Last week, the HUUSD Board voted to adopt a preK-12 model that includes a plan to close Fayston Elementary School, host Moretown fifth- and sixth-graders at Crossett Brook Middle School (or any other school of their choice), and consolidate all seventh- and eighth-graders into Crossett Brook Middle School. I voted with the majority after making the relevant motion. I understand that many people support this decision, while others are upset, and a few are even angry. In a district of nearly 13,000 people that’s likely to be the case on almost any issue that comes before the board. However unfortunate, that’s our reality.
I stand behind my vote. People are free to disagree. Disagreement and discourse are part of a healthy democracy, especially when done in a respectful manner that promotes consideration of opposing viewpoints and helps broaden understanding if not build consensus. In other words, it’s okay to disagree. But, here is what is not okay:
- Blaming me for the situation the board is trying to address because I support a practical solution. I didn’t create the problem. In a truly just world, we wouldn’t need to make difficult decisions about funding our children’s education (among other things). Inherently, there will always be a choice before us and an outcome some people dislike. The reality is that we budget in a post-Act 60/68/46 context. Resources are limited. Population has been declining across all our campuses (and the state) for over 20 years. Voters and taxpayers have been increasingly reluctant to approve growing budgets and resulting tax rates. There are no easy solutions when weighing the needs of students and programming vs. supporting buildings and employees. Yet, we have an obligation to find them. If we want to continue to provide the best education for our students in a fair and equitable manner, we need to be responsible in what we ask of taxpayers. If I have to choose between retaining a campus for few students or preserving programming and opportunities for all students, I choose the latter.
- Claiming that there was some sort of conspiracy or spreading otherwise untrue and inaccurate information. Facts matter. Just because some may have come to the game later than others does not mean we should discount our historical or institutional knowledge, much less apologize for it. There were reasons why our accelerated merger made sense and received broad support. These also point to further consolidation: increased costs and spending, declining district and building enrollments and pressures around maintaining programming and school and class sizes. While evidence has existed all along, the data and details which have been produced and examined more recently project savings. Admittedly, I came to the process with a willingness to close a school if that is what the data supported. But if others are free to come to the process with an expressed opposition to closing a school no matter what the data shows, I fail to understand the concern. That said, I kept an open mind throughout and made decisions based on what the requested data told us about the different scenarios. It is possible to achieve annual savings by closing a school -- although I do understand we may disagree on how much justifies the act. Is it possible that the White Paper and earlier discussions led to people choosing to leave Fayston Elementary? Sure, just as it’s possible that people have left because small has gotten too small, other buildings are more convenient, people have moved, kids were unhappy in their peer groups, or the board decided not to run a third grade of two students. In other words, people made decisions based on individual circumstances.
- Denigrating any of our schools. When the Act 46 Study Committee was considering names for our unified union, Harwood was proposed because it is the one school that unites us. It’s where all our children end up. The unfortunate reality is that we have four elementary schools in the southern end of the district with a capacity for 735 students but enrollments totaling 523 students preK-6 (426 students K-6). They are all excellent schools, despite the long-term and ongoing challenges around enrollment, with each being down at least 25 percent from its historic high. The fact is that as students age through the system, there is a lag of several years before elementary enrollment trends move through our high school. Here one must also consider the impacts of more recent educational initiatives, like early college, which provides increased opportunities for students, but also impacts enrollment. Just as people have left Fayston for their own reasons, the same has happened at the high school. No one claims that students choosing to leave any elementary is a negative commentary on the quality of education that takes place within its walls. I wish the same could be said for Harwood. Harwood has quality educators, exceptional students and an important role in our community.
While the past weeks and months have been difficult, I’d like to believe we can agree that the education that takes place within our elementary buildings is more important than the buildings themselves, especially since the Mad River Valley community is more than any one member town and has already shown the potential to achieve more when coordinating and pooling resources. We all bear the collective responsibility for the unaddressed Harwood facility issues. Even though some might not like decisions to date, I am hopeful that as we move forward with this bond work, which is focused around a vision of continued educational quality and excellence, we can collectively invest in the Harwood building in such a way that demonstrates to all the extent to which we value the education which takes place within its walls.
Christine Sullivan is a member of the HUUSD Board from Waitsfield. Her views are her own.
