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Region One enrollment drops 4% from last year

FALLS VILLAGE — For Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick and his staff, the budget process begins well before the New Year’s ball drops.

The process is a complex one involving a spending plan broken down into three components: Housatonic Valley Regional High School, pupil services (primarily special education) and the Regional School Services Center, or central office. It covers the towns of Cornwall, Falls Village, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon.

Herrick explains that “Resident student enrollment is the driving factor for tuition assessment percentages,” meaning a towns’ share of the budget is based on how many of their students are enrolled at the high school. The percentages determined for pupil services and RSSC are based on total school population, so they generally have a bit less fluctuation.

Enrollment figures are determined by how many are signed in on Oct. 1 of the previous year. For Oct. 2025, there were 906 in the six elementary schools and 300 at Housatonic for a district-wide total of 1206. This compares to 930 in the elementary schools on Oct. 1, 2024 and 327 at the high school, totaling 1257.

The enrollments for the elementary schools as of Oct. 1, 2025 (compared to Oct. 1, 2024) are: Cornwall, 122 (117); Falls Village, 102 (96); Kent, 201 (197); North Canaan, 338 (353); Salisbury, 328 (361); and Sharon, 115 (133).

Herrick said a draft budget will be presented to the Region One Board of Education on March 9 and the public hearing is scheduled for April 9. This will be followed by a district-wide referendum in May.

Ruth Epstein
Reporter
schools

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