By Don Torrant

Hats off to those Norfolk voters who turned out on May 3 to support Northwestern Regional 7’s budget for the 2016-17 school year. The public approval, as evidenced by the majority of “yes” votes across all four Regional towns reaffirms our commitment to maintaining a cost-effective, high quality education. It means that Regional 7 can continue to meet its goals as a high-performing school district: to meet the educational, social/emotional and extracurricular needs of all students, and we are able to do so with the lowest percentage increase in over five years (1.49%).

It struck me as I entered the poll booth that my simple yes or no ballot in no way reflected the months of planning, analysis, public hearings, collaboration and debate by the Regional Board of Education and administration behind the ballot. I’ve been asked to share a bit about that process.

The board is committed to full transparency in its budgeting process, with public outreach built in along the way as a critical element. Early in the process, which begins in December, the board meets with each town’s elected officials and Board of Finance chairs to exchange challenges and expectations. At this point, the administration has already begun preparing its zero-based budget, aimed at providing the highest quality education within realistic budget parameters. In board meetings from January through April, budget reviews and actions become the norm; we constantly balance the need for cost-control while maintaining the core educational product that we owe our students. Budget drafts and actions are posted for public access on the school’s website: http://www.nwr7.com/Board-of-Ed/Budget-Information/

Public review sessions of the draft budget are then held in each town. This year’s public review in Norfolk, incidentally, was attended by only five citizens, yet it did set an attendance record over past years. In late April, the budget is finalized “to take to the vote,” and our final budget meeting becomes an official adjournment to referendum in all four towns.

Every budget step is an opportunity for public input to which the board responds. No major cut in the name of cost-effectiveness is made lightly. For example, the elimination of one Vocational Educational teaching position due to low enrollment in no way reflects a lack of board commitment to the vocational agricultural program. Ag-Ed has proven to be successful for the unique career paths that it provides to students in the region. In fact, the Ag-Ed program helps us all because of its ability to generate tuition income from outside the region – and that directly impacts the budget and can lower our taxes.

In concert with preparing the annual budget for a public vote, the board and administration work to enhance education through public and private grants. The Robotics program, for example, where students have reached new heights in technology and team competition through collaboration, has been funded by generous grants like the Alcoa Foundation and we have high hopes that revenue stream will continue. Our administration, lead by Dr. Judy Palmer, is especially aggressive in pursuing these grants, and Board Member Deb Bell represents us with Education Connection, where we have discovered new grant opportunities and assistance in grant applications. Similar to out-of-district tuition, landing a grant means additional income over and above the tax revenue from each town, and it often is the determining factor in whether or not we can offer the educational opportunity – like Robotics.

In the end, the final budget approved by voters is our best estimate for financing the total program. During the year, things can happen that impact the budget, such as higher-than-anticipated increases in health insurance or heating fuel, and staff adjustments from retirement and resignations. To account for these increases and decreases, the board reviews every major line item transfer to maintain the integrity of the full budget.

Because of sound fiscal management by Finance Director Richard Carmilech, the Board has consistently returned a modest surplus to each town. This surplus is credited back to the towns and serves to offset the assessment in the following year. This process is done according to state statute.

In closing, I am proud to represent the Town of Norfolk on the Regional 7 Board as we continue to build and maintain the school’s educational excellence. And we welcome the opportunity to seek and act upon public input.

Editor’s note: Don Torrant is in his second four-year term representing Norfolk on the Northwestern Regional 7 School Board of Education and serves as its Secretary/Treasurer. He is the father of three successful graduates of the school.