To the editor: Budget deliberations to begin for BRSU school districts; public urged to attend

As December is upon us, the Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union  is focusing on the future of its three school districts: Winhall, Mettawee, and the Taconic & Green, which serves Peru, Londonderry, Landgrove and Weston. For all three jurisdictions, December marks the traditional start of formal district budget discussions on finances and tax rates for fiscal 2023: July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

Beginning with the upcoming board meetings in December, numbers will be proposed, crunched and discussed. If all goes according to plan, final budget proposals will be adopted by each district Board in January 2022, and presented to the public for a vote in March 2022.

The voters have the final say on Town Meeting Day, but the residents of the dozen communities served by the three BRSU districts are invited to participate in the budget deliberations at every step of the way. To participate online, please click here then click the meeting you wish to attend. Access information will be posted closer to each meeting and detailed background information for each School Board Meeting/public forum will be made available a few days prior to each meeting.

“The School Boards’ budget discussions are intended to highlight the important academic and financial issues that will be addressed by our local schools during the 2022-23 school year,” says BRSU board chair Jim Salsgiver. “The public is encouraged to attend, with time set aside on our agenda each meeting for input and feedback from our communities. Your input is crucial for our work.”

Below are the districts and their upcoming meetings.

Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union

Serving Winhall School District, Mettawee School District and Taconic & Green Regional School District

The BRSU has two budgets – the General Budget and the Special Education Budget (supervisory unions are responsible for all Special Education services) – which detail the  allocation of costs to the three operating districts for FY23 Budget

FY23 Budget Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6.

Taconic & Green Regional School District

Operates five schools for K-8, choice for high school 9-12 in these school communities: Currier Memorial Elementary (Danby, Mount Tabor); The Dorset School (Dorset); Manchester Elementary Middle School (Manchester); Flood Brook School (Landgrove, Londonderry, Peru, Weston), Sunderland Elementary (Sunderland)

FY23 Budget Meetings – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7 & Dec. 21.

Mettawee School District

Operates one school for pre-K-6, school choice for secondary education 7-12 in these school communities:  Mettawee Community School (Pawlet and Rupert)

FY23 Budget Meeting – 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13.

Winhall School District

School choice K-12 for the community of Winhall

FY23 Budget Meeting – 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14.

For more information or questions, please contact the BRSU at 802-362-2452.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Niles
Communications
Taconic & Green and Mettawee school districts