Dear Editor,
On June 2, 2015, Governor Shumlin signed into law Act 46 of 2015. This landmark education legislation calls on school boards and administrators to lead changes in their districts and supervisory unions that will result in greater opportunities for students, increased efficiency in delivering services, and more sustainable governance structures.
Act 46 provides incentives for the creation of Pre-K-12 education districts designed to work collaboratively through shared governance and resources. To realize the tax benefits of the incentive program, it will be necessary to act. To maximize those benefits, it will be necessary to act within the next year. Locally, as a result of our having formed The Prosper Valley School (the new Joint District School for Pomfret and Bridgewater), citizens of the Windsor Central Supervisory Union school communities are already beginning to realize the benefits of working together for our students. Now, as we move ahead to address the requirements, opportunities and challenges inherent in Act 46, we are confident that we can continue the thoughtful, pro-active conversations and hard decision-making needed to “do the right thing” for our children and communities.
To date, WCSU has formed a task force to examine the legislation, to analyze our options, and to facilitate conversations and wise decision-making. We intend to be thoughtful and deliberate. We will be working with the Vermont School Boards Association, The Vermont Superintendents Association, and the Agency of Education to ensure that we are well-informed about the complex new law and thus able to make solid recommendations to our Board members and communities. We will post information on our website (www.wcsu.net) to help keep citizens informed. We hope community members will join us in learning more about the issues and our activities.
Sincerely,
Alice Thomason Worth, Superintendent, Windsor Central Supervisory Union
