data
January 28, 2026	Budget Work Session #1 & Regular Board of Education Meeting. Preliminary Budget "A" to the Board. Summary of major revenues and expenditure components; Budget Gap/Property Tax Cap.
February 25, 2026	Budget Work Session #2 & Regular Board of Education Meeting. Operations & Maintenance; Technology.
March 11, 2026	Budget Work Session #3 & Regular Board of Education Meeting. Curriculum & Instruction; Special Education.
March 25, 2026	Budget Work Session #4 & Regular Board of Education Meeting. Superintendent Budget Presentation & Deliberation.
April 3, 2026	District Clerk publishes first publication of legal notice, time and location of school election, budget hearing and budget vote.
April 8, 2026	Budget Work Session #5 & Regular Board of Education Meeting. Budget Deliberations.
April 20, 2026	Deadline for submission of Board of Education petitions (5:00 pm). Absentee ballots available. Second publication of legal notice.
April 21, 2026	BOCES Administrative Budget Adoption.
April 22, 2026	Budget Work Session #6 & Regular Board of Education Meeting. Property Tax Card Adoption; Board adoption of 2026-27 Budget. Budget Book available to public.
May 4, 2026	SED required salary disclosure form submitted. Third publication of legal notice.
May 6, 2026	Public Hearing & Regular Board of Education Meeting.
May 8, 2026	Budget Notice mailed to residents including property tax report card. Budget newsletter available.
May 12, 2026	Deadline to mail absentee ballots. Fourth publication of legal notice.
May 18, 2026	Deadline for application for absentee ballots if to be picked up.
May 19, 2026	Budget Vote and Election of BOE candidates (7:00 am - 9:00 pm). Absentee/Early Mail voting ballots due by 5:00 pm.
June 19, 2026	Statewide Budget Re-Vote Day.

Budget Presentations

At the January 28, 2026 Board of Education meeting, the district administration presented a preview of the 2026–2027 school budget. Additional budget presentations and supporting materials will be posted here as they become available.