To the editor:

We are parents of two Pelham Memorial High School students and one Pelham Middle School student. During the last year, along with our 10th grade son, we led the creation of Flux Robotics, Pelham’s robotics team. Twenty-seven PMHS students met in our basement on weekends from December 2024 through April 2025, designing and building a robot and strategizing to compete in a tournament organized by FIRST Robotics, the world’s premier student robotics organization.

Team members have raved to us about how the season impacted them. One called it “the most meaningful, passion-driven and rewarding extracurricular I do.” Another has changed her career goals and decided to pursue engineering based on the experience. The team exceeded expectations when its robot competed at the New York City Regional Tournament in April, winning the prestigious Rookie All-Star Award. All of this was supported by our proud Pelham community, including administrators and faculty at the high school, parents, friends of the team, the Pelham Civic Association and local businesses, all of whom stepped up to back this exciting learning experience for our school’s highly motivated students.

Currently, the team is independent, meaning we raise our own money and host building sessions (and provide the substantial amount of required parts and equipment) in our basement. We mentor the team using a combination of volunteers and a professional engineer we hired. We believe the most effective way for this team to continue enriching the lives of budding engineers and builders in Pelham is for it to become part of the high school. This is how most FIRST Robotics teams exist, including teams at peer public schools in Westchester County. Administrators and faculty at the high school have been as supportive of the team as they can be. However, the fact is that the school does not currently have the space required to host a robotics team on the scale of Flux. There is also a need for a faculty advisor who would be able to devote the time required to mentor and guide the team.

The funds from the Proposition 3 bond issue will enable the addition of eight science classrooms to the high school. We hope this will include engineering classrooms and a robotics lab, which would both create space for the team and help attract a faculty advisor. We therefore support Proposition 3 and Proposition 1 (which must pass for Proposition 3 to pass). As proud parents of three Siwanoy Elementary School alumni, we also support Proposition 2.

We urge others to support these measures to afford our youngest community members a better and more enriching educational experience.

Chiara and Justin Goodyear

540 Monterey Ave.