News

Vermont school budgets for 2019-2020 still in flux

By JEFF EPSTEIN
[email protected]
WEATHERSFIELD, Vt. — School districts within the Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) are in the process of finalizing their 2019-20 budgets. However, various issues with the open public meetings on Monday precluded the latest budget information from being presented in this edition of the Eagle Times.

In Windsor, a school board meeting was scheduled at the Windsor School in Room 210. This meeting was probably held, but a reporter attempting to attend it found the building doors locked at the starting time of 6:30 p.m. The meetings are usually videotaped and available on community TV at a later date.

The Weathersfield school board also held its meeting at the same time, but delayed the budget discussion so that the WSESU officials with the state budget details could attend. When they arrived at 7:50 p.m., technical glitches with the computer equipment that would display the budget spreadsheets meant that the presentation was delayed past the Eagle Times deadline.

The meeting was also videotaped for later viewing. In addition, Weathersfield school board chair Sean Whalen said that he anticipated a joint meeting with the town select board to explain both town and school budget on community television. That meeting is provisionally scheduled for Jan 21.

Budget advisor Ed Rollins was expected at both meetings to present the latest information on the CLA, or common level of appraisal, that affects the calculation of local tax rates. Based on the new probable tax rates, the school boards or their budget committee may recommend cuts to the proposed spending for 2019-20 so that the tax rate would be lower.

The Weathersfield board did take action on at least one item Monday, the provision for a theater arts program this year to be led by Sean Roberts of the local company World Under Wonder. The board voted unanimously to authorize school principal JeanMarie Oakman to find funding of up to $2,500 for the program. Under the Roberts plan, a “writer’s guild” of elementary students would be formed to write some kind of a brief show to be produced in the spring. If that proves to be practically difficult, however, Roberts could spend up to $300 for a commercial script of some kind that could be used for the spring show.

Roberts said the show production itself would involve his teaching students the arts of set design, stage lighting, direction, and the others tasks involved. 

“I am there to be their guide,” he said.

Auditions for this youth play could start as soon as Feb. 5, he said.

Around Feb. 13, Roberts will hold auditions for a school talent show called “Weathersfield Got Talent,” also to be produced in the spring.

The board thanked Roberts for optimizing the program for the school. His costs for production will be billed to the school by World Under Wonder as a contractor, and his own personal compensation will be limited to the $100 stipend specified in the school’s master agreement.

Whalen stressed that these activities, in his view, contribute to general education and the overall curriculum by showcasing teamwork, project management, and other life skills.

Avatar photo

As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.