Williston
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JANUARY 22, 2026
Table set for Town Meeting WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Greg Marino
Marino named WCS principal It took less than a week for school administrators to name Williston Central School’s new principal following the retirement announcement of longtime principal Jacqueline Parks. Parks announced her plans to retire at the end of this school year in the Jan. 9 edition of the school’s e-newsletter, the Wildcat Buzz. By Thursday Jan. 15, Champlain Valley School District Superintendent Adam Bunting announced the restructuring of Williston Schools leadership, with Greg Marino taking over as WCS principal in July. Marino has served as the Lead Principal of Williston Schools since 2015. That position, which oversees both WCS Principal Parks and Allen Brook School Principal Angela Fillion, will be discontinued in the restructuring. Instead, the district plans to create a new assistant principal position for WCS. It is setting see MARINO page 9
The Williston Selectboard on Tuesday approved a $17 million budget proposal and $13.9 million bond question for voters to consider at Town Meeting Day in March. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
BY JASON STARR Observer staff In simultaneous meetings Tuesday night, the Williston Selectboard and the Champlain Valley School Board both approved ballot questions and budget proposals that will define this year’s Town Meeting Day. Absentee ballots will be available through the Town Clerk’s office starting mid-February, and live voting will take place at the Vermont National Guard Armory in Williston Village on March 3. A plethora of weighty questions await voters.
roofing, HVAC and electrical systems are needed. According to CVSD Chief Operations Officer Gary Marckres, the bond would be
of health insurance for employees is also set to jump 7%. Wording on the ballot estimates a 2.7% increase in spending per pupil if the budget is ap-
WEIGHTY QUESTIONS ON THE TOWN MEETING DAY BALLOT, MARCH 3
— School budget ($107.8 million) — Town budget ($17 million) — School building upgrade bond ($13 million) — Williston library expansion bond ($13.9 million) — Town charter change (eliminate office of lister)
SCHOOL BUDGET AND BONDS
The school board placed a question on the ballot that seeks approval to take on $13 million in bond debt to fund a variety of school building upgrades. The projects include a new gymnasium floor at Williston Central School as well as new lighting controls and HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) systems. At CVU, the bond would fund roofing, HVAC and a fire alarm system. At Charlotte Central, a new elevator, siding and bathrooms are planned. And at Hinesburg Central, new
the school portion of their annual property tax bill if voters approve. The new tax rate, which would take effect in July, would be $2,030 for every $100,000 of assessed property value. That’s an increase of $138 per $100,000 over the current fiscal year. St. George homeowners would see a 16.4% increase in the school portion of their property taxes — $308 more per $100,000 of property value. Voters will also be asked to support a $250,000 bond to finance two school buses and two minivans, and to use $1 million in reserve funds as revenue to offset spending. TOWN BUDGET AND BOND
paid off over a period of 30 years and is cost-neutral in the upcoming fiscal year budget due to retiring of prior debt. The upcoming fiscal year budget is also on the ballot. The school board approved a $107.8 million proposal Tuesday that would increase spending by $5.1 million (5%) over the current fiscal year. The spending increase results mostly from a 5.5% increase in teacher salaries that the board and teachers union agreed to in their current employment contract. The cost
proved, bringing spending per pupil to $15,962. Dave Connery, a member of the school board’s finance committee, said the district’s per pupil increase is lower than the statewide average. “It’s a delicate balance knowing the weight it puts on our taxpayers … but I believe this is the right budget for this time,” Connery said. The property tax impact of the budget varies by town in the five-town school district. Williston property owners would see an increase of 8.7% in
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The Williston Selectboard is also presenting a multi-million-dollar bond question to voters this year. An article on the town ballot approved Tuesday seeks voter approval to borrow $13.9 million to expand the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. The expansion would roughly double the size of the library, add a second floor and reorient its entrance. The project also comes with parking and traffic see TOWN MEETING page 9
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