Chatham Central School District - Everyone Everyday

May 21, 2024 voting results:

Chatham Central School District 2024-25 Budget: PASSED  391  yes - 159 no 

Proposition II - Capital Reserve Fund: PASSED  384 yes  - 161 no 

Board of Education Candidates:
Nikki Lundy: 382 (3-year term running July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027)
Linda Collett: 323 (3-year term running July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027)
Beth Hover: 234

On May 21, 2024, residents approved the Chatham Central School District budget for the 2024-25 school year. The budget totals $35,428,551 and carries a projected tax levy increase of 2.89 percent, which is under the District’s 3.1 percent limit set by New York State’s property tax cap. Spending is up a total of $1,056259, a 3.07 percent increase from the 2023-24 budget. The District’s conservative budgeting practices, long-term financial planning, and use of reserves and fund balance to offset year-to-year cost increases helped the District keep the tax levy under the cap. 

Budget highlights include no cuts to student programming and the addition of Intro to Software Development, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Residential Maintenance & Repair electives at Chatham High School, Lab Aids Cells to Organisms and Fields & Interactions science classes at Chatham Middle School, as well as funding for the new CMS robotics team. Also included in the budget are bus replacement purchases and a small capital project to install exterior security cameras on campus. 

In addition to the budget, voters approved a separate proposition that to create a Capital Reserve Fund to allow the District to set aside up to $9.5 million over a ten-year period to fund future improvements to its facilities.   

• FInal Educational and Program Budget 2024-25 School Year

• Chatham CSD NYS School Report Card

• Chatham CSD NYS Financial Transparency Report

• 2024-25 Budget Notice

• 2024-25 Property Tax Report Card

• Legal Notice of 2024 Budget Vote & Board Election

• 2023-2032 Financial Reserve Plan

• Budget Hearing - May 14, 2024

• 2024-25 Proposed Budget - April 23, 2024

• 3rd Part of Budget: Transportation, Benefits & Special Education - March 26, 2024

• 2nd Part of Budget: Instructional, Library & Cafeteria - March 12, 2024

• 1st Part of Budget: Admin & Operations, Prop. Tax Cap, Phase 1’s - February 27, 2024

• Projected State Aid - February 13, 2024

Contrary to popular belief, the NYS property tax cap does not cap tax increases at 2%. Instead, schools must use a state formula each year to determine how much they can increase their tax levies by without having to seek a higher percentage of voter approval for the budget. This threshold may be different each year and must be determined by the District and submitted to the state by March 1st.

For 2024, Chatham CSD's allowable tax levy increase is 3.1 percent.

If the year-to-year increase of the District’s tax levy (portion of the school budget funded by property tax) is at or below the number determined by the cap, a simple majority (50% + 1) of voter approval is needed to pass the budget. If the budget proposal carries a tax levy increase above the cap, a super majority (60%) of voter approval is needed for the budget to pass. More information on the NYS Property Tax Cap is available on the NY State Education Department Website.   

Included in the 2024-25 budget is a small capital project to install exterior security cameras in the parking lot and playground areas of our campus.The project would not exceed $100,000 and does not increase the 2024-25 budget because money for annual small capital projects like this one was built into the budget in previous years. Completing these upgrades as a capital project provides significant savings to local taxpayers because Chatham CSD is entitled to approximately 50 percent state aid on capital projects, meaning the District would be reimbursed for approximately half of the cost of this project.

Proposition #2 on the ballot would create a Capital Reserve Fund to assist the District in financing future construction projects. The maximum amount the District could place in the fund would be a total of $9.5 million over a ten-year period.

A Capital Reserve Fund is similar to a savings account and helps our school plan for long-term needs with little impact on the general budget. Voter approval is required to create the fund. The District would use it to set aside money only for future building and grounds improvements. 

Money for the Capital Reserve fund would primarily come from areas where budgeted expenses prove to be less than projected. If there is excess money left at the end of this school year or future school years the District would be able to put it in the Capital Reserve Fund. The District would be required to receive voter approval before it could spend any money in the Capital Reserve Fund. The District would provide details about any proposed Capital Reserve Fund spending and residents would vote on it in a future referendum.

With voter approval, the District created capital reserve funds in 2017 and 2022 that were used to offset expenses for our current capital project, which voters approved in 2023. With those Capital Reserves now gone, the District is seeking an additional Capital Reserve Fund to help cover the costs of future capital work.