FALLS VILLAGE, Conn.—Voters in five of the six Region 1 School District towns approved its $19.5 million 2026–2027 budget during Tuesday’s referendum.
The budget, which will increase spending by $1,048,431, or a 5.67 percent, passed 333-120. Only Falls Village, which faces a $208,904 (14.89 percent) increase in its assessment, failed to endorse the spending package. Its total assessment is $1,752,589.
The other towns saw more moderate increases. Cornwall’s assessment will rise $163,895 to $2,168,169 (8.87 percent); Kent will see a $171,360 (7.48 percent) increase to $2,783,359; Salisbury, an increase of $17,835 (.43 percent) to $4,798,928, and Sharon will be assessed $1,890,486, a decrease of $33,356 (- 2.07 percent). Canaan will pay $6,140,112, an increase of $519,526 (9.11 percent).
The budget was passed by the highest percentages in Cornwall, which voted 60-4 for the budget, and Salisbury, with a tally of 94-9. They favored its passage by 94 percent and 91 percent respectively. Kent approved it by 86 percent, voting 69-11 for the spending plan.
Sharon, with the most favorable assessment, voted 31-12, while Falls Village registered its disapproval with a vote of 33-45. Canaan, which sends the largest number of students to the high school, almost joined Falls Village in rejecting the budget, approving it by only a seven-vote margin, 46-39.
The margin of approval was far narrower than a year ago when the 2025-26 budget passed by a total vote of 403-72.
The budget is funded proportionally by the district towns and covers three components: Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Pupil Services and the Regional School Services Center, which provides administrative oversight of the district.
By March, the regional school board had pared the proposed budget by about $570,000, approximately one-third of its originally projected 9.01 percent increase. Drivers for the increase included rising health insurance premiums and special education costs.
To counter these increases, the district reduced a shared full-time school psychologist, consolidated a high school office position, eliminated a Scientific Research Based Interventions coordinator stipend, reduced spending for sports and deferred some maintenance.
Some technology purchases will be funded through unexpended money from prior budgets.
