Trails and Town Meeting
by Joseph Balnchette

Town Meeting participants tackled a host of challenging topics on March 2, and the debate was extensive and spirited. Despite having strong and varied points of view on the many articles before the voters, a proper balance was again struck between free speech and mutual respect for opposing points of view. A common theme centered on spending levels of both the town and school budgets. Late in the day the multi-year proposal to increase taxpayer funding for the Trails Committee was voted down. I was one of those who expressed serious reservations about this proposal and, among others, proposed an amendment to cut taxpayer funding for such projects.

I am sorry to report that this respectful spirit did not continue after the meeting. A member of the Trails Committee followed me to my car (parked by the Foote house near the corner) and signaled for me to roll down my car window. Without introducing himself, he chided me for making my motion to reduce the funding level to one dollar and argued that I had insulted him and the Trails Committee.

I sat quietly until he had finished his reprimand of a fellow taxpayer, then began to say, “It is unfortunate that you misinterpreted my motion in that way as it was never intended to insult anybody, but...” My accuser had little time to listen to my reply because he immediately began to talk over me in a hostile tone and soon walked away, ignoring my calls for him to have the courage to hear me out. He would have none of it.

This individual’s intolerant attitude and behavior toward those with opposing views is symptomatic of how some in Charlotte think. They believe that they alone hold the truth, that they alone care for those in need, and that they alone know what is best for the rest of us. They become tone deaf to opposing points of view, preferring instead to force through their agendas and personally attack those who disagree with them. When challenged, they are insulted.

At the risk of offending this person further, let me finish what I would have said had he the courtesy to listen. I certainly meant no disrespect to the Trails Committee by my motion, as “in-artful” as it may have seemed. Like most in the room that day, I have no problem with people developing trails on their property or organizing neighbors to develop extensive trail systems to enjoy our wonderful rural setting. Several of my neighbors have done that very thing, and they have not asked Charlotte taxpayers to contribute a penny. Others have done likewise. Charlotte has 70 miles of Class 2 and 3 roads, and many of us choose to take our daily walk along nearby roads, paved and unpaved.

The problem is not with trails per se, it’s with spending taxpayer dollars on non-essential projects that benefit the few, especially when other options are available. It’s about spending money on trails while holding the schools, fire and rescue departments (appropriate town responsibilities) to higher levels of fiscal accountability. It is also about using the power of zoning regulations to force property owners who wish to develop their land to agree to easements allowing public trails to cross their property. Numerous voters rightly complained at Town Meeting that they were coerced into such easements, which lower their property values and intrude upon their privacy and sense of security. And it’s about trails proponents publishing maps on several occasions that show proposed public trails crossing private property without having permission from property owners to do so.
Like most who voted “no,” I encourage the Trails Committee to take advantage of the good will, the generosity and the wealth of those in town who support trails. Set up a nonprofit trust and seek benefactors. Sell “I support Charlotte Trails” buttons each year at town events. Provide other opportunities for those who support this particular cause to dig into their own pockets rather than the pockets of others for such non-essential projects. The rest of us have our own charities to support and bills to pay. Please respect that.
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Rationale for Consolidation of Supervisory Districts
by John Howe

I have been asked to write about the advisory motion that passed at the school district meeting on March 2. First, I just want to thank the voters who supported the motion. I think it was a good decision and here’s why:

The supervisory system is a legacy of older times when transportation was by horse and communication was by word of mouth or through the mail. School districts were peppered with one-room schoolhouses staffed by teachers, some without higher education credentials. Superintendents were an important part of that older system, ensuring quality education through the supervision and training of teachers in modern pedagogy. Superintendents, now, are responsible for guiding principals and school boards around fiscal, human resource and regulatory practices. There are currently nine Supervisory Districts in Chittenden County alone, and 60 statewide. Compare this to the State of Hawaii with just one supervisory district.

With the centralization of primary schools each building now has a principal. In the case of CCS we now have two principals. These principals supervise pedagogy and curricula and are informed about current research on education and state regulations. Principal credentials are rigorous and include advanced graduate study on educational leadership and administration. Strong principals make the old system of superintendents redundant.

Our teachers are also highly trained and have access to a wide range of technical assistance from universities and the Department of Education. All of the Human Resource (HR) functions, including payroll, hiring, benefit management and contract negotiation that are administered through a superintendent’s office could be done centrally if school districts around the state joined to form a single statewide HR system. This would allow a much smaller number of superintendents to support the curriculum development on a regional basis.

The current system is incredibly inefficient, redundant and unsustainable. At the Annual School Meeting I compared the current superintendent’s salary, $144,525, with that of the Secretary of the Agency of Human Services, Rob Hofmann, Princeton educated, who is in charge of the state’s largest workforce of over 6,000 employees. He earns just $103,729. But in the Chittenden South Superintendent’s office we also have a Chief Operations Officer who earns $128,000 and a Director of Student Support Services at $110,000, as well as Directors of HR, Budget and Finance, and Curriculum and Assessment.
The February 10 edition of the Brattleboro Reformer reports on legislation to begin the process of school consolidation. Part of this legislation calls for reducing the number of supervisory districts from 60 to 16. Jeffrey Francis, the Executive Director of the Vermont Superintendents Association, supports this bill saying “Vermont superintendents, in general, support the bill because they see redundancy currently on a school-district-by-school-district basis.” When it comes time to make cuts in our CVU budget due to falling enrollment, which would you, as taxpayers, like to see eliminated: a top-heavy and redundant bureaucracy or losing several teachers and important programs?

My experience watching school boards is that citizen board members become overly dependent upon the superintendent as the source of technical assistance in the complex world of education. Consequently, I suspect, it is very hard for them to imagine their boards functioning without that level of direction. Our advisory motion asks our school board to look a little beyond that relationship, perhaps to expect more from their principals and more from the Department of Education and to reach out to other school boards across the state to move out of the 19th and into the 21st century, find reductions in administrative costs and fully support our teachers and students.
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CCS, A School In Transition
From the CCS Board
Daniel Luce, CCS Board Director

The CCS School Board has taken the moment to reflect on the past year, look at where we are now, and how to move forward into the future. It has been a year of transition for CCS. Many changes have unfolded and as always with change, there is a period of uncertainty and adjustment before things settle down. We are striving to seize this opportunity to chart a new path forward for the education of our children and build consensus among all the stakeholders.

Past:

Almost a year ago our principal of 19 years retired. An interim team was hired so the school could take a step back and analyze the structure of the administration in order insure the best delivery of education. After input from all the stakeholder groups, the board voted to move forward with co-principals PreK-4 and 5-8.
In June the board restructured and seated a new board chair. Now with board turnover there is another new board chair.

The conditions in the ‘49 building reached a tipping point and needed a major overhaul. The 2.8 million dollar construction bond was approved by the voters. A renovate/rebuild analysis was conducted and based on this, the Board is moving forward with a smaller more efficient building for the same price.

Present:

The School Board approved a budget with a 1.6% decrease↓, but because of the State funding formula the voters were looking at a 7.3% increase↑ in taxes. The budget reflected a $119,597↓ reduction below last year’s budget. It was defeated by 44 votes.

Future:

Our community has a great school; CCS consistently performs at the top for testing scores in the state. While there is always room for improvement, our children are flourishing. Providing a rich, diverse and challenging education is paramount for creating global citizens in the 21st century.

The School Board has been fiscally responsible, looking to maximize the value of every dollar spent. We will continue to be guided by documents, such as our strategic plan, action plans and school quality standards. In addition, input from stakeholder groups will continue to be sought and respected.

The new co-principals will be in place soon, bringing with them strong educational leadership for our school. This will be a fresh start, and everyone is excited about the new energy and vision they will offer.

The construction will start this summer and will fix a major source of problems with the building’s infrastructure. Because the School Board was able to secure stimulus funding, our construction debt will be much more favorable than otherwise.

We understand that these are tough times and people are hurting. We know we need to formulate a revised budget that maintains a quality education while keeping the impact to the taxpayers to a minimum. This is a sensitive balance as we make every effort to maintain the quality the Charlotte community expects.

The community will re-vote soon. The Board has work to do to craft a revised budget that will be accepted by a majority of voters.

We value your participation, support and consideration.
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Thank you for supporting Affordable Housing
by The Affordable Housing Committee:
Allan Jordan, Ted Montgomery, John Owen,
Ellie Russell, Carrie Spear

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee would like to thank Charlotters for voting to continue funding the Housing Trust Fund for an additional year. In light of voters’ concerns about our school and town budgets in these difficult economic times, your support for affordable housing is gratifying. Because of your support over the last three years, up to nine new rental units and seven owner-occupied homes will be created. It appears that the fund has helped to stimulate significant progress in creating affordable housing in Charlotte, which is very encouraging.

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Thank you to the countless Charlotte Volunteers
With appreciation and gratitude from
Andrea Green Mahoney
 
I would like to thank all the volunteers who give of themselves and their time to make our town a community. Whether coaching a team, serving on the Trails Committee or the School Board, or volunteering at the Food Shelf, Library or Fire Department, volunteers improve the lives of all Charlotters. They enrich our community and make our town vibrant.  Please remember to thank your friends and neighbors for their service. When asked –or when disgruntled – participate, and give what you can of your time and energy to our community. 

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 The Signs of Mud Times
by Kay Teetor

Damaged roads are the legacy of ice
Demanding caution and checking twice
Posted warnings urge less speed.
If you value your hub cabs, take heed
‘cause when Spring is here
Though roads seem clear
Tires and mud tend to cleave
Burrowed creatures emerge to breathe.
Mud season driving requires devotion
OR add your wreck and travel notions
To Springtime’s grand vehicular commotion.