Rebecca Baruzzi, Fayston, is seeking one of Fayston’s two seats on the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) board. She is one of two candidates from Fayston seeking seats on the HUUSD board. Molly Bagnato is the other candidate. Fayston’s current representatives are Danielle Dukette and Mike Bishop. Dukette’s term expires this March and Bishop’s expires in 2027.
VR: Why are you running?
I’m driven to serve the community. That sounds super lame, but there it is. I’ve served on the MRV Recreation District, the Montpelier Community Restorative Justice Panel, Circle, and various mentoring programs. Locally, I’ve worked for the MRV Community Fund, MRV Chamber of Commerce and for Capstone Community Action. Not so locally, the Peace Corps and the United States Coast Guard. I am currently the community impact director for Green Mountain United Way.
There is anticipation that there will be major changes to agencies at both the federal and state level in the next few years. These changes go beyond education, but will be impactful to students and their families on many different levels. I want to be on the school board to ensure that the voice of working families is prominent as the landscape changes.
VR: What do you see as the most important issue facing the board?
The most pressing issue is how school costs impact our tax payers. Seniors on fixed incomes cannot keep up with these property taxes, families who work locally cannot keep up with these property taxes and I cannot keep up with these property taxes. While the school board creates a budget for taxpayers to pass, there is no actual control over the tax liability for property owners in the district. Changes to the funding formula need to be made at the state level.
The most important issue I see where local boards can be impactful is around policy creation. As changes come down the pike and cuts to programming are made, we need to be thoughtful about how we are going to make room to work with our communities, to share resources and to create a culture of trust. As we are impacted by major systems change, we need to be intentional that our communities are stronger and not more divided.
VR: What is your first priority?
My first priority is to learn how it all works. Any regular civilian who dips their toe into the water of the education sphere quickly learns that it is a completely different language (Asynchronous learning anyone?). So, I’ll ask a lot of questions and press for us to use normal language. From there I will start to learn how I can add value, with community wellness as my goal.
VR: What are your thoughts on the district’s exploratory work on consolidation?
I think the current board is in a position where it needs to lay out options for consolidation. For me, this is different from the last time consolidation was discussed; now I trust the players and the process. If there is school consolidation, my major concern will be in how we make sure community connections are created and maintained.
The Valley Reporter reached out to Bagnato for details about her candidacy.
