Timeline

The Board of Education's budget process is a year-round process with a focus on funding and supporting the academic achievement of our students. The process focuses heavily on the collaboration between the academic and finance staff during budget development.

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September

Personnel rosters sent to Schools and Central Office departments for verification followed by the distribution of Pro forma budgets to Central Office departments.

October

The Finance Department reviews budget requests.

December

• Board of Education holds budget workshops
• Superintendent's Recommended Operating & Capital Budget submitted to the BOE

January

• BOE approves Tentative Budget
• BOE and the City of Norwalk review the Operating & Capital Budget requests
• BOE must submit its budget request to the City by Jan. 15

February

• City CFO presents the Operating Budget Recommendation to the Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET)
• Student-Based Budget (SBB) packages are sent to school principals for the development of student-based school budgets
• BOE meets with Common Council Finance & Claims Committee to review the BOE budget request
• Common Council Finance & Claims Committee holds a public hearing on the Operating Budget
• Common Council adopts a preliminary expenditure (spending) cap

March-April

• BOE meets with the BET to review the BOE budget request
• City CFO presents the Operating Budget Recommendation to Common Council Finance & Claims Committee
• BET holds a public hearing on the Operating Budget
• Principals receive input from School Governance Councils (SGCs) and return budget requests to Central Office
• BET adopts tentative budget and forwards to Common Council
• Common Council sets final Operating Budget cap
• Tentative Operating Budget and tax levy set

May-June

• BET adopts the final Operating Budget and tax levy
• BOE reviews School-Based Budgets
• Superintendent and BOE CFO reconcile the budget to the final BET approved budget, revising per student allocations if necessary
• School principals revise Student-Based Budget to meet revised allocations, if necessary
• BOE adopts the final Reconciled Operating Budget