The referendum on the Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 budget has been set for May 4 in Norfolk, Colebrook, Barkhamsted and New Hartford. If approved, the district budget would be $25.25 million for the 2026-27 school year, an increase of

1.74 percent over the current year. Norfolk’s assessment, based on the town’s anticipated enrollment, is estimated at $2 million, an increase of 3.72 percent over this year’s amount. The middle and high schools have a current enrollment of 771 students, including tuition-paying students from surrounding towns and others enrolled in the agriculture program. The budget assumes that enrollment will remain relatively even over the next few years with more than half of the students coming from New Hartford. Norfolk has 61 students in grades 7 through 12.

At regional budget presentations, including one held in Norfolk on March 23, district officials outlined the steps taken to manage spending. These included offering retirement incentives to members of the teaching staff, a reduction in custodial staff and a more than $300,000 drop in costs associated with special education because of a shift in placements. Net expenditures per student are $29,666, in line with the school districts that serve Bethlehem and Woodbury, as well as Litchfield, Goshen and Warren.