The Pawlet Rupert School Merger was approved yesterday by a vote of 259 to 201 in Pawlet and a vote of 150 to 142 in Rupert… It needed to be approved in both towns in order to be viable, so Rupert’s slim margin of only six votes proves more than ever that every single vote really does count.
Are we allowed to feel relieved that this years-long decision may finally be resolved? I’m not sure yet. This argument has gone on so long, and had so many unexpected twists and turns it’s been like a soap opera that never ends… But nevertheless, tomorrow I’ll be giving thanks that our community may finally be able to move on.
When last I posted about the ongoing school merger debate, it was nearly a year ago, but of course the debate, and the merger process, has continued.
To sum up: Last November in a non-binding referendum, both Pawlet and Rupert voted in favor of keeping designated schools in New York for grades 7-12. As a result, Wells, the third town of the proposed merger whose representatives favored school choice, went elsewhere to find merger buddies. Pawlet and Rupert then formed a new merger committee, and two weeks ago some members of that new committee made a merger proposal to the Vermont Board of Education, (you can watch the video below)
, our proposal comes up at 4:09) The state turned this proposal down, largely on the basis that they found the new proposal did not provide “equity,” a founding principle of Act 46, which essentially means that all children are to be given reasonable access to equivalent school programs.
Which brings us to last night’s meeting. It was standing room only in the Mettawee Community School library as the merger committee met and exchanged views on what had happened at the state and debated how to move forward. So what happened?
Here is the upshot: the committee voted four to three in favor of resubmitting the merger proposal with changes that remove designation from the plan.
In the absence of designated schools, the new merger of Pawlet and Rupert that is being proposed would by default entail school choice, with every student able to use up to the Vermont union state average annual tuition (currently $15,480).
A new merged school board could attempt to return to designation at some later date, but any attempt to designate the Granville and Salem schools in New York would be contingent on two things: an approval from town voters, and the state of Vermont changing the existing law.
If you’ve got all that then here’s what happens next: (Note- Update!! Some dates changed from the original posting )
October 18th- members of the merger committee will present this new plan to the Vermont Board of Education
November 14th- tentative date, public forum/informational meeting, time & location TBA. Also an informational mailing is planned.
November 21st- if the state approves the new merger proposal, this is the tentative date for Pawlet and Rupert residents to vote on the proposed merger.
That’s really what you need to know. A video of the merger meeting was made last night, so if someone sends me the link I will post it here.
A few snapshots from the evening:
“The democratic process was completely perverted… I’m coming out of this quite sad.”
—John Malcolm, committee member, (Referring to the state rejection of the previous plan)
“I just want folks to understand that if we don’t have a successful merger, we all lose.”
—Scott McChesney, committee member, (Pointing out that, if either town were to vote the new proposed merger down, both towns would lose associated tax incentives, and could end up designated to a Vermont school such as Poultney, not have the ability to attend Granville or Salem, and still have to pay the Vermont state average.)
“I support getting the merger done. If there’s still interest in designation, the new board could do it… (but) you’d have to deal with 827 (the existing law) too.”
—Jackie Wilson, BRSU Superintendant
“I don’t think the voters support it… (but) I’m for democracy. People are free to lobby… they have a right to do it.”
—Bill Meyer, committee member
“I would vote for a merger, and let the townspeople decide… talking about democracy, then we’re being democratic.”
—Gene Ceglowski, committee member
“We just have to move forward… our charge is to make sure people understand the options.”
—Diane Mach, committee member
“(Under the new merger proposal) we can have Granville and Salem and all these schools.”
—Michael Krauss, resident
“(This merger) could be possibly the only way you get to choose Granville.”
—Heather Lund, resident
“I feel strongly that we need to tone down the rhetoric…This town is going to remain divided if people don’t begin to talk civilly to each other.”
Arlene Bentley, resident
“It is not political, it is constitutional… Everyone in the state gets the state average tuition except our two towns.”
—Jim Cole, resident
“I think perhaps the hostility would come down if we had more facts.”
—Christina Cosgrove, resident
“It would be so helpful to know the net tax impact(of the proposed merger).”
—David Nichols, resident
“It’s got to be put out to the public as simple as possible.”
—Regina Mason, resident. (on the confusing nature of past informational materials)
So…. funny story. After spending all summer going to terribly exciting meetings where about one-tenth of a decision got made, the Act 46 Merger Committee finally made a big decision. Really big. And then- like that!- they voted to dissolve.
Wait, what?
Sept. 29 Meeting Pawlet & Rupert School Boards
To recap, here is a quick summary of what happened over the course of the last month:
Sept. 1st, The Merger Committee holds a long, well-attended public forum at the Mettawee Community School on the question of Choice versus Designation. Lots of public comment, including from kids, much of it very emotional and intense. The committee was planning to vote this night on Choice vs. Designation, but, truthfully, they all look a little bit freaked out. They put it off to the following week.
Sept. 7th, The Merger Committee holds another long, well-attended meeting, this time at the Wells Village School, which, kind of by accident, turns into another extended session of public comment. When at last the committee votes, they fail to pass a measure endorsing choice. The committee talks some. Then, the committee fails to pass a measure endorsing designation. More talking. Finally a third vote is taken and by the slimmest of possible margins, choice passes. At last! A decision has been made!
Sept. 19th, The Merger Committee implodes. I wasn’t in attendance for this meeting, but apparently the representatives who had voted against choice felt that this was not a measure, which would ever, in a million, billion years, be passed by the voters. Consequently, they take a vote not to recommend the merger of Wells, Pawlet and Rupert, and then formally vote to dissolve the committee.
Well! If that wasn’t an excellent way to spend a summer— not to mention up to $20,000 of tax payer grant money—I don’t know what is.
But enough about the past. What happens now? On Sept 29th, the Pawlet and Rupert School Boards held a special meeting, and here is the decision they made: once and for all they are going to find out what the voters think on the issue of Choice versus Designation. Clearly, there has not been enough comment to date. Forget the agonizingly emotional public forum of Sept 1st. Forget the four-hour Bataan Death March of a meeting on Sept 7th. Forget all those dozens of emails and scores of letters and hours-upon-hours of public comment. Forget the fact that Merger committee chair Sue Ceglowski stated at the Sept 7th meeting that the committee had definitively heard many more comments supporting choice.
No- now the school boards would really like to know what the community thinks. Like, for real. Therefore, there will be a special ballot vote on Election Day (November 8th) to determine the will of the voters on this issue. Although the vote is “non-binding,” the boards voted to recommend that any outcome be followed by any future merger committee.
Here is how they worded the article to be voted upon, which is not leading, really, very much at all:
“Shall the voters of (Pawlet/ Rupert) advise the (Pawlet/ Rupert) School Board to continue the designation of New York public high schools as the District’s public high school, and limit the amount of tuition monies paid to non-designated schools to the amount paid to the NY designated schools, as part of any school district merger under Act 46?”
Translation: If you would like things to remain exactly as they are- which under the new law they cannot– then vote Yes! Then the state can tell us who to merge with! (Oo- maybe they’ll pick Manchester and Dorset. Then we can have their property tax rate- hooray!!)
On the other hand, if you want area children to have access to New York high schools Salem and Granville as well as other area schools, for no more than the cost of the Vermont state average- then vote No!
So you see, it’s all perfectly clear. But just in case it’s not, there will be two informational meetings about this special ballot item: one at the Rupert firehouse on Nov. 1 at 7PM, and one in Pawlet, at the Mettawee Community School on Nov. 3 at 7:30.
About time too. I haven’t been to a good four-hour meeting in days.
pawletvermont.com 