School Consolidation Talks Have Begun
by Nancy Wood,
October 21, 2010, page 1.....

Does Charlotte want to merge with other towns into one regional school district? Would it improve the quality of education for Charlotte students? Would it be more efficient, reducing the cost to taxpayers? Would the public still have a say in how the local school is run? Would the community still have access to the buildings and grounds? What would happen to Charlotte if other towns consolidate and it does not join? Would Charlotte students still be able to go to CVU?

The Legislature, through Act 153, has mandated that discussions take place about merging school districts, and has provided for financial incentives to encourage the formation of new Regional Education Districts (REDs).

Supervisory union boards must discuss merger possibilities by December 1, 2010, and must vote whether to pursue merger by October 1, 2012, in order to secure the incentives. School district boards (such as our Charlotte School Board) may discuss merger, but are not mandated to have discussions.
The state is offering merger planning reimbursements of up to $20,000.

The Chittenden South Supervisory Union (CSSU) Board began its discussion on October 13. Superintendent Elaine Pinkney explained that the CSSU Board decided in May to pursue the merger conversation starting this fall, and to “give it an honest look.” CSSU has secured the services of two consultants, Brian O’Regan and George Cormier, to facilitate the conversation and do the research necessary to answer the many questions that will arise. Pinkney expects that the cost will be covered by the $20,000 planning reimbursement by the state. She said, in the Charlotte Board meeting that followed the CSSU board meeting, that the CSSU board would vote in November about pursuing the merger discussion in order to get the $20,000 fee.

A “merger discussion plan” has been developed that lays out the timeline and process. Additional merger discussions will take place at CSSU Board meetings in November and, assuming an affirmative vote to continue, in February, March and May. As they did at the October 13 meeting, local school board members, including Charlotte, will be encouraged to attend the CSSU Board discussions and have follow-up discussions at their own meetings, joined by their CVU High School Board representatives. The CVU Board does not have a vote, as a separate entity, on the merger question. If RED is formed, CVU would be owned and run by it, and the CVU Board would no longer exist. (Details are still hazy about what would happen if not all towns in the current CVU district vote to join the RED.)

Between meetings the consultants will develop data, and conduct research on the questions and issues raised by all of the boards at each step.

According to the merger discussion plan, the discussion topic at the November CSSU Board meeting will be about opportunities, mechanics and timeline; the February topic will be impact on programs and fiscal impact; March will be the impact of the state incentives on tax rates, and a planning committee will be formed then to analyze data and engage the community; in May the planning committee will report back to the Board with data, community input and a recommendation. At that time it is expected that the CSSU board and the local district boards will vote to proceed or not with formal merger planning.

If the vote is yes, a formal Study Committee would be formed that would include representatives of the school districts considering merger. The Study Committee would develop a plan for a proposed RED, including what school districts are considered necessary and what districts considered advisable. A requirement for an RED is that it includes four districts or a minimum of 1,250 students. The Study Committee would also develop plans for curriculum, staff deployment, transportation, school board composition and how it is elected, and a plan providing for local participation in policy and budget development.

The Study Committee would send a report to the State Board of Education. If the State Board approves the plan, the final step is for it to go before the voters in each school district. If all the districts considered necessary for the merger vote yes, an RED will be formed.

CCS Board asks questions about outcomes and savings.

The purpose of the CCS Board meeting following the CSSU Board meeting on October 13 was to identify questions about the merger process. CVU Board members Marilyn Richardson and Lorna Jimerson both attended. Marilyn asked, “What would be the advantage of undertaking the study of merging?” She pointed out that it would take a considerable amount of time and energy. Dan Luce wants to have resolved the questions about CVU, and what happens if one district doesn’t join the RED.

Lynne Jaunich added to the list, “Where are the educational outcomes and where are the improved efficiencies?” She said the monetary incentives “raise a red flag – where is the money coming from for the incentives? Are they based on assumptions of savings from consolidation?” She also asked, “If we don’t merge, what do we lose?”

Sue Thibault said, “We need proof of savings forever, not just when the incentives are in place.” Dan Luce made the point that “We’re already at the top of outcomes (by current measures, like NECAP) – how will merger improve on that?” Brian O’Regan, one of the consultants, acknowledged that the CSSU school districts had high performing schools, and some of the structures of a merged district are already in place.

Kristin Wright pointed out that with or without merger, the Legislature has mandated changes in the responsibilities of supervisory unions that go into effect in 2012, and the public needs to be educated about what those changes are.

Elaine Pinckney said she is exploring the possibility of different configurations, such as RED that includes all of the districts and CVU, or RED plus a separate district with all students going to CVU. She said “We need to get smart, get the data, and not just for five years.”