By Kristen Rodgers and Kelley Hackett
We write to ask you to support the school district budget during Town Meeting Day on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
The proposition recommended by the school board represents a responsible budget. It includes the reduction of 13 positions by attrition, turnover, and transfer, while also providing needed support to our students as we continue to deal with mental health needs and learning loss following the COVID-19 pandemic.
HUUSD, as well as school districts across Vermont, are also experiencing double digit increases in the state-mandated health insurance plan, contractual wage increases necessary to attract and maintain teachers and support staff, increasing costs of federally mandated special education services, a new child care tax, and increases in transportation costs. These are the primary areas where the HUUSD budget has increased in spite of a level service approach.
HUUSD has traditionally requested that voters approve transfers of up to $1.5 million to maintenance reserve. This year’s budget proposition includes a budgeted $1 million for maintenance reserve along with a request to transfer approximately $535,000 from fiscal year 2023 to the maintenance fund.
With the uncertainty of what tax implications will look like for our community the board has decided to pause a bond vote in November.
The district has over $19 million dollars in deferred maintenance for all six campuses within HUUSD -- with less than $3 million available in maintenance reserve. Therefore, we are hoping that you will support these two ballot questions in order to maintain the necessary maintenance needs of our buildings. To see the three-year capital improvement plan please go to the http://tinyurl.com/February14BoardAgenda.
The school board has spent considerable time discussing projected tax increases across Vermont, which are caused by many factors including a transition of the state funding formula related to Act 127. The spirit of Act 127 is to increase funding to schools that have been historically underfunded. While the school board fully supports the intent of more equitable funding for all students, the new funding formula means HUUSD taxpayers are impacted more significantly.
Over the past month-and-a-half, districts around the state have been grappling with Act 127, and more recently, H.850. With that in mind, this Harwood school board has worked tirelessly to advocate for a more equitable change to Act 127 so that all of our community schools can be sustained in their present configuration.
The school board needs the input of our community in the form of your vote on the budget proposition question on the ballot.
If the ballot proposition passes, the school board will continue to reduce expenditures and positions by attrition, turnover, and transfer. This action will be absolutely necessary over the next four years, during which time the HUUSD will continue to see a loss of taxing capacity due to Act 127 and H.850.
If the ballot proposition fails, the school board will need to immediately reduce the budget from the adjusted current tax rate ($1.69 pre-Common Level of Assessment) based on the following options in order to rewarn a new budget proposition to our community:
- Reduction of $1 million (maintenance reserve funding) $1.65 adjusted tax rate pre-CLA.
- Reduction of $1.5 million (maintenance reserve funding and year-end fund balance transfer to maintenance reserve) $1.63 adjusted tax rate pre-CLA.
- Reduction of $2.7 million (Eliminate $1.5 million maintenance reserve and an additional 10.5 positions) $1.58 adjusted tax rate pre-CLA.
- Reduction of $4.5 million (Eliminate $1.5 million maintenance reserve and an additional 26.7 positions) $1.51 adjusted tax rate pre-CLA.
The school board fully understands that the projected tax rates from the Legislature are of great concern. As your elected school board representatives, we also understand that the loss of 10.5 positions or 26.7 positions beyond the 13 already budgeted for elimination will have a huge impact on the safe operations of all of our community schools.
Thank you for your consideration. We encourage you to visit our website and explore the annual report link as well as the information in board agendas found at https://huusd.org/huusd-board. Additionally, you can visit the HUUSD YouTube channel to view recent school board meetings: http://tinyurl.com/HUUSDYouTubeChannel.
Rodgers is the chair of the HUUSD Board and Hackett is the vice-chair.
