On February 21, 2024
Letters

Time to pay it forward

Dear Editor,

I am the current chair of the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU) School Board. I am also a Woodstock resident, a parent of three children who graduated from our schools, a grandparent of a PreK student at WES, and an educator who taught for 39 years in the school district. At the vote for the new school at town meeting on March 5, 2024, I will be voting “Yes.”

The School Board appreciates the supportive and complimentary statements we have heard about our teachers and staff. We sincerely thank the many people who asked great questions about the new school and we have attempted to answer all questions honestly and clearly. We are convinced the best and most practical option is a new school building and we are committed to securing the funding.

For eight years, countless hours by many school board members, administrators, teachers, staff, students and the public have reviewed and refined the design. We are design and permit ready with a strong expectation of opening the doors in the fall of 2026.

After attending many meetings across our school community, most agree that a new building is necessary. Yes, a new building will be a significant investment, but it is well worth making.

Its time has now come. We are asking the taxpayers to contribute their share to help fund a building that can stand the test of time and last for 70-plus years. It will have a capacity for up to 600 students. It will be a modern building with the latest technology in air quality, heating, and lighting. It will provide teachers and students right-sized classrooms for today’s educational practices.

Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Let’s provide our children and grandchildren a place to learn and improve our world. It’s time to move forward and get it done.

Sincerely,

Keri Bristow, Mountain Views School District Board Chair

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Tell the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to protect the Connecticut River

May 15, 2024
Dear Editor, It has been 12 years since the relicensing process began for five hydroelectric facilities on the Connecticut River, and until May 22, there is an opportunity to comment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  The last time these hydro facilities were licensed was in 1979, and once the new licenses are issued,…

UVM, don’t punish student protesters

May 15, 2024
Dear Editor, As a pastor, I feel it is my professional and moral responsibility to speak to the crisis of conscience facing our nation and state. As of this writing, the civilian death toll in Gaza stands at around 34,654 according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. A third of these casualties are children. I do…

Act 127 made progress;but Excess Spending Threshold could undermine it

May 8, 2024
Dear Editor, As the Chair of the Burlington School District (BSDVT) School Board, I am fortunate to witness firsthand the profound impact of educational policies on our diverse community. Among these policies, Act 127 stands out as a beacon of progress in our continuous effort to achieve equity and finally address the inequity across Vermont’s…

Bird Flu threatens nation’s dairy supply

May 8, 2024
Dear Editor, The deadly flu virus is not just “for the birds” anymore! The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has just decreed that dairy cows must be tested for the deadly bird flu, which has already killed millions of chickens in the U.S. The unprecedented transmission of the H5N1 virus to cows has…