There’s a lot at stake in Tuesday’s school budget vote, not only for school districts, but also for Project Most, the nonprofit organization that offers after-school programs at the Springs School and the John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton.
That’s because both the East Hampton and Springs School Districts are proposing over-the-tax-cap budget plans for the 2024-25 school year, both of which support Project Most. Should both districts fail to garner at least 60-percent voter approval for the budgets to pass on Tuesday, and again at a potential revote in June, Project Most would lose the support that is critical to its operations.
“What has been shared with us from the Springs district is if the budget fails twice and is forced to go on a contingency budget, the district will have to begin charging us for space, security guards, and janitorial staff,” Rebecca Morgan Taylor, executive director of Project Most, said in a statement. “Additionally, in the East Hampton district, if the budget fails twice and they are on a contingency budget, [it is] forbidden from having any community groups using their facilities and unable to contribute any funding towards Project Most.”
Project Most now enrolls 143 students in East Hampton and 165 in Springs. Families generally pay $200 per month for after-school care that runs until 6 p.m. on school days — making it an affordable lifeline for many working families here. Activities include arts and music, gardening, cooking lessons, team-building games, homework help, and science and technology lessons.
“We are hopeful that the community sees the value in our services and keeps this in mind when heading to the polls,” Ms. Taylor said.