MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

Dear Members of the Addison Northwest School District Community,

The Addison Northwest School District vision includes the belief that it is important to “cultivate resilience in an everchanging world.” As we reflect upon the past year, our District has shown incredible resilience in the face of continual change, mounting ambiguity, and general exhaustion. The ANWSD Board sincerely thanks administrators, teachers, and staff for their energy and perseverance as we continue to create excellent educational opportunities for all of our students. The Board thanks students and families for your continued resilience and kindness to one another. As I write, even more changes due to the COVID pandemic are underway, but we remain hopeful that our efforts will continue to prove effective. Thank you for being “a kind, collaborative, creative community for all.”

Addressing Challenges

The ANWSD Board continues to focus on a set of priorities to guide its work. We will continue to maintain and nurture excellent educational programs for our students at a cost acceptable to our taxpayers, while at the same time working toward long-term structural stability.

As enrollment continues to decline, we face continued budget and taxation pressures, especially as we emerge from the pandemic. Our Community Engagement Committee and the Board, itself, will continue to develop long-term plans and options, including the possibilities of tuitioning out our high school, further consolidation at the elementary level, and more extensive collaboration with neighboring school districts. At this point, all of the options under consideration allow for maximum programmatic options for our students. In the coming months, we will further explore various options and intend to fully engage with the community at large and solicit its input. Most importantly, the coming year will require needed investments in health and wellness to support our students through the difficulties arising from these uncertain times.

Accomplishments

Initiating the ANWSD-MAUSD Merger Study group was a major accomplishment. Both Districts know that declining enrollments coupled with increased costs make it more difficult to maintain and grow excellent educational programs for our students at a price affordable to our residents. The Merger Study group won’t magically solve our problems, but it will allow us to consider one option that might set us on a fruitful path. Our districts have a long track record of cooperation, and we’ve built the trust necessary to achieve common goals together. We thank our neighbors for their thoughtful consideration of these important questions, especially the members of the study group, including Keith Morrill (Vergennes), Erica Andrus (Ferrisburgh), Rebecca Coffey (Vergennes), Martha DeGraaf (Panton), Carole McBride (Addison), and Mary Neffinger (Ferrisburgh). Your civic engagement and leadership are greatly appreciated.

This year, our Community Engagement Committee supported two district-wide community forums. In April 2021, the Preschool & Childcare Needs in the ANWSD forum presented an open discussion to the residents in the District around their hopes and concerns regarding pre-k education and childcare. The discussion explored the challenges, priorities, needs, and aspirations for families within our community, and what our District might do to meet those needs. In October 2021, the Success in the Middle forum featured several local experts in middle-level education as well as some of our own school staff. This event explored research-based attributes and characteristics that define a successful middle school experience. The Community Engagement committee also sought community feedback that led to our continued commitment to the ANWSD Vision Statement. Thanks to all who joined us in these important conversations.

Overwhelming voter support at last year’s Town Meeting allowed the District to remedy the pervasive mold issue at the Ferrisburgh Central School. We thank the voters for helping to solve a major, ongoing problem at that school building where our youngest learners congregate and learn. The Facilities Committee also used this year to develop a clear and thorough roadmap for facility maintenance in the District. This plan figures heavily in our judicious use of year-end surplus dollars that will save the District money in maintenance costs over the coming years.

The Board implemented two significant policy changes during the past year. First, revisions to Policy A21 Public Participation at Board Meetings offer greater community input during deliberative items in which the Board may take action. Second, the Board approved a District Equity Policy, setting guidelines and structures for accountability to better ensure that we live out values in practice. Key to those values is ANWSD’s commitment to the success of every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, family economics, class, geography, ability, language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or initial proficiencies. We hold ourselves accountable for building a district-wide commitment to equity by incorporating principles of equity within all policies, programs, operations, practices, and resource allocations.

Finally, one of the Board’s primary responsibilities is to hire and work closely with a Superintendent. In October 2021, the ANWSD Board of Directors and Superintendent Sheila Soule mutually agreed that she will continue in her role as Superintendent of Schools. We look forward to continuing to work together to provide excellent education to our district’s students.

Budget and Australian Votes

The proposed fiscal year 2023 budget meets the goals of preserving equitable student opportunities, maintaining facilities, and ensuring affordability. This proposed budget makes strategic investments to support professional learning for our staff and faculty and supports efforts to meet student social and emotional needs. It is no surprise that the pandemic has increased student needs and this budget addresses those needs. The proposed FY23 of $22,327,585 is a 3.35% increase from the FY22 budget. In addition, the per pupil spending in this proposed budget is $20,135, a 5.92% from the current rate. This increase allows us to make investments in our students. Because the pandemic significantly impacted the cost of running our schools, our District ended up with an unexpected surplus. In response, the Board intends to use a portion of this surplus to decrease the union tax rate so that even with decreased Common Level of Appraisals all town and the city residents in the District will see a decreased tax rate. This is the second year in a row that all district taxpayers will see an anticipated overall tax decrease. We estimate that over the last two years, our union tax rate has decreased by more than 11%. This shows the Board’s commitment to making education affordable to our community while maintaining high academic standards.

This Board takes seriously the importance of managing our collective resources. In the six years since consolidation, the overall budget of the ANWSD has increased by less than 6% (FY18-FY23). In the face of a decline in enrollment and rising costs, the stewardship of our educational resources has been prudent. We hope you will join us in supporting this budget and all warned items on March 1, 2022.

Due to the COVID pandemic, the Board has voted that all items will be warned as Australian ballot items. We hope to return to normal times soon, but in the meantime, we ask that you thoughtfully work your way through a rather lengthy ballot covering a number of important issues.

We remain committed to working closely with all ANWSD stakeholders to chart a course toward the best possible education for our students. We still face many challenges, but there is much to admire in this District. I am exceedingly grateful that this District and its people are a tight-knit, caring community willing to support one another in times of need. Please join us at future board meetings and community engagement events and visit our website for additional information.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the ANWSD Board of Directors,

John Stroup, Board Chair