The Region 1 Board of Education was presented a preliminary 2014-15 budget on Wednesday evening.
The initial total for the three sections of the budget is $15.5 milion, an increase of 7.9 percent above the current plan. The high school proposal is $8.6 million, a 9.2 percent raise, while the pupil services budget is $5.9 million, a 8.1 percent increase. The central office budget of $1 million is a reduction of $25,527 or 2.44 percent. At the end of the meeting Canaan representative Ned Gow, who is new to the board, said, “I’m going to be lynched in North Canaan. This is a substantial increase after the $300,000 one last year.” Chairman Andrea Downs of Falls Village said, “I think you’ll see significant changes.”
The plan also includes the enrollment numbers for each of the six towns in the region and their assessments. For next year the proposed per pupil cost is $24,901, up from the current $23,106, which Herrick termed “pretty significant.”