Tomorrow, MAUSD will be offering a public opportunity to look at the 2025-26 budget. YOU ARE INVITED and please make time to attend is some way! I sat on the Board last year during the budget season but had to resign this summer as I took the position of Universal Prek Coordinator for Addison County which created a conflict of interest. If it wasn't for that, I'd still be sitting there today.
During my time on the Board, I learned so much I never would have learned as a community member because of the depth of my participation. Solving the budget issue is not simple and it is not straightforward. About 65% of the school district budget is fixed by state formulas and laws. That leaves 35% for us to get creative with... that's not much!
These conversations about cost savings are TOUGH! They often mean cutting positions to our already understaffed schools. They mean closing schools and overhead which the community voted against. They mean consolidating on a district level to more effectively cost share our expenses which the community voted against.
So where are we left? Cutting art & music? Cutting soccer and basketball? How bare bones do we want to get before we accept the fact that this isn't working?
Until the state is ready to tackle this in a huge way - which I believe it will sooner than later- we have to really be present and step outside of comfort zone to find a solution.
We may not all agree and that's ok-that's welcome! But please show up so we can put our brains together and make some small steps forward together.
Thank you,
Ashley Bessette
Mother of a 3rd grader and 9th grader
November 12, 2024 from 6-8pm
Meet in person at the Mount Abraham library OR join virtually via Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85981479149...
Meeting ID: 859 8147 9149
Passcode: 961jLZ
Dial by your location :
1 -929 -205 -6099
1 -301 -715 -8592
Meeting ID: 859 8147 9149
Passcode: 263189
Dec 24, 2024, 4 to 5 PM
Well Being Council Nov. 22Dec 27, 2024
Gentle Flow Yoga Pop-Up with JenniDec 29, 2024, 3 to 4 PM