WORCESTER, Vt. (WCAX) – In the wake of contentious school budget votes since Town Meeting Day, Many Vermont communities are grappling with how to lower costs — and property taxes — including potentially shutting down schools. A series of public forums for schools in the Washington Central Unified Union School District kicks off Wednesday night in Worcester, where the town’s tiny elementary school is among those in the crosshairs.
Doty Elementary School has enrolled around 80 pre-k through 6th grade students for a few years now without seeing any significant growth. Numbers from the WCUUSD show a projected decline for nearly every elementary school in the district.
Officials say the meeting on Wednesday is centered around the potential closures of Doty and Calais Elementary Schools. WCUUSD School Board Chair Flor Diaz says she knows conversations about school closures are difficult but that they’re necessary. “The lines are arbitrary and I think at the end of the day we all believe in public education across our district. And at the end of the day, we want to make sure we continue to have that thriving public education in the future,” she said.
Diaz says she hopes the forums can provide the community the opportunity to ask questions and give their recommendations on the school district’s future ahead of a potential vote later this year.
Each town in the district will host a forum at their respective elementary schools.