As a sixteen year school board member of the Barre area schools and a recent returnee to the Spaulding High School Board I want to encourage the area citizens to support the current budget that has been forth by the Finance Committee. The revised FY 18 proposal is a 2.97% increase over the FY17 proposal. The spending continues the trend and desire to provide Barre Area kids with a good education at a spending that is way lower than the state average. The current state average per pupil spending is $15,380. This budget will put the per pupil spending at $13,347. That places SHS as the lowest spending school of all the union high schools in Vermont. I think this budget offers the balance that tax payers are looking and offers the citizens of Barre Town a decrease of $11.70 on a $100,000 home and in Barre City an increase of 50 cents on a home of the same value.
Now all of this is happening while the school was mandated to fund a positon that came with no funding. While unfunded mandates are often well intentioned they often come at a price, yet the Finance Committee found a way to make it come in line with the tax payers expectations.
I would also like to add that despite some of the negativity about SHS, I see, hear and experience a tremendous amount of success among SHS graduates. I heard last year’s key note graduation speaker, former Principal Kay Paterson; rattle off the places in the USA and the world where SHS students have succeeded. I see it in the tremendous Alumni support and pride in the school. That support has translated into Spaulding offering more money in scholarships to its graduating seniors through the Spaulding Scholarship Trust than any other high school in New England? When I tell my extened family in Boston they just go, WOW unbelievable and unheard of!!!!
There is always room for improvement. It takes a collective body to get there. I appreciate it when parents and kids get involved and say boy you folks are off base on this, but as someone who has served and worked in many schools I am telling you that SHS is a great place and offers great opportunities. Please join me in voting yes on May 9, 2017.
J. Guy Isabelle

Feb 7, 2025, 4 to 8 PM

Feb 8, 2025, 9:30 AM to 12 PM

Feb 9, 2025, 10 AM