Letter to the editor: There’s another side to the Ripton school argument

Defining a community: Is it a town or a school district? When is a small elementary school too small?

It is a critical time to ensure our school boards are led by dedicated public servants committed to meeting the needs of all students. Amy McGlashan is such a person.

As Lincoln withdraws from Mount Abraham Unified School District (MAUSD), there is misinformation that is circulating in the community.

In my opinion, Act 46 was intended specifically to bring about the closing of small towns’ schools in Vermont, despite what the text of the law itself states.

In a commentary last week that rebutted our editorial, State Board of Education Chair Oliver Olsen took us to task for suggesting the SBE had more leeway to rule on Ripton’s behalf and he denied the SBE was “targeting small schools for consolidation.”

Unable to obtain school services elsewhere, Ripton administrators are considering rejoining the district. And now, state officials and lawmakers are trying to make sure another departure like Ripton’s doesn’t happen again.

Unfortunately, Mr. Lynn’s editorial in the same edition missed the mark with an opinion that was based on a flawed understanding of Vermont education law and the powers of the State Board of Education.

Ripton school officials said they’ll try to make the best of what they believe was an incorrect decision by the Vermont State Board of Education on Jan. 19 to designate the town its own supervisory district.

Ripton’s Molly Witters is right on target; State Board of Education Chair Oliver Olsen is not. 

The Vermont State Board of Education (VSBE) on Wednesday morning officially granted Ripton’s wish to become independent from the Addison Central School District. Now comes the hard part.

Lincoln and Ripton, which voted last year to withdraw from their school districts, have begun exploring the idea of creating a new supervisory union to handle the administrative services they might not be able to afford individually.

Willem Jewett, a Ripton resident and former majority leader of the Vermont House of Representatives, died Wednesday afternoon using a prescription obtained through Act 39, a law that allows terminally ill Vermonters to take pharmaceutical drugs to end the … (read more)

Dissatisfied with the pace and effectiveness of talks toward a possible compromise with the Addison Central School District, the Ripton School Board is exploring a public education union with the town of Lincoln.

A bright purple, custom-made, 12-foot trailer with rustic wooden accents is a new regular at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton.

I am writing to provide context to the quote attributed to me in the Dec. 16, 2021 article, “ACSD Board cool to Ripton rule changes,” and am doing so because I believe these are important details for the ACSD community to contemplate in this broad convers … (read more)