Superintendent Reen continues to mislead and scare MAUSD voters.

In the July 28 Addison Independent article, “Voters weigh the cost of Starksboro’s exit,” a quote attributed to Reen mentions only tax impacts if Starksboro withdraws from the district, but neglects to mention tax impacts if Starksboro doesn’t withdraw. In short: the impacts are nearly the same either way.

Independent financial analysis indicates that the education tax rate in FY24 for MAUSD is estimated to increase over FY23 under either scenario: 4.3% if Starksboro remains in the district and 5.7% if it is out of the district.

Moreover, this very small difference (1.4%) translates to just $20 in additional tax per $100K of assessed property value — which, after income-sensitivity adjustments are applied, will be reduced or eliminated for roughly 2/3 of families.

Voters should have accurate financial information to inform their vote, not one-sided and misleading scare tactics. Visit Starksboro Save Our Schools to learn more at tinyurl.com/Starksboro-SOS .

Jeanne Albert

Lincoln