FALLS VILLAGE — Voters in all six Region One towns will head to the polls on May 5 to act on the district’s proposed 2026–27 school budget.
The referendum will take place in Cornwall, Falls Village, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon, where residents will vote by ballot on the spending plan. The vote will take place between noon and 8 p.m. in each town.
The proposed budget totals $19,533,640, an increase of $1,048,431, or 5.67%, over the current year.
A public hearing on the proposal was held April 9 at Housatonic Valley Regional High School and online, giving residents an opportunity to weigh in ahead of the vote.
The Region One Board of Education voted the same night to advance the budget to referendum.
The Region One budget is divided into three components: Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS), Pupil Services and the Regional Schools Services Center (RSSC), also known as the central office.
The HVRHS portion — which covers staffing and day-to-day operations at the regional high school, including teachers, administrators, nurses, athletics, guidance, library services, custodial staff and building systems — is proposed at $9,408,838, an increase of $273,260, or 2.99%.
Pupil Services, which includes special education and related support such as pre-kindergarten programs, psychologists, speech clinicians, paraprofessionals and tutors, accounts for $8,111,086 of the budget, rising by $588,530, or 7.82%.
The RSSC, encompassing the superintendent’s office and districtwide administrative and support functions, is proposed at $2,013,716, an increase of $186,642, or 10.22%.
Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick presented the budget at the April 9 public hearing, noting that more than 98% of the overall increase is driven by health insurance costs, salaries and Pupil Services.
Of the $588,530 increase in Pupil Services, Herrick said about $449,230 is tied to tuition and transportation for out-of-district placements. He added that some savings were achieved by not replacing certain retiring employees and eliminating a full-time psychologist position.
No questions were raised following the presentation.
Town assessments
Region One town assessments are based on the number of students each town sends to HVRHS, meaning costs can shift as enrollment changes.
North Canaan alone sends 106 students to HVRHS, representing a substantial share of total enrollment. For example, while the town sent slightly fewer students — 106, down from 108 the year before — its share of the total still rose from 33% to 35% as overall enrollment declined.
Enrollment is finalized each Oct. 1. HVRHS has 300 students this year, down from 327 the year before, and is projected to decline further to 292 in 2026–27.
The cost per pupil is $39,669, including $31,363 for HVRHS, $6,726 for Pupil Services and $1,581 for the Regional Schools Services Center.
Details
May 5, Noon - 8 p.m.
Locations
Town Hall of Canaan/Falls Village
Town Hall of Cornwall
Town Hall of Kent
Town Hall of North Canaan
Town Hall of Salisbury
Town Hall of Sharon
If the budget is approved, town assessments would be as follows:
Cornwall
$2,168,169, an increase of $163,895 or 8.87%.
Falls Village
$1,752,589 an increase of $208,904 or 14.89%.
Kent
$2,783,359, an increase of $171,360 or 7.48%
North Canaan
$6,140,112, an increase of $519,526 or 9.11%.
Salisbury
$4,798,928, an increase of $17,835 or .43%.
Sharon
$1,890,486, a decrease of $33,356 or - 2.07%.
