Monday, January 16, 2012

MERSD Budget Forum ~ January 24, 2012


Over the next few weeks the MERSD School Committee and Administrative Team will be focused on finalizing its FY13 budget proposal.  Although, under the Regional Agreement, we present a budget and hold a public hearing for feedback in December, it is considered the tentative or first draft budget.   It is not a formal request to the towns, but, rather, it is a status update that represents our initial assessment of needs for the following fiscal year.  Each year in January the district works collaboratively with the towns to refine the numbers to determine the final budget request.

Manchester Essex Regional School District is committed to a collaborative approach to budget planning.  In that spirit, we continue to work cooperatively with the Boards of Selectman and Finance in both Essex and Manchester, meeting regularly to provide one another with on-going progress reports of our planning process and outlook.   On January 24th we will be holding a joint public forum at 7:30 PM at the Essex Elementary School to discuss current budget proposals and to gather feedback from the public.  This event is meant to provide the community with an opportunity to learn and to ask questions about our proposed budget for FY13. 

In closing, I am proud of our faculty and administration for the work they do in the service of students and of the commitment of our communities to support quality schools.  We are a high performing district striving for excellence and focused on developing the needs of the whole child.  Our budget process is designed to be an open and transparent exercise.  The tentative budget outlines what the district believes is needed to maintain quality and to position the schools for continual improvement of the educational program and student achievement.  Going forward the district will continue to work to balance the costs of providing the best possible education for students within the economic constraints of the times

Please visit the MERSD budget page (www.mersd.orgQuick Link: Budget) for details about our FY13 budget proposal and goals and to review additional budget documents.

Budget Forum
MERSD School Committee & Boards of Selectman and Finance for Essex and Manchester
January 24, 2012
Essex Elementary School Cafeteria ~ 7:30 PM