Brandon Act 46
Community Forum
“School Governance Consolidation”
Wednesday, November 4 at 6 p.m.
Cafe’ Provence Event Room
What is Act 46?
What does Act 46 mean for Brandon?
Why would Brandon want to do this?
What does it mean for Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union?
On the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union website (rnesu.org) top left you will find Act 46: Future of RNESU with more information, frequently asked questions, committee agendas and minutes, and contact information.
RNESU Act 46 Study Committee members are: Lisa Kenyon, Peter Werner, Seth Hopkins, Harriet Wyman, and Sue LaRock
Act 46: Important School District Decisions in March at Town Meeting
Schools and school districts across the state are scrambling to comply with the state’s new law about school district consolidation and governance. At the upcoming Town Meeting in March, voters in Brandon will be presented with the option to join a reconstituted RNESU, or not - essentially going independent for the time being. Why does this matter, and why should you attend the meeting to vote?
The new law, Act 46, provides tax incentives for schools to join with other schools to create larger school districts. Likewise, these tax incentives are not provided to town districts that choose to go it alone. If voters approve the local school district joining the “new” RNESU, the local school board dissolves, and Brandon will be a voting member of the new PreK-12 RNESU Board. This new PreK-12 Board will have governing authority over all six schools in the newly formed district, with all schools operating under one budget and tax rate, much like our RNESU towns do now for Otter Valley Middle and High School. Each town in our existing RNESU district will vote in March whether, or not, to join the new RNESU. If voters in Brandon opt to not join the new district, we keep our local school board, our local budget, but also lose the tax incentives built into Act 46 --- AND the state can assign us to a larger district in 4 years. By the way, if we vote to join the “new” RNESU, the law protects us for a while, anyway, as the new districts cannot close any existing operating school for at least 4 years after the merger, unless a town votes to close its own school (which, for example, Guilford just did last week).
Yes, this is complicated and confusing! That’s why it is important for voters to get involved, informed, and attend the upcoming March 2016 Town Meeting to help decide whether Brandon will join the new district, or not. Here are some ways to become more informed about Act 46:
• Follow the links on the RNESU website to Act 46 information at rnesu.org
• Ask questions via the Let’s Talk link on Neshobe School and RNESU websites.
• Contact Lisa Kenyon, Neshobe School Board representative to the RNESU Act 46 planning committee, or the other Brandon Act 46 representatives, Peter Werner, Seth Hopkins, Harriet Wyman, or Sue LaRock, or Principal Judi Pulsifer, Superintendent Jeanne Collins,