Annual meeting and election for Chatham Central School District budget and board members.

COLUMBIA COUNTY

LEGAL NOTICE





CHATHAM CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CHATHAM, NEW YORK 12037

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING & ELECTION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Annual Budget Hearing on the proposed 2026-2027 budget for the Chatham Central School District will be held by the Board of Education on May 12, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Chatham High School , located at 50 Woodbridge Avenue, Chatham, New York 12037. NOTICE IS ALSO HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting and Election of the Chatham Central School District, will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, in the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School gymnasium, located at 50 Woodbridge Avenue, Chatham, New York 12037, at which time, the polls will be opened to vote by voting machine or absentee or early mail voter ballot on the following items: 1. To elect four (4) members of the Board of Education; three (3) individuals to a three (3) year term commencing on July 1, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2029, to succeed Matthew Fisch, Marianne Pierro, and Dawn Friedman; and one (1) individual to a two (2) year term which will commence on May 20, 2026, or as soon thereafter as the individual may be sworn in, and expiring June 30, 2028, to succeed Ashley Zwingelberg, who was temporarily appointed by the Board of Education to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Steve Michalek. 2. To vote on the annual budget of the Chatham Central School District for the fiscal year 2026-2027 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District. 3. To vote on a Capital Reserve Fund Proposition.Shall the Board of Education of the Chatham Central School District be authorized to expend $3,879,600 from the Capital Reserve Fund to finance the cost of capital project Proposition #2 approved by the voters on February 14, 2023 authorizing the reconstruction of the elementary school, including, but not limited to, installation of air conditioning, acquisition of original furnishings, equipment, machinery or apparatus required for the purpose for which such building is to be used and payment of costs incidental thereto? BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the District Clerk is hereby directed to include notice of such proposition in the notice of the annual meeting. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution takes effect immediately upon its adoption. 4. To transact such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting pursuant to the Education Law of the State of New York. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the election and budget vote shall be by optical scanner machine, absentee ballot or early mail in voter ballot. The hours during which the polls shall be kept open shall be from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. prevailing time or for as long thereafter as necessary to enable qualified voters who are in the polling place at 9:00 p.m. to cast their ballots. A copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing year for school purposes may be obtained by any resident of the District during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the aforesaid Annual Meeting and Election, beginning on, April 30, 2026 (other than a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday) at which the budget vote will occur. District residents may obtain this information at the office of the District Clerk at the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School, Chatham, New York, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., or at any of the following school houses in said District: Chatham High School, Chatham Middle School, and during normal business hours at the Chatham Public Library. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that petitions nominating candidates for the office of Member of the Board of Education are available Friday, March 20, 2026 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, in the Office of the District Clerk at the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School, Chatham, New York. Petitions must be filed not later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 20, 2026, in the Office of the District Clerk. Each nominating Petition must be directed to the Clerk of the District and shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District or two percent (2%) of the voters in the previous annual election, whichever is greater. Petitions shall describe at least the length of the term of office, the name of the last incumbent, and shall state the name and the residence of the candidate and each signer. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to the Education Law and has voted at an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar years, he or she is eligible to vote at this election; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he or she is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. The Board of Registration will meet for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School lobby, and again on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. in the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School lobby to add any additional names to the Register to be used at the aforesaid election, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register, provided that at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of said Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the register is prepared. The register so prepared pursuant to § 2014 of the Education Law, will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District and will be open for inspection by any resident of the District between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Saturday on each of the five (5) days prior to and the day of the said meeting, except Sunday. The Board of Registration also will meet on May 13, 2026, between the hours of 4:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m., prevailing time, at the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School, 50 Woodbridge Avenue, Chatham, NY, to prepare the Register of the School District to be used at the annual election or special district meetings that may be held after the preparation of said Register, placed on such Register provided that at such meeting of said Board of Registration he/she is known or proven to the satisfaction of such Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at the school election for which said Register is prepared, or any special district meeting held after May 19, 2026. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that applications for absentee or early mail voter ballots may be applied for at the Office of the School District Clerk. Applications for absentee ballots can be requested no earlier than April 24, 2026 and must be received by the School District Clerk by or prior to 4:00 p.m., (EDST) on May 12, 2026, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter; or by or prior to 4:00 p.m. (EDST) on May 18, 2026 if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. All absentee or early mail in voter ballots must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m. on May 19, 2026. The Education Law makes special provision for absentee voting by “permanently disabled” voters of the District and any questions regarding these rights should be directed to the Clerk of the board. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots shall have been issued will be available for inspection on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election (except Saturday and Sunday) and on the day of the election in the Office of the School District Clerk, during regular office hours between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Any qualified voter may challenge the acceptance of the absentee voter’s ballot of any person on such list, by making his challenge and the reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls. The Education Law also makes special provisions for absentee voting for “military” voters of the District. Specifically, the law provides a unique procedure for “military ballots” in school district votes. Whereas absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots must be received by the voter by mail, a military voter may elect to receive his/her absentee ballot application and absentee ballot by mail, email or facsimile. The military voter must, however, return his/her original military ballot application and military ballot by mail or in person. The Clerk of the Board shall transmit the military voter’s military ballot in accord wi