Democracy — perhaps the most important reason to vote yes to ratify Ripton’s town vote to secede from Addison Central School District. The people of Ripton came out in impressive numbers and voted to secede. That vote should be respected and honored. The proposal and decision have been well researched and the community has been engaged in the process.
Dollars — the district put out a financial estimate on the impact of withdrawing. They estimate the district will save money if Ripton withdraws. They estimate the savings will be even greater if Ripton remains a part of the district but their school is closed. Transportation does not appear to be a factor in the calculation. If Ripton secedes, the district would no longer be responsible for transportation for all Ripton students, K-12. If they stay and the school is closed it’s reasonable to assume there would be increased transportation costs associated with transporting the elementary students to either Mary Hogan or Salisbury. This means the savings of secession are underestimated and the savings to stay in the district but close the school are overestimated.
For these reasons and more, I will be voting Yes to ratify Ripton’s town vote.
Tanya Scuteri
Shoreham
Editor’s note: In a Feb. 12 release (updated Feb. 22) the ACSD board addresses two financial scenarios for the “Financial Impact of the Ripton Withdrawal from ACSD.” In the first, considering potential Ripton withdrawal, it states, “In this scenario, we reduce the costs we can specifically attribute to Ripton, such as staffing, facilities, and transportation …” In the second, which assumes Ripton does not withdraw, it states, “Expenditures that are not reduced in this scenario include the cost of transportation, special education, and other prorated expenditures …”
See the numbers online here: tinyurl.com/RiptonACSDimpact.