It was just a year ago when I was sitting somewhat apprehensively in my office watching District residents queue up to the front door of the Main Street School waiting for the polls to open in order to cast their ballot for the Annual Budget Vote and School Board Election. As I watched the residents, I realized it was going to be a very long day. A wait of some 15 hours before the results of this election would be known.

I reflected on how hard we worked to overcome the Austerity/Contingency Budget of 2004/05. The meetings with principals and directors for more than 8 months seemed endless. The long meetings with our new Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee and the many questions from the Board of Education meant constant budget revisions and recalculations. The many nights we were out presenting the budget to organizations and community members seemed to blend together. I thought to myself that if this budget passes how much easier next year’s budget would be.

We were rewarded when the community supported our 2005/06 school year budget and felt relieved and very appreciative of the trust that was demonstrated. What I did not realize was that we would have to work even harder to prepare and present our school budget for 2006/07.

A year ago, I remember sitting nervously in my office watching the voters queue up to the front door at the Main Street School waiting for the polls to open a few minutes before 6:00 a.m. As I watched the residents, I realized it was going to be a very long day, a wait of some 15 hours, before I knew the results of the Annual Budget Vote & School Board Election.

As the day passed, I would occasionally peer out from my office and try to ascertain which individual might be a positive vote and who might cast a negative vote. Truthfully I had a better chance of winning the lottery than differentiating the preference of any of the community residents. The time seemed to move slowly the entire day, and at times the Board Room overflowed with voters, and a hour later there were only one or two people casting their ballots.

I reflected on how hard we had worked to overcome the Austerity/Contingency Budget. The meetings with principals and directors seemed endless. The many nights we were out talking with organizations and community members seemed to blend together. I thought to myself that if this budget passes how much easier next year’s budget would be.

I was relieved and appreciative that the community supported our 2005/06 school year budget. What I did not realize is we would work even harder to prepare and present our school budget for 2006/07. We had promised the District residents that we would keep the tax levy increase below the 5% level. Making the promise was easy and also appropriate because we must be fiscally responsible - achieving that goal was very difficult. The two factors that we constantly fought all year with were increased energy costs and a steady increase in student population. I also did not think we could fit more budget presentations into our schedule. I was wrong on that one too, because this year we added additional venues to our presentation schedule. I also did not think that I would be as anxious as I am this year. In retrospect, central office administrators live with their budgets from their early beginnings in October, throughout formulation presentations, until they are adopted by the Board of Education, and then finally voted upon by the community. It makes sense then that one would be anxious to see the outcome.

Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools