By Alex Nuti-de Biasi, Editor of the Journal-Opinion
The Orange East Supervisory Union Board will meet this afternoon to review a proposed $11.6 million budget for the 2024-2025 school year.
The central office coordinates special education services for the entire supervisory union serving Bradford and surrounding towns and their school districts. About two-thirds of the budget is for special education spending. Beyond special education, the district’s budget also provides for early education, transportation, social and emotional learning, and English language education for non-native speakers.
About 82% is for student services, the superintendent told board members last week.
Still, overall spending is projected to rise over 17% and that is giving some board members pause. Revenue, in part, is generated from assessments on the local districts.
“I think the budget is high,” said Danielle Corti of Newbury.
The OESU Board is composed of representatives from Blue Mountain, Oxbow Unified, Thetford, and Waits River districts. While voters approve the budgets in those districts, the supervisory union budget is reviewed and approved by the OESU Board.
Too bees or not too bees?
What is the state of health for Vermont’s honeybee population? It depends who you ask.
According to a Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets report (PDF) published last month, colony numbers are at an all-time high finding a 43% increase between 2016 and 2023.
“However, based on the increase in the number of colonies managed, Vermont beekeepers have learned to effectively manage colony stressors in the current environment and successfully maintain a thriving beekeeping industry in the state,” the report stated.
But not everybody agrees.
“The VAAFM’s claim of record honey bee numbers in Vermont as evidence of a ‘healthy and robust beekeeping industry’ is not only misleading but serves to undermine our industry and ongoing efforts in Vermont to protect managed and native bees, both of whom are in great peril,” countered the Vermont Beekeepers Association.
The VBA argued that total colony numbers are not an accurate measure of bee health. Rather, the VBA stated, agency data shows Vermont beekeepers have lost at least 25% of their bees during the winter months for the last three years.
Further, the organization stated that the increase in colony numbers is attributable to improved registration efforts to get beekeepers to document their colonies with the state.