MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Voters in the Montpelier-Roxbury School District are left to make difficult decisions on the heels of a failed school budget.
Montpelier-Roxbury’s budget failed on town meeting day as voters rejected a budget that would have resulted in a 24% property tax increase. In response, the school district has crafted a new budget. In addition to finding savings in operations, maintenance, and staffing, the board voted to close the Roxbury Village School and send the 40 students there to Union Elementary School in Montpelier instead.
Hannah Bryant is new to Roxbury with a child at the K-4 school. With the children headed to Montpelier, she’s worried about the long bus ride and what the loss of the school will mean to the community.
“This is really the heart of the community and it’s what built our connections with the whole town,” said Bryant.
This is a sentiment that Thomas Frazier of Roxbury shares.
“I’ve felt very strongly that the only way to maintain a town center is with the school,” said Frazier.
Although Roxbury voters supported the original budget on the ballot in March, they only make up about 20% of the voters in the district. With the majority of Montpelier voters saying no, the budget failed.
“The high property taxes, I can barely afford living here,” said Montpelier voter Aaron Clark.
Clark supports the idea of consolidating schools.
“I just think it makes so much more sense for 40 kids to be bussed here,” he said.
“I really feel for the people of Roxbury… cutting teachers, healthcare, it’s all bad choices. What do they say – caught between a rock and a hard place,” said Paul Markowitz of Montpelier.
Superintendent Libby Bonesteel says they’ll be able to relocate the 40 Roxbury students to Montpelier without needing to add teachers. She emphasizes how challenging this decision was, and notes they’re working on bussing logistics and are considering an afterschool program at Roxbury.
“We have a lot of healing that needs to be done. We have to ensure that our Roxbury families feel connected and belong in our Montpelier schools,” said Bonesteel.
Back in Roxbury, people in town say the future feels uncertain.
“We’re going to be cleaning up this mess for a really long time if we don’t do it right. I think it really hasn’t been considered how this decision is going to impact us disproportionately,” said Bryant.
“Whether they go to us, they’ll get a good education in there, but the town as a whole has to survive. And that’s the problem,” said Frazier.
When Montpelier and Roxbury merged in 2018, a state report called them “unlikely partners” because of their distance apart and differences in size. Ironically, one reason Roxbury favored joining Montpelier instead of staying in a district with nearby Northfield, is they thought it was more likely they’d be able to keep their local school open.
Montpelier’s budget re-vote is taking place on April 30. There’s an informational meeting the day before.