The Regional District #11 Board of Education has approved a 2022-2023 budget of $6,646,927, a 2.14% increase in the total cost of educating students at Parish Hill. Please keep in mind that during the 2022-2023 school year, projected cost increases in one line item, health insurance, along with the outplaced special education tuition line item increases, will greatly exceed the recommended $139,508 proposed increase. In fact, unanticipated outplaced student costs alone will total approximately $336,0000 or over 5% of the proposed budget.
Our responsible approach to budgeting has led to an average increase of only approximately 1% per year during the last eleven fiscal years. The Superintendent and Board of Education were able to adopt a 2.14% budget increase by controlling spending, concentrating on efficiencies and economies of scale, and through efficient assignment of certified and non-certified personnel. As in past years, we have closely examined “actual” expenditures in all FY 20-21 and FY 21-22 budgetary line-items, leading to some notable line-item reductions. We have also effectively used federal/state grants to maximize efficiencies and to reduce the strain on our operating budget. Recent federal grants, including COVID grants, will be primarily used to address the academic loss of learning during the pandemic, deal with social/emotional concerns, and prioritize facility upgrades related to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Furthermore, I am particularly proud that we have continued to provide a high- quality education for all of our students despite budgetary constraints due to staff contractual increases, magnet and Vo-Ag school tuition and special education costs, along with this year’s particularly high costs for outplaced students. Finally, the instability of electric and heating oil prices, supply chain issues, rising food prices, increased costs of textbooks and instructional supplies, and ensuring appropriate staffing levels have made proposing this budget increase exceptionally challenging. Despite all of these challenges, during fiscal year 21-22, we were one of only a few districts in our area that stayed within our approved budget, even with many additional COVID expenses.
We are also proud to report that Parish Hill has an impressive 96.4% graduation rate and a negligible dropout rate. Student attendance is well above the state average, and overall student assessment outcomes continue to rise. Furthermore, we offer 12 AP courses to our students and a Fuel Ed distance learning program to address credit recovery and allow students to study Latin, German, and Mandarin. In addition, our five year capital improvement plan is designed to significantly upgrade school facilities and infrastructure. We welcome residents to view for themselves these facility improvements.
The annual tri-town budget hearing will be held on Monday, May 2 at 6PM. The Region #11 2022-2023 Budget of $6,646, 927 will be voted on from noon to 8PM at each of the three towns’ respective polling places on Tuesday, May 3.
Kenneth Henrici, Superintendent