The Chesterfield 01 School Board approved the 2025–26 general fund budget on a 5–3 vote, adopting a proposed 3-mill tax increase and projecting a $533,691 use of the district’s fund balance.

Chief Financial Officer Mr. Caskey told the board the total revenues, including the proposed 3-mill increase, are $78,219,085 and total expenditures, including mandated state increases, a step increase and a 1% cost-of-living adjustment for non-teacher scales and a $25,000 arts budget increase, come to $78,752,776, leaving a projected fund-balance draw of $533,691 and a projected year-end fund balance of $9,785,477.

The budget presentation also reported a reclassification of some state revenue from a top-line "state aid to classrooms" lump-sum into other state increases; the CFO said the bottom-line revenue number did not change. The board asked for the per-mill value and was told the district uses an estimated value of roughly $98,000 per mill and that the district’s levy equates to about 19 mills, noting countywide reassessment effects may change the countywide mill value more than the district’s.

A board member moved to approve the budget, noting the package reflects a 3-mill increase and proposing that half a mill be assigned to hire bus monitors. The CFO said the current printed budget did not yet show that half-mill assignment but that it could be added if the board wished. Board discussion included a statement that the transportation department would deploy the bus monitors where needed; board members estimated the half-mill would fund roughly seven monitors.

The motion to adopt the 2025–26 general fund budget, with the understanding that one-half mill would be used to fund bus monitoring, passed by a vote of 5–3. The board did not record individual member votes in the transcript; the chair announced the tally as "5 to 3." No additional amendments were recorded during the vote.

The board will carry the 2025–26 budget forward with the adopted levy increase and the noted allocation for bus monitors; the CFO and staff are expected to update budget documents to reflect the half-mill assignment and to provide monthly budget monitoring as part of regular financial reporting.