In the coming weeks, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners will nail down its budget for fiscal year 2017-18, and is expected to debut the budget at a special called May 15 meeting.

First, there is another large part of the budgeting process slated to happen today at noon. The commissioners will meet with Beaufort County Schools officials to see what the district’s funding needs are for this upcoming year. They already met with the Beaufort County Community College Board of Trustees last week.

For the 2016-17 fiscal year, the county awarded BCCC about $2.5 million in funding and awarded about $15.2 million to Beaufort County Schools.

Across the board, the theme seems to involve providing the same services with a smaller pocket of money. It’s undoubtedly a tough situation for all parties involved in the budget process.

However, the commissioners need to realize the seriousness of the situation at hand. The community college is fighting back against slashes in state funding due to decreasing full-term equivalency enrollment. It expects to cut its own budget by another $1.1 million in 2017-18.

By the same token, Beaufort County Schools is also facing cuts in state funding. Every year, the district grapples with the possibility of cutting personnel to make ends meet.

A lot of these funding woes are happening outside of the county’s control. This does not relieve the county of responsibility, though. Education at all levels is vital to this community, and Beaufort County cannot continue to grow without a sound foundation for its students. Yes, many agencies are pulling at the commissioners’ purse strings, but education should be a top priority.

The Board of Commissioners needs to think long and hard about its role in the development of this county and realize its duty to support the local education system. BCCC and BCS are in need of help, and now more than any other year before, the county needs to answer the call. Not only is it a sound investment, it’s a vital one.