Search Results for 'Act 46'

Taconic & Green School District budget passes by wide margin

Taconic & Green School District budget passes by wide margin

By Bruce Frauman ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Voters of the nine towns encompassing the Taconic and Green Regional School District overwhelmingly approved the five articles presented by Australian ballot on March 6, 2018, including a $32 million budget for the next fiscal year. T&G represents the Act 46 outcome of the nine towns and the […]

First GM Unified School District budget goes down in defeat

First GM Unified School District budget goes down in defeat

By Cynthia Prairie ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC The voters of the towns of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester — well, 739 of them anyway — rejected the first ever proposed budget of the new consolidated Green Mountain Unified School District. The ballots were all brought to Chester Tuesday night to be counted together since the […]

Agreeable Chester voters pass town articles with few questions

Agreeable Chester voters pass town articles with few questions

By Shawn Cunningham ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Nary was heard a discouraging word during Monday evening’s town meeting in Chester, where about 80 voters showed up to Town Hall to voice their approval for every article presented by town government this year. Either voters think the town is on the right track or Town Manager […]

Andover voters question GMUSD school budget during Town Meeting

Andover voters question GMUSD school budget during Town Meeting

By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Questions about education – budgets, taxes and board representation – took up the majority of the two-hour Andover town meeting on Saturday, March 3. The turnout was a bit sparser than recent meetings and, as usual, gray was the dominant hair color. Maddie Bodin was elected to […]

To the editor: Board chair urges 'Yes' vote on new GMUSD budget

To the editor: Board chair urges ‘Yes’ vote on new GMUSD budget

The Green Mountain Unified School District became operational in September 2017. In short order, the board, represented by the towns of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester, elected officers, organized committees, and began work on the budget. The budget proved challenging. We had anticipated substantial savings as a result of consolidation under Act 46. Because of […]

Taconic & Green board addresses school spending, March 6 vote

Taconic & Green board addresses school spending, March 6 vote

By Bruce Frauman ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC About 100 residents from the nine towns that compromise comprise the Taconic and Green Regional School District gathered in the gym at Flood Brook School in Londonderry last Tuesday, Feb. 27, for that board’s first annual meeting. They were there to discuss school articles that will be voted […]

Editorial: Vote 'No' on GMUSD budget: It's not 'for the kids'

Editorial: Vote ‘No’ on GMUSD budget: It’s not ‘for the kids’

By Cynthia Prairie ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Telegraph urges the voters of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester to vote NO on Tuesday, March 6 on the proposed $12.5 million school budget for the new Green Mountain Unified School District. The GMUSD school board needs time to retool its budget to offer the added […]

New GM school district budget information meeting Tuesday, Feb. 27

New GM school district budget information meeting Tuesday, Feb. 27

© 2018 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The first annual meeting of the new Green Mountain Unified School District will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Green Mountain High School at 716 Rt. 103 South in Chester. This will be the last opportunity residents of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and […]

Ludlow re-vote fails, merger will go forward, BRHS to close by mid-2020

Ludlow re-vote fails, merger will go forward, BRHS to close by mid-2020

By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC A last ditch effort to keep Black River High School open fell short Tuesday night as the re-vote of the Ludlow/Mt. Holly merger failed. According to Ludlow Town Clerk Ulla Cook, the vote was 288 in favor of the merger and 231 against. Back on Nov. 28, […]

TRSU panel nixes Powden raise; full board rejects budget, demands clarity

TRSU panel nixes Powden raise; full board rejects budget, demands clarity

By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC On Thursday night, the Executive Committee of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union deleted from the TRSU budget Superintendent Meg Powden’s  5.58 percent raise that would have taken her salary from $125,580 to $132,590. Later, the full TRSU board sent the entire budget back to the central office […]

To the editor: Vote 'Yes' on Ludlow-Mt. Holly merger to keep option open

To the editor: Vote ‘Yes’ on Ludlow-Mt. Holly merger to keep option open

A favorite author, Glennon Doyle Melton, writes about crisis and how it can actually provide opportunity. She says: “The Greek root of CRISIS is TO SIFT. It’s what crises do – shake us until we hold only what matters most.” I believe Act 46 has created a crisis for the towns of Mount Holly and […]

As Ludlow school re-vote nears, info meeting sparsely attended

As Ludlow school re-vote nears, info meeting sparsely attended

By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC A little over two months ago, voters in Ludlow and Mount Holly went to the polls and approved – by wide margins – a merger that would keep their elementary schools open but close Black River High School by July 2020. But, in late December, a group […]

Powden claims 'no intentional violation' in Telegraph open meeting complaint

Powden claims ‘no intentional violation’ in Telegraph open meeting complaint

© 2018 Telegraph Publishing, LLC After approving a budget and re-adopting the “limited school transfer program” at its Jan. 17 meeting, the Green Mountain Unified School District board turned its attention to a complaint by The Chester Telegraph alleging that the during the recent run up to the budget the board had twice violated Vermont’s Open […]

With little enthusiasm, GMUSD board sends budget to voters

With little enthusiasm, GMUSD board sends budget to voters

By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing, LLC The Green Mountain Unified School District board moved ahead in fits and starts Wednesday night, approving a budget proposal that a number of members were not happy with while Superintendent Meg Powden repeatedly sounded “retreat,” promising just such an extended board session “sooner than later” to sort […]

Joint Cavendish/Chester school board meeting turns on issues of transparency, trust

Joint Cavendish/Chester school board meeting turns on issues of transparency, trust

By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC At a meeting of the Cavendish Town Elementary School Board – on its own and in a joint session with the Chester-Andover Elementary School on Tuesday night – a number of Cavendish residents expressed misgivings about the intentions of administration of the new school district. Their suspicions […]

TRSU backs away from nursing change, reshuffles principal proposal; finance committee deadlocks on budget

TRSU backs away from nursing change, reshuffles principal proposal; finance committee deadlocks on budget

Editor’s note: The meetings of the Green Mountain Unified School District Board and Finance Committee were held on Tuesday evening. Here are some of the highlights of those meetings. The Telegraph will have a detailed report on the meeting in the next day or so. By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing, LLC With an […]

Powden adds foreign language to nurse, principal cuts; refuses to release meeting recording

Powden adds foreign language to nurse, principal cuts; refuses to release meeting recording

Editor’s Note: The Chester Telegraph attended the 6 p.m. Jan. 2 meeting of the Green Mountain Unified School District Finance Committee as it worked on the budget for the new school district. Unfortunately our reporter was unable to stay past 7 p.m., but the next morning requested a copy of the digital audio file recorded […]

TRSU Super Powden proposes consolidating nurse, principal functions in new district

TRSU Super Powden proposes consolidating nurse, principal functions in new district

By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC One agenda item out of more than a dozen – next year’s budget –  sucked the oxygen out of the room at last Tuesday night’s meeting of the new Green Mountain Unified School District, held at Cavendish Town Elementary School. The audience of about 15 was unhappy […]

Pajala, ready to take Olsen's House seat, eyes taxes, economic development

Pajala, ready to take Olsen’s House seat, eyes taxes, economic development

© 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Londonderry Town Clerk Kelley Pajala was appointed by Gov. Phil Scott on Thursday to fill the unexpired portion of Oliver Olsen’s term in the Vermont House. Pajala threw her hat in the ring shortly after Olsen announced that he was stepping down on Oct 15. Pajala put her name forward […]

After 11 years, GM Principal Ferenc to retire at school year's end

After 11 years, GM Principal Ferenc to retire at school year’s end

By Shawn Cunningham © 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC As he sits at the conference table in the Green Mountain High School principal’s office, Tom Ferenc’s days are numbered. Last month, the long-time administrator told the GM school board that the 2017-18 school year would be his last at the helm of the Chester school. Beginning […]