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Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 16 White Plains City School District students stood beside a memorial Friday morning to help a community honor six of its own and nearly 3,000 others whose lives were taken that day. The White Plains High School and Highlands Middle School students – accompanied by teachers Emory Davis, Paul Davis and Michael Sanchez – joined city officials, first responders, clergy members, families and community members at Liberty Park for the city’s 25th Anniversary September 11 Remembrance Ceremony.

Students across the White Plains City School District streamed into schools on Wednesday morning with a mix of excitement, anticipation and a few butterflies to kick off the 2026-27 academic year. Teachers and staff greeted the students with hugs and smiles, parents squeezed in a few final photographs and school leaders stood ready to welcome thousands of young Tigers back after the long summer break.

Two White Plains High School students are bringing a new opportunity to classmates interested in business, finance, marketing and entrepreneurship with the launch of the school’s first DECA chapter this fall. Judah Zev Goldman and Amir Melibaev are the founders and co-presidents of the chapter, which will give students hands-on experience tackling real-world business challenges while developing leadership, communication and problem-solving skills.

White Plains City School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca opened the new academic year with a spirit of excitement, energy and pride on Tuesday morning as he delivered his annual welcome-back address to faculty and staff. Dr. Ricca highlighted student accomplishments, innovative programs and academic growth during his almost hourlong address in the White Plains High School auditorium, where he challenged the crowd to build on the district’s success for the 2026-27 academic year. His theme, “Building on the Past, Shaping the Future,” reflected both pride in what White Plains schools accomplished over the past year and a determination to continue forging ahead for the young Tigers.

Five White Plains High School students marked an important educational milestone Monday evening as the district celebrated its Summer Graduation Ceremony. Two of the graduates -- Axel Tapia and Jessica Tapia Salustio -- attended the ceremony with family members, teachers, administrators and district leaders. The other three – Alje Burton, Alexis DeJesus and Brandon Tamayo Zuniga – could not make it. Summer School Principal Sara Hall congratulated the graduates for persevering through high school and completing the work necessary to earn their diplomas.

Jessica Graves is bringing a philosophy built around listening, responsiveness and building strong relationships with employees to her new role as Director of Human Resources for the White Plains City School District. Ms. Graves comes to White Plains from the Mount Vernon City School District, where she most recently served as Associate Superintendent for Human Resources. She said White Plains’ reputation, diversity and opportunities for students all attracted her to the position, as did the professionalism of its staff and the district’s investment in its schools.

Durham School Services has shared an important back-to-school update for White Plains City School District families about student transportation and the BusZone app.  

White Plains Police Officer Jasmine Albert has been named the School Resource Officer of the Year by the State of New York Police Juvenile Officers Association, recognizing her commitment to the students, families and school community she serves. As one of the White Plains Department of Public Safety’s School Resource Officers, Officer Albert has focused on building positive relationships with young people, earning their trust and serving as a dependable resource within the schools.

Community members, educators, administrators, and parents came together on August 12 to evaluate and discuss the White Plains City School District's Strategic Plan, continuing the district’s annual process of reviewing priorities and identifying opportunities to strengthen student outcomes.

With nearly four decades in education and experience spanning elementary and secondary schools, Madeline Paneto-Gonzalez is bringing a veteran educator’s perspective to her new role as acting assistant principal at Church Street School. She describes herself as a team player eager to support students, teachers, parents and school leadership while keeping one principle at the center of her work: “Always putting children first.”

Monica Arismendez, the new assistant principal at Post Road Elementary School, grew up in the White Plains City School District, was inspired by the educators she encountered as a student and ultimately chose to build her own career in the same school system. Ms. Arismendez, who is beginning her 10th year in the district, said she has wanted to pursue school leadership since she was in high school.   “Building leadership is something I’ve wanted since I was a student here in White Plains,” she said. “To be able to serve my community in this way has just been really special.”

Brandon Elezovic and Brian Zambrzycki have joined White Plains High School as the East and South House Administrators, respectively. Mr. Elezovic comes to WPHS from the NYC Department of Education, where he most recently worked in the Bronx. He previously taught physical education in the Middletown school district in Orange County and has also coached varsity diving. Mr. Zambrzycki comes from the Bedford Central School District, where he served as a school psychologist. He has also worked as a psychologist at schools in Orange County and previously worked for the NYS Office of Mental Health.

White Plains students turned part of their summer vacation into an opportunity to learn how they can make a difference in their schools, city and community through the White Plains Middle School Summer Civic Seal Program. The Summer Academy program gave the young Tigers a hands-on introduction to civic engagement, combining lessons in citizenship and advocacy with opportunities to meet local leaders and develop projects addressing real-world issues. The class was led by WPHS Social Studies teacher Jawanda Weston, who serves as the school’s New York State Seal of Civic Readiness facilitator, along with summer intern Ian Aramburo, an incoming 10th-grader.

Dr. Andrew Trust is bringing more than two decades of experience in education to his new role as principal of Highlands Middle School, where he plans to focus on building relationships, listening to the school community and creating an environment where students feel supported and excited to learn. His career has included teaching special education, social studies and English, coaching, serving in coordinator and administrative roles and spending seven years as an assistant principal at Suffern High School in Rockland County. He most recently served as principal of Suffern Middle School, a position he held since September 2020.

For longtime White Plains educator Eileen McGuire, stepping into her new role as interim principal of George Washington Elementary School is both a new beginning and a homecoming. Ms. McGuire, a former principal of Mamaroneck Avenue School, brings decades of experience as a teacher and administrator to George Washington. After retiring from the district in 2021, she has continued to answer the call when White Plains schools have needed her.

From holding a black bear skull to discovering the marine life of Long Island Sound, White Plains elementary students immersed themselves in the wonders of the natural world Tuesday during the district’s Elementary Summer Program at Post Road School. The program, which serves about 300 students in grades K-4, blends academic support with engaging, hand-on experiences designed to keep children learning throughout July.

Are you interested in working in the White Plains City School District? Apply now! The WPCSD is hiring substitute teachers, substitute teaching assistants and cafeteria recess monitors. Please apply at www.olasjobs.org. To apply for a cafeteria recess monitor position, you can also send an email with your resume and cover letter to hr@wpcsd.k12.ny.us.

With more than two decades of experience in special education and a lifelong passion for helping children reach their fullest potential, Lori Graham has joined the White Plains City School District as its new Secondary Director of Special Education. Ms. Graham brings more than 20 years of experience serving students with disabilities in a variety of roles, beginning her career as a speech-language pathologist before advancing into educational leadership.

What began as an idea in middle school has grown into a nationally recognized engineering achievement for White Plains High School graduate Francis Fokoue-Nkoutche.The Class of 2026 grad earned a Silver Medal in Engineering at the National NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) Competition in Chicago for developing an innovative headset that helps youths with sensory disorders hear directed speech while filtering out distracting background noise.

While many students are enjoying summer break, hundreds of White Plains City School District scholars are spending part of their vacation building skills, preparing for Regents exams, exploring civic engagement and preparing for college. Spread across White Plains High School, the summer programs serve about 600 middle and high school students through a wide array of opportunities designed to help them succeed, according to Assistant Principal Sara Hall, who serves as the summer principal. The traditional middle school program focuses on English Language Arts and math. Students are identified through various data points, including class grades, state assessments and academic growth assessments such as NWEA's Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). "It's really giving them the prerequisite skills to be successful in the following school year," Ms. Hall said Wednesday morning.