ANWSD spending up, but taxes seen falling

VERGENNES — The Addison Northwest School District Board this week adopted a $22,327,585 spending plan for the next school year. If backed on Town Meeting Day, it would increase spending by 3.35% over the currently approved level. Despite the proposed higher spending, the latest estimates say property tax rates would drop in all five ANWSD communities in a range of between about 1.7 and 7 cents if voters support that budget on March 1. The board on Jan. 19 also voted to ask residents to back a plan to use $1 … (read more)

Watching the MAUSD/ANWSD Merger Study Committee (MSC) right now is like watching people evacuate a ship into rickety lifeboats without confirming that the ship is indeed sinking.

The group discussing the merger of Vergennes- and Bristol-area schools is not ready to commit to local control of elementary schools.

Superintendent Sheila Soule recommended in December that the district board move the Addison Wayfinder Experience special education program out of Addison Central School and into Vergennes Union High School.

The Addison Northwest School District board has confirmed its commitment to a $22.08 million budget that would increase spending by about $480,000 and preserve all programs, while devoting enough of a major surplus to keep the district tax rate increase t … (read more)

I want to make it perfectly clear that I am writing this letter as a tax paying citizen of Ferrisburgh and in no way as a member of the school board.

Some kids would spend 60-90 minutes on a bus — both to and coming from schools — plus spending on busing would go up by $385,000 to $880,000.

The Addison Northwest School District board on Nov. 15 looked favorably on a $22.08 million district-wide budget proposal that would increase spending by about $480,000.

At their Nov. 15 meeting Addison Northwest School District board members contemplated how best to make use of a $1.86 million surplus a preliminary audit confirmed for the end of the 2020-21 school year.

The ANWSD/MAUSD Merger Study Committee invites the public to attend a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

At one point Soule had been undecided about staying. She informed the board in late January 2020 she would leave at the end of that academic year, but ultimately had a change of heart.

Supporters of Addison withdrawing from the Addison Northwest School District needed 66.7% of town voters to back the measure in Tuesday’s revote after the initial withdrawal measure failed on July 13, 122-106.

On Tuesday Addison voters will decide the same question for a second time in three months: “Shall the Town of Addison withdraw from the Addison Northwest School District?”

Although the Addison Northwest School District Board does not believe the town of Addison’s required public meeting before the Oct. 5 town-wide revote on ANWSD was legally warned, its board chair said the district will not challenge an unfavorable result.

The district will establish a mentoring program, expand afterschool programming, provide more meals to food-insecure families, and more.