On Tuesday, May 20, residents of the City of Peekskill will head to the polls to vote on the school district’s proposed 2025-26 budget of over $131.7 million and to elect three trustees to the Board of Education for three-year terms.
There are four candidates vying for three open seats: Mary Angel Flores, Hilda Kinga Portik-Gumbs, Frank Robinson Jr., incumbent Jillian Villon.
Peekskill Herald sent each candidate several questions to answer via email.
Mary Angel Flores
What is your vision for the Board of Education?
I envision a Board that anticipates what our students and teachers need, and works to ensure our district has the resources it needs to ensure the wellbeing and success of each student.
What credentials qualify you to serve on the school board?
My work with and service on nonprofit boards provides me with unique experience and perspectives on what makes a Board successful. I’m also a mother of three boys, all of whom will be in Peekskill schools for the 2025-2026 school year, so I have intimate knowledge of the district, including the dual language program and accommodations for neurodivergent students. I also bring the perspective of decolonized education. This experience has furthered my conviction that centering the voices of the indigenous and global majority is critically important for young people to learn as early as possible.
What are your priorities for the district and students?
My priorities are: 1) Management of the budget, 2) streamlining communications between administrators, teachers, parents, and students, especially for parents with kids in different schools, 3) support students in their academic pursuits to ensure they are prepared for the future, 4) reduce sugar in the school menu, especially for our youngest students who are still learning how to make healthy food choices.
What are some of the most pressing issues in the district?
1) Ensuring the continuation of federal funding while investigating alternate funding sources, 2) strengthening the connection between administrators, teachers, and parents, as the need for strong community is needed now more than ever, and 3) reviewing the use of technology in school, including the environmental impact of AI, specifically.
Serving on the Board of Education is a non-paid position. What motivates you to seek this volunteer role?
Volunteer service is incredibly important to me. I have spent many years giving my time through my job, and I’m ready to apply that energy more directly to my community. Education is also important to me. I would not be where I am today without the education I enjoyed.
What do you do for a living?
For nearly 16 years, I have helped nonprofits in the New York area, across the country, and internationally raise money. Specifically I have designed and managed fundraising campaigns from $20 million to $4 billion.
How long have you lived in Peekskill?
My family and I made Peekskill our home nearly nine years ago when we moved here in the summer of 2016.
Do you have children currently enrolled in the district?
I have two sons in Peekskill schools. My third will join his brothers in the fall.
Hilda Kinga Portik-Gumbs
What is your vision for the Board of Education?
I envision the Board of Education as the “glue” between the parent body and the school body, where each side has a fair opportunity to be heard while working together with one big focus in mind: helping to raise a generation of children who are not only intelligent, but brave, kind, fearless.
What credentials qualify you to serve on the school board?
On one end, my scientific background allows me to view and evaluate policies and procedures with a critical eye, focusing on evidence-based solutions that benefit the students and our community. On another end, having the personal experience of attending schools in Europe gives me the opportunity to bring a fresh and perhaps different view to the table.
What are your priorities for the district and students?
Building a strong and supportive school system where every single child thrives academically, physically and emotionally. Given my professional background, I strongly believe in building good foundations, and that includes good nutrition for our students, as it not only feeds their body but improves their cognitive and emotional well-being to reach their full potential.
What are some of the most pressing issues in the district?
I am sure each parent would have their own personal answer to this question. Afterall, we want the best for our own kids. But when we look beyond our own needs, we open the door to seeing other people’s needs just as important. Some areas that can be improved upon (and some of these are already in the focus) are ensuring nutritious meals are provided to all children as well as providing more educational opportunities for children and families on the importance of good nutrition; smoother transition from elementary to middle school; offering more writing opportunities/workshops for students, as writing is the building block for all academic and life achievements. Overall, I do believe and seen first-hand the many improvements the district has achieved, and I would love to see this echoed when others talk about Peekskill schools!
Serving on the Board of Education is a non-paid position. What motivates you to seek this volunteer role?
I believe our time is the most precious gift we can give. When we invest in our children, the building blocks of the future, we not only show up as a parent but become the very builders in the process. Just like the body needs all its parts to thrive when the people involved bring their support. We might not see the immediate results of our investment, but we can be sure that the time and effort we invest, will not go to waste and one day it will flourish.
What do you do for a living?
I am a registered dietitian, specializing in gut health, helping people improve their gut symptoms and relationship with food.
How long have you lived in Peekskill?
I have lived in Peekskill for the last 12 years.
Do you have children currently enrolled in the district?
Yes, I have two kids in the school district. My daughter is in 7th grade and my son is in 5th grade.
Frank Robinson, Jr.
What is your vision for the Board of Education?
My vision for the Peekskill City School Board is to foster an inclusive, equitable, and innovative educational environment where every student can thrive. I want our schools to be a place where all kids—regardless of their needs or backgrounds—have access to top-notch resources, dedicated teachers, and to continue programs like special education, STEAM, and extracurriculars that spark their potential. By collaborating with parents, teachers, and community members, I aim to ensure our district’s resources are managed wisely to support student success and prepare them for bright futures.
What credentials qualify you to serve on the school board?
I bring over 20 years of experience in finance and real estate asset management at Nielsen, where I’ve managed multimillion-dollar budgets, collaborated on major capital projects, and navigated complex corporate transitions. This experience equips me to help with the stewardship of our district’s precious resources. As an MBA alumnus from the Zicklin School of Business in Management Information Systems and an undergrad in Computer Science & Management from Lehman College, I understand the transformative power of education. As a parent of two Peekskill students, I’m deeply invested in our schools and committed to listening to all stakeholders to make informed decisions for our kids.
What are your priorities for the district and students?
My priorities are to ensure equitable access to quality education, including continuation of robust special education programs, STEAM, and extracurriculars like music and after-school activities. I’ll focus on responsible budgeting to maximize resources for facilities improvements, teachers, and student programs. I also prioritize collaboration with parents, teachers, and the community to address student needs and create a supportive environment where every child can succeed academically and personally.
What are some of the most pressing issues in the district?
As a 25-year Peekskill resident and parent, I recognize that ensuring equitable funding for programs like special education, STEAM and college preparedness is critical. Balancing budgets while maintaining high-quality education, especially in the face of rising costs, is a pressing issue. Additionally, addressing diverse student needs—whether through tailored academic programs or social-emotional support—and fostering community trust through transparent decision-making are key challenges to tackle.
Serving on the Board of Education is a non-paid position. What motivates you to seek this volunteer role?
I’m running for the Peekskill School Board to give back to a community that has blessed my family. Education shaped my own career, and I believe it’s the key to transforming our kids’ futures. As a volunteer, I’m driven to pay it forward, ensuring every Peekskill student has the same or better opportunities than my children have had, and to make our schools the best they can be.
What do you do for a living?
I am an Independent Investor specializing in multi-family real estate targeting affordable housing for low-to-middle income families. My background is in finance and real estate asset management, where I’ve spent over 20 years managing multimillion-dollar budgets, collaborating on major capital projects, and handling complex corporate transitions. This experience equips me to bring fiscal responsibility and strategic insight to the Peekskill City School Board.
How long have you lived in Peekskill?
My wife Marie and I have been proud Peekskill residents for 25 years, raising our family and putting down deep roots in this wonderful community.
Do you have children currently enrolled in the district?
Yes, I have two children in Peekskill schools. My son Nicholas attends Woodside Elementary, and my daughter Kortland is an 8th grader at the Middle School. Their academic success fuels my passion to serve on the School Board.
Jillian Villon
What is your vision for the Board of Education?
The Board of Education is a team that works together to guide the policy of a district, maintain financial oversight, and are tasked with the hiring and management of one employee, the Superintendent. My personal vision of this team is a group of individuals who passionately care for the students of Peekskill and work together with the ideal that every decision needs to be made with students as the priority. I love working with a group from diverse backgrounds in upbringing, education and life experience as difference can bring amazingly unique insight to topics and truly allows for problem-solving and program development.
What credentials qualify you to serve on the school board?
This is such a hard question because talking about myself can be so uncomfortable, but I believe that being in this school community, as a student, a family member, an educational advocate, as a board member, and as a parent gives me a lot of lenses to see things from. Additionally, I have my education and training to help guide me in understanding many of the things the board is tasked with.
What are your accomplishments in your three-year term?
I am so proud of the work of our students and the countless accolades that they achieved, our champions in sports, robotics, business, and science, our student led Boardway review, the college acceptances and scholarships awarded, the expansions in our arts programs, the work and dedication of the MBK scholars. Additionally, I am so proud of the district for its work in college and career preparation, the smart scholars and PTech grant programs, partnerships with various colleges including tuition free classes from Monroe University, the guaranteed acceptance of all graduates at WCC, the inclusion of the trades in college and career fairs, the culinary program, the expansion of special education programming, the commitment to maintain our spaces and upgrade where needed including the playgrounds at Uriah Hill and Hillcrest, the advocacy efforts that helped restore foundation aid, sound financial oversight that has helped us maintain our programming even as covid relief funds expire. I am also proud of the use of data to drive instructional decision making. I could go on and on but it all really comes back to me being proud of the work of our students and honored to be a member of the team that lifts them up.
What are your priorities for the district and students?
To continue bettering the education for all groups of students, paying close attention to students that may traditionally be overlooked. This includes strengthening our special education programming and our What I Need enrichment model. Continuing to discuss and implement field trips that inspire students and show them education beyond their school walls, and bringing more of the outside in with virtual trips and guest speakers. To continue to support and encourage the use of outdoor space for student learning and play. And equally important continuing to address students social and emotional wellbeing, particularly in the age of digital media. Making sure we teach and remind students to be kind individuals and that their digital presence is just as important as their physical one.
What are some of the most pressing issues in the district?
At this very moment I would say that the changing digital landscape and the gap between generations in access and understanding are so important to bridge, so much of the communication between students takes place online and in ways that aren’t easy to monitor. When these interactions are not positive it can be detrimental in so many ways, we need to teach students digital citizenship and support them. It is also essential that we keep a finger on the pulse of politics at all levels and understand what will and won’t impact our district directly, and we need to continue and always strengthen our advocacy, but we can not allow the fact things are rapidly changing in every direction to deter us from the essential work of providing the best education we can for our students. Many grants our district relies on have been mentioned as having the potential to change and we need to be planning for all the possibilities but also advocating for why this grant funding is beneficial for our community. We need to as a board continue to support the district and buildings in providing the staff with the needed support to improve student outcomes, but also to provide for the social and emotional well being for all our scholars.
Serving on the Board of Education is a non-paid position. What motivates you to seek this volunteer role?
Peekskill is my home and a community I am passionate about, and our schools are a part of the community that impact so many. I want to give back to an organization that helped shape me. I want to keep its history alive as the names and faces change. I hope to keep the spirit of community that our schools instilled in me alive for future generations, but I also want to continue moving forward. I want to be a voice on the team that makes sure we are trying to reach all students even when that’s really difficult. I hope that in any small way I can make a positive impact.
What do you do for a living?
I am truly blessed to be in a position where I can be a stay at home mom to my three beautiful boys.
How long have you lived in Peekskill?
I was born and raised in Peekskill, a proud Red Devil!
Do you have children currently enrolled in the district?
I do, my oldest is a student at Oakside, my middle son attends Uriah Hill and the little one can’t wait to become a Honey Bee in a few years!
Voting information: Three open Board of Ed seats and annual budget
The vote for three open Board of Education seats will take place on Tuesday, May 20. Polls are open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. at Peekskill High School, 1072 Elm Street.
Eligible voters must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and a resident of the school district for at least 30 days prior to the election.
For more information about the school district election, including early mail-in ballots and absentee ballots, click here.
For the full budget and educational plan, click here.
