Bristol Warren Regional School District officials last week hired a part time budget consultant to help go over the district's books as officials look to finalize a 2021-22 budget and have it ready for the Joint Finance Committee in March.

Mary King, an accounting consultant who will be paid $8,000 under the terms of her short-term contract, will work with Joel Harrington, the district's interim finance director, as well as Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Brice and his staff, to prepare the upcoming budget.

Last week, school committee chairwoman Marjorie McBride said the idea to hire Ms. King came not from the superintendent's office, but had been batted around by school committee members. Members voted unanimously last Monday evening to authorize Dr. Brice to hire her, and she accepted the position during a meeting with him last Wednesday afternoon.

"This is a crazy year," Ms. McBride said. "We still don't have a (2020-21) budget from the state and we have to have a (2021-22) budget ready for the JFC in March. We haven't had a (full-time) budget manager for a long time."

Dr. Brice said he welcomes the extra set of eyes as the district approaches budget season.

"This would be part time to come in and do a cursory review of all the different revenue and expenditure categories," he said. "There are two things that we really want her to help us with: Look at additional efficiencies and help with building a template, moving forward, that we can use to build out the FY22 budget."

"I think what the school committee wants is another level of reassurance about the current year and the pathway forward," Dr. Brice said. "So because of that, I am supportive. I do know the yearly audit shows that the schools are in good financial condition."

The funds to pay Ms. King's consulting fee will come out of the district's general operating budget. Ms. McBride said school committee members approached Ms. King on the advice of Mary Ann Carroll, a partner in the district's legal team of Henneous Carroll Lombardo LLC. There was no bidding process and no public help wanted advertisements were placed, Dr. Brice said.