Op/Ed

Editorial: Hard-earned progress at ACSD

ANGELO LYNN

It’s heartening that the ACSD board has agreed in principle to modify article 14 of its charter agreement to allow the towns of small schools a larger voice in whether to close a school. As it is, ACSD’s school board can close a close with a super majority (10 of 13 members, with Middlebury having 6 members) vote, even if that is against the wishes of the town or of a majority of district voters.

No final decision was made at the board’s meeting this Tuesday, but a straw poll of the members revealed that most were in favor of amending the current article. The board will work on, and hopefully approve, a more detailed process at its next meeting when it has more time to deliberate.

That’s in the spirit of collaborating with member towns to find a solution that works for everyone. It doesn’t mean that small schools won’t close sometime in the future, but it does give those towns a better opportunity to make their case to the broader community.

That Ripton’s ordeal has led to this change among the ACSD board is reason-enough to have weathered the trials and tribulations of the past four years.

Angelo Lynn

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