Elmsford school tensions boil over as teachers cite turnover, low morale at board meeting
The meeting at Alexander Hamilton High School featured emotional public comments from teachers, parents and community members.
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Teachers attending the Elmsford Union Free School District Board of Education meeting Tuesday night raised concerns about what they described as high staff turnover, declining morale and changes to teacher evaluations ahead of this month’s school board election.
The meeting at Alexander Hamilton High School featured emotional public comments from teachers, parents and community members.
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“Our students ultimately pay the price for this instability, and our students deserve more,” said one community member during public comment.
The meeting comes ahead of the May 19 school board election, where incumbent John Hecht — the son of board president David Hecht — is facing challenger Charlotte Phoenix, a retired educator who said concerns over communication pushed her to run.
“I’m concerned about the level of communication between the board and parents, students, teaching personnel,” Phoenix said.
Former fourth-grade teacher Allie DeMorris claimed evaluation standards suddenly shifted for some staff members facing termination.
“We either have to resign or accept that we are being terminated, which can affect future jobs,” she said.
A News 12 review of publicly available board meeting agendas found 44 professional staff resignations during 2025 and 2026 — roughly 27% of the district’s professional staff workforce. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the national average teacher turnover rate is approximately 15%.
Supporters of the current board also spoke in defense of district leadership, pointing to investments in facilities and school improvements.
In a statement to News 12, board member John Hecht said he was proud of the district’s security improvements and fiscal responsibility.
The meeting ended abruptly after a heated exchange broke out between the board president and teachers in the audience.
News 12 reached out to the superintendent and board president, who declined to comment.
