by Rep. Gina Galfetti

Last night’s (September 210 school board meeting was one of the most troubling things I’ve witnessed in local governance. Students were effectively placed in the crosshairs because a majority of the board chose to dismiss logic, reason, and basic stewardship. Our community deserves better leadership than what we saw.

The fact is, a majority of the board has repeatedly refused to review the budget in good faith,  build consensus, or craft a budget plan that reflects the needs of both taxpayers and students. Instead, they chose to cut summer school, dismiss reasonable solutions, and steer the district into a corner of their own making.

When the first budget was drafted this year, the board knowingly failed to lay the necessary groundwork for a summer school program. Many members understood that without that groundwork, summer school would inevitably be eliminated – and they allowed it to happen, despite strong objections from Lindsay Wells and Catherine Whalen. It was disingenuous, manipulative, and entirely avoidable. That decision was the first of a thousand cuts that brought us to the defeat of both the first budget and those that have followed.

When the board had a chance to build trust and work collaboratively, the next cut arrived. Board member Catherine Whalen identified potential savings after taking the time to review the budget line by line – real work, done on behalf of taxpayers and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Her proposal was dismissed outright by a majority of the board and never received a meaningful response. That is unacceptable. It does not reflect a board willing to listen to all members or work together to craft responsible policy. The board also continually refused to meaningfully engage with community members who had differing opinions. The job of a school board is to engage the community and find a reasonable path forward, not to attack individuals who disagree.

The final cut – and perhaps the most egregious – was the board majority’s deliberate decision not to issue reduction in force (RIF) notices prior to the failure of the first budget. Had those notices been sent, which is a standard practice, the district would still have the ability to make staffing adjustments.

And here is where I will get on my soapbox. BUUSD’s administration is top-heavy, plain and simple. When I graduated in 1998, the school operated with one principal and twice as many students as it has now – yet today it somehow needs three! The student-to-staff ratio looks fine on paper, but it is misleading. What we actually need are more special educators, paraeducators and behavioral specialists in classrooms. We need them urgently if we are serious about improving educational outcomes. But that is not what this budget protects or prioritizes.  

I grew up on Orange St in Barre City, where I received a truly world-class education – and I don’t say that lightly. I was taught to think critically, to read and write well, to listen before acting, and to make decisions based on facts. Those tools shaped my life. And the fact is that our education funding system is broken. The current formula no longer serves communities like ours, and it needs a serious overhaul. I am hopeful that if I return to Montpelier, I can help move us toward a foundation formula that ensures Barre doesn’t continue to lose out.

I am also going to highlight two very achievable reductions that could be made with no impact on students. First a one year moratorium on facilities upgrades which would result in a savings of 800,000.00 and second using money from the tax stabilization fund that has a current balance of about 2.2 million dollars! Both of these actions would reduce the budget with no impact on our kids. To have put forth the idea that the only cuts that can be made at this point attack our children’s most important programs is unacceptable!

Since Ms. Wheeler-Reynolds chose to turn her last post on the school budget into both a commentary and a campaign message- without offering any real solutions – I want to be very clear.  Meaningful change in Vermont will require bold, substantive ideas. I have those ideas, and I look forward to putting them forward in January. It will require genuine collaboration and a willingness to work across the aisle. Nothing about the way the BUUSD board majority has conducted itself suggests that they are prepared to do that. Nothing that Ms. Wheeler-Reynolds has said publicly offers actual ideas or proposals to fix any of Vermont’s problems. Beyond advocating for increased taxes. The system needs to be fixed and the Legislature needs to show Vermonters that it can spend responsibly before new revenue streams are tapped.

So I will close with this: whether you choose to vote for the school budget at the next election is your decision. However, we should consider that the school year is underway and every effort needs to be made to avoid disruptions to the students. The board majority has put us in this position, and now they are using fear and our community’s children to deflect from their own lack of due diligence and transparency. I promise you that I will fight as hard as I can to change education funding so we can get better results. And I urge you to run for school board in the upcoming election cycles – to fill those seats with people who are willing to do the work and pursue bold, necessary change and collaborate with respect as neighbors and friends. We owe that to Barre.

My apologies to the kids who were put in this position. Many of them said these are adults’ problems – and they are right. They should not be paying for our mistakes or the board’s unwillingness to listen to everyone, build a real coalition and do a proper budget analysis.

You can find many of my proposals on my website Galfettiforvermont.org and please give me a call or shoot me a text. 802.476.3520 if there is anything you want to talk about. Change takes courage, and that is one thing I know Barre has in excess!

Please be advised that this version is longer then the one that I submitted to FPF and evidently was rejected due to guidelines regarding classification and number of characters. Which I would have happily remedied had they sent me any response at all. However they did not notify me of anything until I reached out after the evenings press time. Despite the fact that I submitted the post at about 10:30 in the morning.

The author is a Barre Town representative in the Legislature.