As a resident of the Mount Abraham Unified School District (MAUSD) for 25 years, I have realized the depth of commitment and caring our community has for the success of our schools, our teachers and our students. As a parent of children who attended school here, I have been witness to the ways this community has supported our kids over the years and how teachers, community members and others continue to support them still. Our schools have always put our kids at the center of their education — providing opportunities and creative options for ALL students, understanding that with education, one size does not fit all.
Like other school districts in Vermont, MAUSD is facing some critical issues that include declining enrollment, aging facilities and necessary budgets that won’t adequately support our current schools very far into the future. I am thankful our school board is holding community discussions so that our five towns can work together to discuss these issues and to collectively determine possible solutions to the challenges we face. This is OUR opportunity to engage in the discussion, to share our hopes for our students, our schools, our towns and to help shape the difficult conversations and decisions that lie ahead.
I would encourage all members of the Five Towns to attend the two scheduled all-district meetings at Holley Hall on Nov. 5 (music by Evan Jennison at 5:15 p.m., meeting starts at 6) and Nov. 20 to be part of a process that will bring our community together to create the path forward. This is our chance to have our voices at the table and we all need to participate to insure that decisions we inevitably need to make will be the best ones for us all.
Kim Callahan
New Haven