On April 4, Chatham’s Board of Education adopted a proposed budget for the 2023-24 school year. The budget totals $34,372,292 and carries a projected tax levy increase of 1.98 percent, which is under the District’s 3.52 percent limit set by New York State’s property tax cap. This represents the largest difference between what the tax cap allows and the actual tax levy increase since the tax cap became law. Spending is up a total of $754,191, a 2.24 percent increase from the 2022-23 budget.

Budget highlights include no program cuts or layoffs and the addition of a full-time speech pathologist position at Mary E. Dardess Elementary School, the addition of a k-5 literacy coach position, increased support for academic intervention services at Chatham Middle School, increased cross-curricular literacy learning in 8th grade, and the addition of American History Through Film & Music, Music Technology & Production, and Studio in Media Arts classes at Chatham High School. Budget reductions include the elimination of a kindergarten teaching position (due to decreased enrollment) and the elimination of a vendor contract that provided part-time speech pathologist services.

Also included in the budget are bus replacement purchases and a capital project to upgrade the high school auditorium with applied acoustical finishes and instructional technology.

Residents can learn more at a public hearing scheduled for May 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the Chatham High School library. Information is also available on our website’s Budget Information page and keep an eye on your mailbox for our budget newsletter, to be mailed out in early May.

Voting on the proposed School Budget and Board of Education Election takes place Tuesday, May 16, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School gym.