The past few weeks have included unprecedented challenges but they have also provided an opportunity for us to hear your feedback - that you support our vibrant schools, but the cost was too high.

Our new proposed budget addresses your concerns through $4M of spending decreases in expenses and applying $1M of our fund balance, which together reflect a $5M decrease in what we are asking for from our community.

This budget reflects reductions that minimize the impact on students and prioritizes our most vulnerable students at a modest 5.8% increase in spending from FY24 which is significantly lower than the projected statewide average.

We appreciate your continued support of our schools every day.

- Meghan Metzler, Chair, CVSD Board of Directors

Please see this resource for answers to frequently asked questions. It is continuously being updated. Check back again!

• Maintain support for the implementation of the CVSD Mission and Vision
• Meet or exceed Education Quality Standards
• Reduce tax impact based on failed March 5th vote and community feedback
• Focus on reductions that minimize the impact on students

The reductions and changes seen above were challenging to make. They involve people who are valued members of the CVSD community.

This revised budget is a responsible spending plan, well below the state average increase.

Recent legislative changes to the school funding formula, along with inflation and the end of federal grants, caused a significant increase in school spending statewide. This is not expected to reoccur.

We are committed to taking strategic steps to continue to find efficiencies.

The Common Level of Appraisal, or CLA, adjusts the locally assessed property values to the estimated fair market value. The CLA ensures that each Vermont town is treated equally and uniformly, regardless of when they last appraised. The CLA is not determined by the school district.

Vermont has a statewide school funding system. It is impacted by all school spending across the state. The 30 failed budgets across Vermont are being reworked and lowered, in addition to those that were postponed and revised. Those changes will have a positive impact on CVSD’s property tax rate. At this time, we don’t know specifics about those changes.

The CVSD budget year begins July 1 and ends June 30.

When we refer to FY25, it means school year 2024-2025.