MILTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Big decisions on school budgets in several Vermont communities Tuesday night.
Six school districts brought their spending plans to the community for a revote today, and results from three of them are in as of this article’s posting.
Milton Town School District, Champlain Islands Unified School District, and Franklin West Supervisory Union passed their budgets. The numbers for Ludlow-Mount Holly Unified Union School District, Twinfield Union School District, and Green Mountain Unified School District have not been reported as of this posting.
New school budgets take effect at the start of the new fiscal year, July 1st. If a district does not have an approved budget, the Agency of Education says schools can borrow up to 87% of the prior year’s budget to cover costs until a budget is passed.
One voter we spoke to explained why she wanted the budgets to pass. “I understand that people’s taxes go up, but schools cost money, the jobs that they want schools to do cost money and it’s difficult, they need to make a decision on what they want schools to do, and then they have to fund it,” said Veronica Chisholm of Milton.
While around 10 districts are still looking to get an approved budget, the vast majority of schools have spending plans in place for the fall.