With the Governor’s signature of H.955 on June 18 the State has laid out a new path for education transformation. This new bill adds to and refines the path for education transformation the State laid out last year in Act 73. Through these legislative efforts the State proposes to improve public education through reducing duplicative programs and merging school districts.

In the near-term, your Craftsbury School Board will play a role in two steps:

1. All Vermont school districts have been placed in a Cooperative Education Service Area (CESA). The charge of these new CESAs is to reduce duplication of programs, personnel, and services at the Supervisory Union level. Craftsbury, along with all other Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union (OSSU) school districts, has been placed in a CESA named the Winooski Valley CESA that spans 47 school districts from Windsor County to Orleans County. One representative from our Supervisory Union (OSSU) will serve on the new board of directors for the newly formed Winooski Valley CESA. Craftsbury School Board members will have a say in who this representative is through their 3 Craftsbury representatives on the OSSU Board. The appointment will be made at a meeting of the OSSU Board on July 7th. 

2. All Vermont school districts have been assigned to a merger committee to study the advisability of forming a unified union school district. Craftsbury, along with all other OSSU school districts have been placed in a merger committee with school districts from Lamoille County. The Craftsbury School Board will appoint members to participate in the assigned merger committee.

What does this mean for Craftsbury? Craftsbury Schools enter this education transformation process from a strong position - stable overall enrollment (bucking statewide downward trends in enrollment), high academic outcomes, and full utilization of all available school buildings. The Craftsbury School Board is approaching the new CESA and new merger committee with an open mind and with an eye on maintaining and improving Craftsbury students’ high academic outcomes, strengthening Craftsbury’s stable and growing enrollment, expanding high school students’ access to classes and pathways, and slowing growth in costs for special education and transportation.

As these new efforts in public education transformation begin to take shape this fall the Craftsbury School Board will be discussing and taking action as necessary during monthly School Board meetings the second Wednesday of each month. The next monthly meeting is August 12 at 6:00 p.m. in the Common Room at Craftsbury Academy. We encourage community members to attend board meetings and reach out with questions/comments.