RWSU and WSWSU Planning Committee Update

RWSU and WSWSU Planning Committee Update


On Tuesday afternoon, January 17, 2012, RWSU chair, Doug Ficken and WSWSU chair, Alison Deslauriers presented a petition, at the direction of their respective Boards, to the Vermont State Board of Education to form a new Supervisory Union to include the districts of the Rutland-Windsor SU and the remaining districts of the Windsor Southwest SU, should the Mountain Towns Regional Education District’s (RED’s) component districts’ electorates each vote to approve the RED, and the newly formed RED is thereby regrouped into BRSU. Prior to considering the petition from RWSU/WSWSU on the proposed consolidation, the State Board did approve a motion supporting the formation of a Mountain Towns Regional Education District. The petition also included the additional condition that the SU board of the newly-combined Windsor Southwest and Rutland-Windsor SU will require a 60% majority vote for the hiring of a superintendent and the approval of its SU budget. The petition, worded by the Vermont Department of Education, did not include the additional conditions for funding and tax considerations equivalent to those provided to approved RED’s, or that the newly formed SU should organize an Executive Committee made up of an equal number of representatives from the current districts of the RWSU and WSWSU. While these conditions were part of the motions passed by the RWSU and WSWSU Boards on December 14, 2011, the last two conditions are not part of the State Board’s authority. Vermont legislative action will be necessary to provide financial assistance for implementation. The new SU Board will be responsible for the creation of an Executive Committee and its makeup.
Ms. Deslauriers outlined the history of the planning process and some of the potential educational advantages the new SU might afford students. Mr. Ficken outlined the financial challenges that the current SU’s would face in any implementation process and pointed out that both Boards voted contingent upon financial support from the Vermont State legislature. Donna Moyers, the facilitator hired by the Vermont School Board’s Association under the financial auspices of the combined SU’s then gave her report on the structural aspects of a new SU and the potential educational advantages. Norman Andrews, a financial consultant contracted by the Vermont Department of Education, presented his report, encompassing several months of study and analysis of the financial operations of each Supervisory Union. Assuming the new Supervisory Union would not include the towns of Peru, Weston, Londonderry and Landgrove, he projected that the combining the ten remaining districts of the two Supervisory Unions could result in a decreased assessment of $481,700 or that these savings could be applied to provide additional educational advantages to students.
The State Board then asked several clarifying questions, not least of which was how to respond to the conditions each local School Board expects to be met that are not under their control. They agreed not to formally consider the petition until at least April, or possibly at their May meeting. By that time votes by all constituent towns in the Mountain Town RED will have voted to approve or disapprove the RED. If any of those votes fail, this consolidation effort will end. Also, by late spring, the level of action by the State legislature will be clearer
Mr. Ficken and Ms. Deslauriers then had the opportunity to testify in front of the Education Committee of the Vermont House of Representatives. During this time, they were able to answer a number of the same questions asked by the State Board of Education, as well as make clear the need for financial assistance from the legislature to make implementation feasible.