Report: last school merger saved some $$ but VT still has #2 per-pupil spending

Does merging school districts reduce costs and help students? The research is mixed, finds The Hechinger Report, which visited Peacham to see how a familiar debate across the country is playing out in Vermont, the Journal-Opinion reports. 

Vermont has been here before.

A decade ago, under Act 46, the state pushed district consolidation. One analysis of 109 districts between 2017 and 2020 found that mergers yielded some savings. But higher salaries and transportation costs due to longer student commutes eroded those savings. 

On the other hand, a Vermont Agency of Education report found that some Act 46-merged districts saved, added or restarted offerings “such as literacy intervention services, world languages and afterschool extracurricular activities.” 

Nevertheless, the problem remains. Vermont’s per student spending is second only to New York State. 

“According to data from KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation), Vermonters pay the highest ‘benchmark’ health care premiums of any state, nearly $1,300 a month, almost double what they paid just five years ago. The state has also shifted other financial burdens onto districts, such as capital construction costs for schools, which the state hasn’t funded in nearly two decades.”

$3000 scholarship applications accepted 

The League of Women Voters of Vermont Education Fund is now accepting applications for its Winona Smith Scholarship program. Created in 1998 to honor the legacy of League leader Winona Smith, the scholarship is awarded annually to Vermont high school seniors who embody the characteristics and qualities Smith displayed of civic participation and community service.

Three $3,000 scholarships will be awarded to students who demonstrate financial need, scholastic achievement, and come highly recommended by their teacher. 

Applications, due on April 30, must be completed online (https://bit.ly/LWVScholarshipDetails). Students must submit two essays (300-500 words), one on issues concerning voting rights, and the other on the impact of a recent civic, national, or world event. A letter of recommendation from a teacher is also required, (https://bit.ly/LWVTeacherRec). 

The scholarship can be applied towards continuation of education in an accredited vocational, technical, or trade school and two- or four-year college or university. Scholarship recipients will be announced June 1. 

Last year, LWV scholarships were awarded to students from Burr & Burton Academy, Mill River, Mount Anthony, and Otter Valley Union High Schools.

Questions can be directed to Scholarship Coordinator Audrey Grant, lwvofvt.edfund@gmail.com. 

Norwich names alum as Commandant of Cadets

Col. Mark Denton ’97, USA, has been named the 57th Commandant of the Corps of Cadets and Vice President of Student Affairs. Effective June 15, he returns to Norwich University following a  35-year career of service as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer in the United States Army. 

A native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, who migrated to Milton, Massachusetts, COL Denton’s journey comes full circle — from his commissioning at Norwich University in 1997, to senior leadership service at the Pentagon, and now back to Northfield to help guide the next generation of leaders. In this combined cabinet-level role, he will oversee student development, housing, morale, welfare, retention, and success for both Corps of Cadets and civilian students.