With the New Year fast approaching, the Guilford Board of Education (BOE) is preparing to present the fiscal year 2017-2018 budget. Having already dedicated months to the process, the first public presentation of the education budget is scheduled for the BOE meeting Monday, Jan. 9.

At the BOE meeting on Dec. 12, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Freeman said the board has already held one public meeting on the budget and two discussions on the budget in board meetings. Budget books are expected to be finalized and distributed to board members this week.

“Over the last three weeks we have been meeting with principals and department heads and combining and reviewing their budget request and beginning to build the final budget,” he said.

As in prior years, budget information will be available on the district website, but this year Freeman said the district is working to expand that resource.

“This year and earlier than in past years, we are building out a budget page on our website,” he said. “You will see our budget calendar and all activities that involve the budget process moving forward.”

The website includes meeting dates, budget meeting minutes, video resources, and budgets from the past five years in detail for reference.

“As we continue to develop more material related to this year’s budget process we will continue to populate the website with those materials,” said Freeman.

By providing as much information as possible to the public, Freeman said he hopes to avoid last year’s budget struggle. After two failed referenda last May, the BOE was left to trim $750,000 from its original requested budget. Overall, the third budget increase was reduced $1.3 million after two rounds of cuts; it represented a 2.74 percent spending increase, due primarily to a 35.42 percent increase in the debt service that can largely be attributed to the new $92 million Guilford High School (GHS). The Board of Education operating budget increase was 0.69 percent, one of the lowest in recent history.

“I think the more we include the community, the more we keep everyone informed and involved, the more likely we will be to have a broad understanding of and support for our budget request,” he said.

The first public hearings for the BOE budget are Monday, Jan. 23 and Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Elizabeth C. Adams Middle School, 233 Church Street, in the Chorus Room.

“I would encourage all members of the public to stay involved and follow the budget process this year,” said Freeman.

To view the district budget website page, visit guilfordps.org.