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Chester UFSD presents $41M-plus proposed 2026–27 budget, schedules May 19 vote
Summary
At a May 6 legal budget hearing the Chester Union Free School District presented a proposed 2026–27 budget just over $41 million (a 7.27% increase) with a 2.89% tax-levy rise; officials estimate about $119 per year for a $300,000 home under Basic STAR and urged residents to vote May 19.
Miss D'Souza, speaking at the district's legal budget hearing on May 6, presented the Chester Union Free School District's proposed 2026–27 budget, which the board adopted for presentation at its April 21 meeting and will send to voters on May 19.
"Tonight is our annual public budget hearing for the 2627 school year," Miss D'Souza said as she outlined the high-level numbers. She told the board total appropriations are "just over 41,000,000," a 7.27% increase over the current year, and that the proposed tax levy would rise 2.89%.
The presentation translated that levy change into an estimated homeowner impact: a house with a full market value of $300,000 receiving the Basic STAR exemption would see about a $119 annual increase (roughly $10 per month), according to the slides distributed to the board.
D'Souza laid out the budget by component: the administrative component accounts for about 8.94% (approximately $3.6 million), the program component 78.3% (about $32.1 million), and the capital component 12.6% (about $5.1 million). On the revenue side, real property taxes represent roughly 53.9% (about $22.1 million) of projected revenues and state aid about 36.3% (about $14.8 million). The district plans to appropriate a fund balance of roughly $2.4 million (about 5.85% of the budget), use a $100,000 ERS reserve appropriation, and transfer $200,000 from the debt service fund.
Miss O'Hara thanked D'Souza and district staff for the budget development work and noted the district treasurer, Suzanne Tadeko, has supported the process. The board was told the budget newsletter (including a Spanish version) will be mailed to residents and posted online with full presentations and supporting documents.
The district will hold the annual vote and board election on Tuesday, May 19, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Chester Academy band room. The hearing closed with the board encouraged to review the mailed materials and the online information prior to voting.
Next steps: the budget as presented will be before district voters on May 19; the board will reconvene for its next regular meeting on May 20.
