Chatham Board advances preliminary 2025–26 budget and moves toward free full-day kindergarten

The School District of the Chathams Board of Education on March 17 approved a preliminary 2025–26 budget and addendum, voting 9-0 to move the plan forward that would fund free full-day kindergarten for all district kindergartners and increase the tax levy by 4.76%.

Superintendent Dr. Lasusa and the finance committee presented the budget, saying the district’s revenues have risen in part because of modest state aid increases tied to a law referred to in the presentation as "S2," and because the state granted an enrollment adjustment of $232,000 that allows the district to exceed the normal 2% tax levy cap.

Board members said rising costs, notably a 13.1% increase in health benefits premiums and negotiated salary increases in bargaining agreements, pushed the committee to recommend the levy increase. The presentation also noted a carry-forward “banked cap” of about $930,000 from the prior year that…