Budget Process Review Committee Recommendations for FY28 Budget Cycle

June 9, 2026 SAU Meeting in Simbli.

Committee’s Charge

To review the previous budget cycle and recommend efficiencies, improve communication, and recommend ways to improve the process moving forward.

Members

Robin Steiner (Supt.), Michael Costa, Tara Velozo, and Renée Sullivan (Committee Chair)

Philosophy

The budget process should…

1. Be durable, not dependent on any one specific person(s)
2. Outline critical questions to consider and corresponding material to facilitate answering those questions at specific moments in the budget cycle (beginning, mid, end)
3. Be transparent and easily accessible to all stakeholders; materials are clearly organized with consistent formatting across districts and published on SAU website
4. Allow for reflection and improvements each year
5. Enable difficult discussions and strategic decision-making about resource reallocation and tradeoffs in the context of uncertainty and economic pressures felt by taxpayers in Hanover and Norwich.

High level changes

1. Enterprise-level alignment: Facilitating strategic alignment across all 4 districts at 3 key moments in the year
2. Standardized materials and questions: Defining questions for stakeholders to ask at key meetings and corresponding material/ data needed to answer those questions
3. Communication: Increasing the accessibility of materials (SAU website), clarity in what is the most recent, earlier posting (Friday before meetings), and transparency of timeline (post to SAU website)

What would not change?

1. 4 Budgets (1 per district): All 4 districts will still need their own budgets (legal requirement), presentations to their respective Boards, and approvals
2. 4 Budget Committees: Members could be similar or different across Committees and would need to be decided annually
3. Crunch time: Oct - Dec is still the “crunch” for budget season and the time we expect to learn about major cost drivers (i.e. medical, negotiations)
4. Responsibilities: Board focused on budget guidance and accountability to the public; Admin are “doers” of budget proposals and calculations in alignment with defined strategy.

Committee Recommendations

In total, the Committee has fourteen recommendations organized into four categories:

I. Administration and Board Capacity and Support

II. Strategic Alignment PK-12

III. Efficiency and Effectiveness

IV. Communication

Recommendations vary in terms of complexity of implementation and ownership (e.g., Superintendent, specific Budget Committees).