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Chester Union Free School District presents largely flat 2026–27 budget; transportation costs rise about 23%
Summary
At the March 25 board meeting, district officials presented a proposed 2026–27 budget that keeps overall operations largely level while increasing maintenance modestly and raising contract transportation costs by roughly $692,000 (about 23%); a public hearing is set for May 6 and the budget vote is May 19.
Ms. O'Hara presented the Chester Union Free School District’s proposed 2026–27 budget for facilities, transportation and athletics at the board’s March 25 meeting. Assistant Superintendent for Business Nicole De Sousa reviewed key financial figures and the calendar for public hearings and the budget vote.
The budget is organized around three pillars: strengthening academic programs and staffing, expanding college‑ and career‑pathway partnerships, and optimizing infrastructure for safety, security and sustainability. Ms. De Sousa said detailed slides would be posted on the district website under Budget and Finance.
On the numbers presented: total operations were shown as $879,000 for 2026–27 (described at the meeting as primarily non‑discretionary items such as utilities and custodial salaries). Maintenance spending was proposed to rise from $1.95 million to $2.00 million (an increase of roughly $55,000). Contract transportation was the largest single change cited: officials said contract transportation costs increase from $3,024,000 to $3.7 million, an increase of approximately $692,000 (about 23%), which the district attributed to enrollment growth and new residential development requiring additional routes. Athletics spending was largely unchanged, moving from about $532,000 to $536,000 (less than a 1% change), though officials noted related costs for transportation to competitions and field maintenance appear in other budget lines.
Ms. De Sousa said the budget adds a BOCES‑supported, aidable emergency planning technician aimed at improving districtwide safety and emergency coordination, and emphasized investments to support safe facilities and athletic programming (training, chaperones, ambulance/EMS coverage for higher‑risk events and required certifications).
Next steps: the board will discuss undistributed expenses and central services April 8 (with a scheduled Orange‑Ulster BOCES presentation), take board actions on April 21, hold a public budget hearing May 6, and conduct the district budget vote on May 19.
The presentation materials and detailed line items are posted on the district website under budget and finance, according to the district.
