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Update: Region One budget fails, bonds pass

The Region One School District budget proposal failed at a referendum vote Tuesday, May 8.
The vote was 572 against and 472 for.Region One board Chairman Phil Hart, who is from Cornwall, said on Wednesday morning, May 9, that he would be meeting with Superintendent Patricia Chamberlain to discuss what happens next.

He said there are legal procedures to be followed when a referendum fails.“We’ll go from there,” he said.The proposed budget had a bottom line of $14,967,549, an increase of 1.97 percent from this year’s spending plan (the fiscal year ends June 30).Three towns had a majority of no votes: Falls Village (86-33 against), North Canaan (133-61 against) and Sharon (144-53 against).The towns with a majority of votes in favor of the budget were Cornwall (99-57 for), Kent (84-41 for) and Salisbury (142-111 for).Last year, the Region One budget passed by a relatively slim margin of 45 votes. But turnout last year in all six Region One towns was 650. This year’s turnout was 1,044.The Region One budget has three component parts: Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Pupil Services (including special education) and the Regional Schools Services Center (popularly known as the Central Office).The high school budget proposal was for $8,479,851 (up 2.8 percent); Pupil Services was $5,550,269 (up .48 percent); and RSSC was $937,429 (up 3.41 percent).Two bonding questions —for a new roof at Housatonic Valley Regional High School ($2,034,900) and replacing a heating system and complying with an Americans with Disabilities Act audit ($1,554,460) — passed handily, with almost 76 percent of the vote.During the budget process, the practice of extending contracts for Region One administrators was criticized by two board members, Marilyn Yerks of Sharon and Gale Toensing of Falls Village, as well as First Selectman Pat Mechare of Falls Village and Marshall Miles of NPR radio station WHDD (91.9FM, which has its home in Sharon), among others.The administrators’ contracts are for three years. The All Boards Committee, comprised of the chairmen of all six town school boards plus the Region One board, recommended the contracts be extended by one year, with salary and benefit adjustments. The committee made a similar recommendation last year.Click into the link below to see a chart of all the results from each Region One town, for this year and going back seven years. The chart was provided by Region One Business Manager Sam Herrick, and the results for this year's vote were double checked with each town clerk.

Lakeville Journal

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