Joanna's post from yesterday correctly notes that there is an important meeting this Monday at 6pm at U-32. She also correctly notes that we're currently choosing among bad options. How did we ever get here? It's a long story, but the short version is that our own State has decided to force disbandment of our local school board, against the will of the voters. (A professional survey showed that 2/3 of Middlesex residents want to keep our local board.) Thankfully, our school board has joined around 35 others in appealing the State Board's forced merger. That case will be decided by the Vermont Supreme Court in the next few months.

In the meanwhile, if you can make it to U-32 on Monday at 6pm, please come. We are not likely to adjourn this time. I don't think there is (or ever has been) a risk of losing buses, sports, and arts. Even if there were, the fault for this falls squarely on the shoulders of the State, not voters (we've taken care of our schools and kids for decades). So I expect we will take whatever steps are needed to move forward on parallel tracks (one if we're forced into merger, one if we're not), and some of us will also make clear that we oppose the State's forced merger, and we support keeping our local boards.

Dec 22, 2024, 6 to 7 PM

Dec 26, 2024, 12 to 1 PM

Dec 26, 2024, 4:15 to 8 PM