By the Harwood Union School Board
In these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever that our schools prepare young people for the demands of today's workplace and higher education. The Harwood Union School Board has worked very hard to build a budget that ensures that our school provides this kind of high-quality educational opportunity and complies with new mandates for improving education. We ask for your vote to support this year's Harwood budget.
The Harwood community is fortunate. Our middle/high school has an outstanding reputation and is often cited as a reason that people want to live in the six towns that the school serves. We want to keep our school an educational leader. We also want to keep it affordable.
The Harwood school board is mindful of the statewide conversation going on now about educational funding. We are participating in that conversation. We take seriously our role as stewards of public education and representatives of the community.
Nearly all Vermont schools, including Harwood, are experiencing declining enrollment. At the same time, schools are required to take on a variety of well-intentioned mandates that require additional spending. For example, last year the state launched a laudable initiative to enable high school students to enroll in up to two college courses, earning college credit and meeting high school graduation requirements at the same time. Last year, the state paid for these college courses. This year, the Harwood budget must include half the cost of these courses. Price tag: $18,000. Next year, this figure will double as each high school must shoulder the full cost of two college courses.
Don't get us wrong: We strongly support the educational opportunity afforded by so-called dual enrollment. But this mandate requires us to pass along new costs to taxpayers in our budget this year and next. There are many more examples such as this.
As we've wrestled with the school budget over the past year, it has become clear to us that the problem of how to equitably fund education throughout the state is not something that our individual school is able to solve. We are looking for savings and efficiencies everywhere we can. But we are at the point where making further cuts to our budget will result in a reduction of important course offerings and popular extracurricular activities.
For example, last month, the Harwood school board proposed cutting a science teacher, a world languages teacher (likely ending our award-winning Latin program) and eliminating the school's gymnastics team, which serves numerous young women. The community let us know through letters and statements at our meetings that such cuts are not acceptable. The board decided, in a divided vote, to retain these programs and instead found savings by consolidating afternoon bus runs, reducing spending on new technology and reducing custodial staffing, among other things.
A good return on investment
Harwood asks a lot of its community. And the community continues to get a very good return on its investment in Harwood:
• Harwood ranks among the top 15 Vermont public high schools in SAT results (2013).
• Of Harwood students who took AP exams, 83 percent scored 3 or above, among the best performances in the state (2013).
• Harwood ranked in the top three in the state for PSAT scores in 2012.
• Harwood Union Middle School had the highest reading scores in the state on the 2012 NECAP exams, with 99 percent of seventh-graders scoring "proficient" or above.
• 95 percent of Harwood students graduate high school (2013).
• Six out of 10 Harwood graduates enroll in postsecondary education (2013).
• Harwood offers diverse educational options to help students succeed and graduate: The Harwood Community Learning Center offers self-directed learning opportunities, Next Step links students to internships and work experiences, and technical education prepares students for skilled trades.
• Harwood Union has a rich extracurricular program that currently encompasses 53 sports teams and 25 clubs. Over 88 percent of six-year students at Harwood Middle School and High School will have participated in at least one co-curricular program over the course of their school career.
• Numerous Harwood teachers have received state and national recognition for their work, dedication and innovation.
Harwood's 2015-16 budget
The Harwood School Board and administration continue to adjust the budget and staffing to be in line with enrollment, keeping our cost per pupil at or near the state average. This year's budget request to the community of $14,254,834 reflects a 5.2 percent increase over last year's budget. This will result in an estimated 8.6 percent increase in the equalized tax rate.
This year's budget posed several challenges. More than half of this year's budget increase (2.8 percent) is due to an increase in federally mandated special education costs, over which the school does not have any control. In addition, Harwood's enrollment dropped by about 30 students this year, reflecting a statewide trend. The school board and administration continue to respond to declining enrollment: Over the past two budget cycles, we have reduced more than three full-time equivalent jobs.
Other costs reflected in this year's budget include funding a variety of new state mandates, ongoing professional development and a 2 percent increase in overall faculty salaries and associated health care costs in accordance with the teachers' contract.
Harwood has realized notable savings in its facilities budget. Harwood's wood chip heating system saves approximately $45,000 per year in energy costs, and a new water well was built for $100,000 less than the cost approved by voters last year.
Harwood continues to build a 21st-century curriculum. This budget includes money to expand Harwood's growing science, technology, engineering and math program (STEM), a crucial area of need in both our school and the work world.
We have worked hard to balance the twin goals of providing a high-quality educational opportunity for our children in the most cost-efficient way possible. We feel that the proposed Harwood budget achieves these goals in a challenging year.
We ask your support to ensure that Harwood continues to be an innovative and high-performing school that helps all children in our community succeed and prepare for opportunities ahead.
The 2015 Harwood Union annual report can be found at town offices and viewed online at harwood.org.
Residents are encouraged to attend the Harwood Union annual meeting on Monday, March 2, at 5 p.m. in the Harwood Union High School library. We look forward to addressing your questions.
Susan MacLean Daley, Fayston; David Goodman, Waterbury, vice chair; Deborah Hunter, Moretown, chair; Garrett MacCurtain, Duxbury; Daniel Raddock, Warren; Stephen Sands, Waitsfield; Dale Smeltzer, Waterbury
