Residents show strong backing for their schools

Addison County residents showed strong support for education on Tuesday, when all local school budgets passed, four out of five by large margins. 

The Mount Abraham Unified School District has hired Beth McGeorge to helm the district’s student support services. 

The past several years have been traumatic for our Mount Abraham Unified School District educational community.

The Mount Abraham Unified School District board has an adopted a budget for fiscal year 2024 to put before voters that, despite a 15.52% increase in the cost per equalized pupil, is expected to translate into a decrease in the education tax rate for the r … (read more)

About two seconds remained in the boys’ basketball game at Mount Abraham Friday evening when Otter Valley Union High School freshman guard Connor Denis launched a contested three-pointer from the arc’s right side.

Despite their optimistic findings, the committee’s drafted articles of agreement sparked concerns from many community members, particularly regarding how potential school closures and consolidations would be handled in a merged district.

Two of Addison County’s three union school districts could find themselves searching for new superintendents early next year.

Mount Abraham Unified School District officials are considering how to tackle an estimated $9.65 million of facilities projects at Mount Abraham Union High School, potentially by asking voters to approve a bond of up to that amount. 

Following a recent incident involving a student in crisis at Bristol Elementary School, parents and staff in the Mount Abraham Unified School District are once again asking district officials for help. 

Public schools across Addison County have been hit by the same worker shortage that has affected most other Vermont employers. All local school districts are having difficulty hiring support staff and substitute teachers.

Mount Abraham Unified School District officials are anticipating a nearly 7% increase in per student spending for Fiscal Year 2024, driven by continued declining enrollment in the district and an increase in some expenses like healthcare premiums.

Some of the next steps for the LSD include staffing a central office, creating an FY24 budget for Lincoln residents to vote on next year, and finding additional funds to cover transition costs as the district works to get up and running.

Perhaps an even bigger surprise came at the beginning of the Nov. 16 Board of Education meeting when the panel accepted Oliver Olsen’s resignation.

While we may disagree on solutions, we acknowledge our school districts face many difficult problems that are not easy to fix. 

The Vermont State Board of Education has determined the best way for Lincoln to provide students with supervisory union services like special education and transportation is to do so on its own.