It’s that time of year when area school boards are crunching numbers in their budgets to provide the best academic environment for students while keeping property tax increases within reason. It’s never easy.
Boards continue to face declining enrollment largely due to demographics — which turns out to is a national problem throughout much of the country and in other western countries as birth rates decline — prompting continual shifts in staffing to right-size their programs. School districts also must be mindful not to exceed the state’s per-pupil spending threshold, above which districts are penalized at double the standard tax rate.
In a story in today’s Addison Independent, readers learn the administration at the Addison Central School District recently proposed potential cuts of up to 10 jobs for a savings of about $905,000 — a move aimed at keeping the school district under the state per-pupil spending threshold to avoid the state-imposed penalty. While the suggested proposal is cautionary and much could change before the budget is set in early January, it represents the scope of discussions boards are contending with as deadlines near.
Over in Vergennes-based ANWSD, a survey of district residents gauging reactions to Act 170, found many residents skeptical of the goals of the legislation and concerned about how the legislation might affect the quality of their education students would receive and the impact on communities. The bill, which attempts to overhaul the state’s education system and requires school districts to study potential mergers and consolidation, was a compromise with Gov. Scott’s proposal to force school consolidations.
According to survey results, residents were concerned about increased time students would spend in buses driving to more distant locations, increased financial burdens, the lack of control over school budgets (the foundation formula would have the state dictate school spending with residents losing the right to vote on their school budgets), the impact of larger class sizes, and the loss of community identity.
Kudos to ANWSD for polling district residents and getting important feedback on legislation that could make big changes in 2028, if other aspects of the legislation move forward. Noting it was “a starting point” in terms of educating the public and getting their responses, ANWSD board Chair Mark Koenig said the survey results were “good information for us to consider” while discussing what a merger could look like.
In the Mount Abe school district, New Haven residents recently gave the MAUSD board the go-ahead to further study the closing or repurposing of New Haven’s Beeman Academy. Town voters responded to a mailing last month asking residents whether to grant the district board that authority was approved 339-189. The question did not ask about residents their opinion on whether to keep the school open, rather whether the board should more fully study the pros and cons and report back to the community.
All three stories in today’s Independent are indicative of the heightened focus on schools and their budgets we’ll be covering these next two months ahead of the districts’ annual budget hearings and public warnings. But we also encourage residents to peruse the information each school district posts on their websites, which includes upcoming agendas and detailed budget considerations. Think of it as every citizen’s homework with the reward being well-informed voters at Town Meeting.
-Angelo Lynn