School Board Update 5/4
Hello Windham and friends,
We have a date for our second Windham Vote Day for the School Board on Saturday, May 18 at 10:00 am.
Please come out, vote, and share your perspectives!
Issues to vote on are:
Article 1: Shall the voters of the Windham School District approve the closure of Windham Elementary School?
This article is meant to address our school district not having an operating public elementary school to offer our children. Our current status as a non-operational ceasing of operations puts the health of the district in danger financially. From a risk and liability standpoint, we as a town would open ourselves up for possible litigation otherwise. This means that if we have a lawsuit, everyone pays in FY26 and on.
Important Notes for Closure: Our ability and obligation as a board is not in question regarding all tuitioning – we are required regardless. Also, the power of this closure must be in the hands of the electorate rather than 3 elected individuals. And in no way does this limit our ability to tap into any funding structures currently available to our district nor our ability to promote the school house building use in anticipation of sale in FY25.
Article 2: Shall the voters of the Windham School District approve the school board to expend $546,344, which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the 2024 / 2025 fiscal year?
Our budget reflects the cost of tuition students (Tuitioning – Elem: 74% and Tuitioning – Pre K: 3%) along with shared supervisory union costs for Special Education (4%) and Board of Education/Audits (Other: 8%). Bus Transportation (6%) is the next cost category which includes Gas, Repairs, and Driver(s) Salary. Important Note: The Bus Transportation costs do not include the cost of an anticipated new bus, this has already been voted to be reserved from our FY23 surplus.
Building Maintenance (3%) costs are included with less maintenance assumed than prior years. Originally, we proposed $50k but drove that down to $24k on SU recommendations and finally $15k which is to maintain for about 6 months of the year. The board is committed to maintain the state of the building without significantly lowering its value while the roadmap, community surveys, and selling options are finalized. Just because the $15k is budgeted does not mean that those costs will be the actuals. We are already working to further lower maintenance assumptions through addressing low-cost energy improvements with Efficiency Vermont and we have $8k of rental income which will increase as we finalize other opportunities presented to us. Consider the overall impact of the building maintenance to be $7k with rent money offsetting and more planned to bring these costs closer to $0. Transportation Stipends (1%) for families outside of the bus route and standard Legal Funds (1%).
Finally, I will say a budget must be passed for next year otherwise the district is left with 87% of last year’s budget so $409k. At the next Regular Meeting this Thursday, May 9th I will detail exactly why this would ultimately cost the taxpayers more in the next few years. More information will show that voting for this budget will prevent the unstable financial health of our district thus preventing future tax rate increases that are anticipated otherwise.
Visually – This is what the above looks like:
Article 3: If Article 1 passes, shall the voters of Windham School District grant general authority to the school board to pay tuition for an elementary student at an approved independent elementary school in an amount not to exceed the average announced state-wide elementary school tuition? This authorization is in addition to the March 9th, 2024 electorate authorization for the board to pay tuition to public elementary schools.
Finally, the board wishes to address families left out of the tuitioning structure currently. No petition has been filed and the board has been proactive to bring these families into our district again like Mountain School representing a significant number of our town’s kids.
A lot of info was shared at our last Special Meeting on April 26th. In another update I will be taking clips of common questions asked and answered by either the board or Mark Oettinger, our board attorney. Additionally, an Informational Meeting will be communicated to address any other Q&A needed prior to ReVote Day. Here is the link to the BCTV coverage and the full video: Special Meeting 4/26/24
Our Next Regular Meeting will be this Thursday, May 9th at 4pm, I will provide a reminder and attach the agenda as soon as possible. The setting of the agenda is still underway and will be focused on the budget, forecasts, and tax information.
Please join us and share this email! Our success as a board is dependent on as much sharing of thoughts and participation as possible from everyone. If you have any feedback to this or any other school board updates, don’t hesitate to reply and let me know.
Thanks as always,
Daniel Roth
Vice Chair
Windham School Board