December 2nd Community Budget Discussion (12.2.24)
Notes from the Audience:
Comment 1:
- Was very upset w/ cut of DEI position last year
- Is there still funding going into DEI practices?
- Is there someone overseeing schools to ensure that proper reporting and follow-up is being done when a situation occurs? (across the district)
- What is being done to decrease incidents of racist remarks?
LNSU Response: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work remains an essential focus across Lamoille North schools. The temporarily grant-funded (ESSER) Director of DEI position was designed to “set the district up” for ongoing sustainable DEI work. We now have Restorative Practices Teams teams in every school. Additionally, our new Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Kim Hunt, is a former Director of Equity and Inclusion for the Addison Northwest School District. She has brought her years of expertise to Lamoille North and has taken up the work of embedding our DEI culture further into our curriculum, in-class work, and in everything that we do. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not one person’s role but rather a collective philosophy and responsibility that we all share. All Lamoille North sites practice restorative work and have processes for dealing with any and every situation to help all students and staff feel a sense of belonging, safety, and inclusion.
Comment 2:
- How do we get parent buy-in into their child/children’s education?
- Private schools make parents sign a ‘contract’ that they will provide what their kids need to succeed (ie - proper amounts of sleep, proper nutrition , behavior support at home, help with homework, etc)
LNSU Response: We continue to empower our families and community members to get involved at our schools. Support our students during their extracurricular activities - our athletic events, plays, and performances. Come out and volunteer to support one of our clubs and explore groups at the High School.
We see our schools as the hearts of our communities. We involve our parents and caregivers through school-wide events, Open Houses, parent-teacher conferences, support teams at schools when indicated, and community events and surveys. Private schools can largely dictate “rules” such as parent contracts and responsibility for behaviors. Public school systems are held to statewide standards and rules making it more restrictive in what we can and cannot ask families to enforce in this area.
Comment 3:
- What are the plans for the Belvidere school?
- Will you return it to the town for $1.00?
LNSU Response: More discussions are going to be held between the School Board and the community leaders of Belvidere. We need to assess whether there is interest from Belvidere.
Comment 4:
- When people are discouraged/frustrated/angered by the entire issue (education funding, property & other taxation, budget process), what are the more productive, useful actions to take besides voting down the budget?
LNSU Response: We encourage people to talk to and write to our Legislators who are in the seat of power when looking at and potentially changing the way our schools are funded. Teachers, staff, families, Board members and administrators do not have the authority to make those changes to statewide policy. We encourage our community members to engage in civil discourse. Our communities can come to our budget meetings and hear about the budget processes. This is one area we do have control over. The Board and building leaders come together to create a responsible budget and communicate with the community about what resources we believe we need and the cost of those resources in our goal of serving our students. We build trust and support amongst our communities by having conversations, busting myths, and building an understanding that our schools are 100% focused on supporting our students holistically - academically, socially, emotionally, physically, and nutritionally. All Lamoille North School Board meetings are open to the public, and we work to routinely host community discussions like the one on December 2, 2024.
Comment 5: (efficiency ideas)
- At the High School/Tech Center level - change funding to reduce competition for student funding - use a 3-year average to reduce ups & downs
- Test-in/Test-out of curriculum to move students along more quickly to parents & students are motivated to gain college credits, before leaving high school
LNSU Response: Career and Technical Education and how funding works is handled at the state level. We understand that new mechanisms for funding CTEs are in the works. Please contact Erik Remmers at eremmers@gmtcc.net for more information about this question.
Comment 6:
- When talking about Waterville Elementary, please include the Belvidere community
LNSU Response: Thank you for this feedback. As our Belvidere and Waterville students now share a building, we know it is critically important that residents of each community feel a sense of unity and cohesion. We will be more mindful of this.
Comment 7:
- Share 22% of the budget is paid by residents
LNSU Response: We will continue highlighting the facts and aspects of our Lamoille North school budgets that are relevant to our communities. We will do so, ensuring that no Lamoille North taxpayer is overlooked.
Comment 8:
- Not a question, but an observation, I recognize the challenges of educating children, but I believe community involvement is key
LNSU Response: Community is key to improving our schools and students. We all have a vested interest in supporting our schools. Our schools, teachers, staff, students, families, and community members all rely on one another to enrich and enhance all we do. Lamoille North is fortunate to have a host of local community organizations we work with to provide essential support to our students and staff, and we actively seek out those opportunities.
