UPTON – As the Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District 2023-2024 Budget Subcommittee prepares the FY25 annual budget, it remains committed to building a sustainable operational budget, mindful of its obligation to complement assessments requested of its thirteen member communities.

While creating an operational budget involves many steps, the Budget Subcommittee embraces a multifaceted, mindful approach that requires collaboration among its school community members and informed stakeholders. From October to March of each year, the Subcommittee holds working sessions to examine, discuss, investigate, research, expand, delete, or otherwise modify its proposed budget, which is submitted to the District School Committee for approval before it seeks districtwide support. 

The FY25 proposed budget includes multiple mitigation strategies to reduce assessments despite ongoing inflationary pressure. Such as holding the budget impact of the employee health insurance premium to an increase of 4.5%, mitigating increasing electric costs via solar farm credit offsets, a systemwide electric analysis saving roughly 125,000 kilowatt-hours annually, and applying additional state revenue from Chapter 71, Regional School Transportation Reimbursement Fund, to reduce the assessment of its thirteen town municipalities. The District continues to pursue competitive grant opportunities, but grant funds, by design, do not serve as a renewable source for daily operational expenses. Therefore, blending local assessments with secured grant resources is highly beneficial.

The finance committee members, who review the proposed budget request each year, often commend the cost-effective approach of competing and securing external revenue dollars as inventive and resourceful.

The Budget Subcommittee has seized every resource and examined every opportunity for cost-savings to enhance and protect the investment of district taxpayers to develop a plan worth supporting. A public hearing will be held at BVT on March 14, 2024, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria, 65 Pleasant Street, Upton, MA. It is an opportunity for residents to consider the proposed FY25 Budget, which puts needed resources behind supporting student success.

About Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School (BVT):

Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School serves the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton, and Uxbridge. Located in the heart of the Blackstone Valley, BVT creates a positive learning community that prepares students for personal and professional success in an internationally competitive society through a fusion of rigorous vocational, technical, and academic skills.