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Chatham School District Budget Input Survey 2025-2026 School Year

Inadequate funding from the state, rising costs and heightened student needs are among the struggles facing Chatham School District as we enter this budget cycle. We are anticipating a significant budget shortfall which will require drastic measures to submit a balanced budget. These measures include but are not limited to a reduction in staffing, a reduction in activity spending, and school closures. While some of these measures seem drastic, so is the budget shortfall. The Governor has said " there will be some money given to schools" but has not indicated an amount and any amount awarded will come long after the budget cycle has ended. However, Chatham School District is committed to providing a quality education for every student every day. While doing so may be challenging we believe with the support of our communities we will meet this challenge head-on. The purpose of this survey is to gather feedback and input on the priorities driving the Chatham School District budget process. The results of this survey will be used by the Budget Committee to help inform our budget priorities for the 2024-2025 school year. The deadline to complete this survey is Sunday, April 6th 2025. Thank you in advance for your participation.
For more information about the work of the Budget Committee follow the link:
https://www.chathamsd.org/page/budget-committee
1.What community do you represent?
2.What is your affiliation to Chatham School District?
3.Do you have children currently attending a school in the Chatham School District?
4.Please review the choices and select the statement that best describes you
5.Chatham School District will no doubt have a budget shortfall similar to the budget shortfall in 2024. To address the 2024 deficit we cut two certified positions, closed the Foxes Den, the preschool in Gustavus, we made a 20% reduction to sports travel, limited administrative travel, and made attempts to use grant funds to cover what we could. What is an area you believe we can make more cuts?
6.What do you believe is the greatest financial issue facing Chatham School District?
7.What do you believe should be something the Budget Committee ensures remains in place?
8.Do you have an opinion about any specific areas of the budget?
9.The Chatham School District Strategic Plan identified five priority areas for the District. As we plan our budget please indicate how important each of these are to ensuring the success of the district
Low importance
Somewhat important
Neutral
Important
Very important
Updating curriculum and teaching materials as necessary to stay current with best practices
Recruiting and retaining a high quality staff
Maintaining compensation levels that are comparable to other nearby school districts
Providing a diverse array of course offerings and education experiences, especially at the high school level
Educator training and professional development
School and career counseling services
Providing access for students to Social Emotional, Behavioral, Health, and Safety supports
Providing challenging courses for high achieving students
School building maintenance and upkeep
Providing financial support for sports and sports travel
Providing transportation for students
Maintaining current staffing levels
Athletic programs for students in grades 3-8
10.Please use this space to elaborate on any of your responses or to add any additional information you would like the committee to consider.