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VSBA Around Vermont
Governance Initiatives
The Windsor Northwest SU Board
is exploring options for convening a governance study. The SU Board is looking at the impact of
declining enrollment and increasing costs for Rochester, Pittsfield, Granville,
Hancock, and Bethel. As a result of a
meeting with the VSBA, the Pittsfield Board warned a Town Meeting vote, which
was passed on March 4th, to research
governance change options for both the elementary and high school. One of the possible outcomes of the study
would be to end school choice and create a formal governance relationship with
an area school district.
The VSBA staff continues to
facilitate a phase I governance study with the Windham Southwest Supervisory
Union. The Twin Valley School Board has
created a Facilities Committee that has developed three building utilization
options for Whitingham and Wilmington. The Committee
has opened the door to the Halifax Board to consider including their students
in the study. An architect is currently
computing building costs which will enable the Committee and Board to further
refine options for voters. One of the options
would close the Twin Valley High School building in Wilmington and move all
high school students for the two towns to Whitingham. If voters support this action, the Twin
Valley Joint Contract School would receive 50% state aid, due to consolidation
of school buildings. Facilities
consolidation is not included in the legislative moratorium on state aid.
The VSBA has contracted with
Laura Soares to facilitate a governance study with Underhill, Underhill I.D.,
and Jericho School Districts.
The VSBA has contracted with
Holden Waterman to facilitate a governance study with the Hartford and Hartland
School Districts. Hartland is a K-8
district that has high school choice.
They are considering developing a high school governance relationship
with Hartford, which is a K-12 district.
The complication here is Hartland is currently one of the member
districts in the Windsor Southeast SU.
The three options that are being researched are the creation of a:
·
Joint contract
district;
·
Union school
district; or
·
Unified union
school district.
The governance study
officially started on March 13th.
The VSBA staff provided
governance options for the Norton School Board which included giving up school
choice and creating formal elementary or high school governance structures
with:
·
Canaan;
·
North Country
Union High School; and/or
·
Island Pond
Elementary.
The Norton Board is interested
in acquiring more control over cost per pupil and transportation expenses. The Board also wants a greater voice in
governance decision making at the school(s) where their students attend.
The VSBA staff worked with the
Grafton Elementary Board to explore governance options for seceding from the
Bellows Falls Union High School District.
Policy Governance
Laura Soares is facilitating a
Policy Governance implementation process with the Hartford School
District.
Laura Soares and Robin Scheu facilitated a “policy blitz” with the Randolph Union
High School in late February. The
District is well on their way to fully implementing Policy Governance.
Other districts that are at
varied stages of Policy Governance consideration are Woodstock Union and
Lamoille Union High Schools, Bethel, and Essex Town School Districts.
Superintendent Searches
The VSBA completed
superintendent searches in Southwest Vermont and Washington West Supervisory
Unions. Neither SU was able to attract a
permanent superintendent. The SVSU hired
George Carpenter, current Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, to serve
an interim role next year. Washington
West is interviewing two interim candidates, with the finalist also to serve an
interim role. Franklin Central
Supervisory Union has an offer for a permanent superintendent on the
table.
The Barre SU has hired John
Bacon, current superintendent in Caledonia Central, to lead their Supervisory
Union, starting July 1st.
The VSBA has contracted with
the Rutland Southwest SU Board to lead their search, which began on March 10th.
The Caledonia Central SU is facilitating
their search process internally.
Rivendell and Winooski
Districts have chosen to do some internal restructuring and will not undertake
search processes this year.