Dear CCSD Community,
Through the years, the Chatham Central School District has experienced a decline in student enrollment. Combined with rising costs and decreases in state aid, it is the District's obligation to plan for a future with fewer students so that we can continue to meet the changing needs of our students in an effective and efficient way.
The District recently completed an Enrollment Projection Calculations Study that shows our elementary school saw a steep decrease in enrollment over the last several years. This study also projects birth rates and community demographics over a ten-year period. The good news is that our elementary enrollment is projected to stabilize, however these smaller classes have already begun to affect our middle and high school numbers as they move up into those buildings. This situation is not unique to Chatham, as many school districts in our region are experiencing similar declines.
Our priority remains to provide an exceptional education for every student while being responsible stewards of your tax dollars. This May, the Board of Education hired a consultant firm, Zeal Education Group, to work with the District and our community to evaluate how our declining enrollment will impact the District’s long-term operational needs, use of our facilities, and costs. We want to be clear: this is the beginning of a multi-year conversation and no immediate decisions have been made.
We will be forming a community stakeholder team to explore and prioritize several possible scenarios - from maintaining our current footprint to consolidating programs or repurposing space. From there we will share the scenarios with all community members for feedback and make updates to them if needed. Ultimately, any decision that gets made will be that of our Board of Education based on the data and feedback we receive.
Our goal is to remain proactive and transparent as we plan for the years ahead. Preserving the opportunities, extracurricular activities, traditions, and overall educational quality we offer our students will remain the District's top priorities throughout this process. We invite you to stay engaged, join the conversation, and help us shape a sustainable future for Chatham Central Schools.
We will be providing more information, including how you can get involved, in the coming months. Be sure to check out our Planning for Chatham CSD’s Future page where we will be posting information as it becomes available.
Fondly,
Andrew Kourt
Chatham CSD Superintendent