Hello HUUSD Community!
More regular communication from the school district was one of the common themes parents shared with me last year as I transitioned to my new position. As a result of ongoing work this year we are happy to be sharing our new newsletter format! This will allow the district to send regular updates, share pictures, and share what's happening across all our schools. This is our very first edition and we plan to send out these updates monthly.
Here are a few updates from the Superintendent's Office:
Budget Vote April 30:
As many of you know, the school budget failed on Town Meeting Day. There is another vote that closes on April 30--for a revised budget that reduces expenditures by approximately $2 million.
The new budget represents a 7.63% increase in education spending and a projected 2.1% tax rate increase--prior to the State of Vermont applying the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) for each town. Please keep in mind that the school district has no control of the calculation of the CLA; it is a result of a statewide comparison of homes' appraised values to recent sale prices for each town. See this link for more details on this specific budget.
- Absentee voting is open now at town offices. Check out this district page to learn how you can attend informational meetings, find out where to vote, and learn additional details about the budget. You can also get to that page by going to the district home page and clicking the Budget Vote picture.
- Please vote by April 30! If this budget does not pass, additional reductions to the budget will need to be made--which will have a direct impact on student programming .
School Calendar 2023-2024:
I submitted the annual waiver application to the Vermont Acting Secretary of Education for days that we were closed as a result of events like the December flood, heavy snow causing power outages, and April 8 eclipse day. I am hoping to receive a response in the near future so I can share preliminary last day information with families.
School District Website:
One of my goals last year was to develop the media plan for the school district. As part of that plan we have been working this year to upgrade our website to make it more easily accessible to our parents and community. Our goal is to go live with the new website after the April break.
Next Generation Learning Challenges Visit to Harwood Union Middle/High School:
The total solar eclipse wasn't the only event that brought interested visitors to the Green Mountain State. Over April 11 and 12, Harwood’s Middle and High School hosted nearly 100 representatives from 10 New England communities. These visitors came to learn from Harwood’s decade-long implementation of Vermont’s Act 77, aimed at enhancing public school services for students.
Organized by Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) and funded by the Barr Foundation, the 2024 Innovative Schools Learning Excursion highlighted HUHS's efforts to offer a more personalized and meaningful learning experience for high school students.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our schools. If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to reach out to me at mleichliter@huusd.org.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mike
BPS Winter Sports Program
Fayston Students Learn about Feelings
First graders used puppets to identify and explore emotions such as sadness, anger, and happiness. They learned that both comfortable and uncomfortable feelings are normal and that there are supportive adults that they can talk to for help managing their emotions.
HUHS Trip to Rwanda
Over the winter break ten high school students, four staff members, and two media makers traveled throughout the country of Rwanda for three weeks. They spent time with partner schools and studied the genocide that happened in 1994. They also visited mountain farms and community development projects. Students created film projects that will be presented at the Zenbarn in Waterbury, VT, Monday, May 13 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Food and beverages will be available -- a great place to eat dinner and see and hear more about East Africa.
- April 18 @ 6:00 @ HUHS and via Zoom
- April 25 @ 6:00 via Zoom
April 30: Budget voting closes, see polling places and absentee voting info
