Act 127 update
For the birds
School Board offers primer on complicated law
Managing forests requires resiliency
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Page 20
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South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the FEBRUARY 15, 2024
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VOLUME 48, NO. 7
School district budgets in limbo State tries to rework education spending formula LIBERTY DARR AND COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITERS
With less than three weeks until Town Meeting Day, legislators are proposing new changes to the state’s education funding formula that’s brought headaches for school officials this year, leaving South Burlington and Champlain Valley school districts’ budgets in limbo. Budget season in Vermont has quickly become even more
complicated — especially for districts that have already passed and warned budgets for the annual vote — with the effects of Act 127, a law passed in 2022 that changed the state’s education funding formula. “It’s extremely unprecedented,” said South Burlington superintendent Violet Nichols, who added that boards and educators are having “extremely taxing See ACT 127 on page 18
Residents question use of open space fund City remains in negotiations on Long Property COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
As the city’s negotiations to purchase the Long Property for conservation and some affordable housing continue, some have raised concerns about the potential use of the city’s open space fund to purchase the property. Located at 1720 and 1730 Spear Street in the city’s southeast quadrant, the property is directly adjacent to the Great Swamp, a top conservation priority for the city. Officials during a December meeting disclosed that they were in active negotiations with the current landowners, Tom and Janet Bellavance, to buy the property and conserve a majority of the acreage.
The Long family, former owners of the land, had previously consulted with engineers about developing the land, which now borders the Churchill Street townhouses to the south and housing lots on South Pointe Drive to the north, but later dropped those plans as the city worked to craft new land development regulations for the area. They then put the properties on the market in September 2022, and, in November of the same year, sold them to the Northeast Agricultural Trust, a limited liability company owned by Bellavance, for nearly $1.4 million. The city held an executive See OPEN SPACE on page 17
Valentine’s Day dance Memories were made and dances enjoyed at the South Burlington Recreation Department’s 27th annual Valentine Dance on Feb. 10 at the Delta Hotel. Children and a special adult enjoyed an evening of dancing, prizes, snacks, photo station, craft table, and the Big Bear Raffle.
COURTESY PHOTOS