Town Meeting

School budget tally, so far: 23 No, 17 Yes

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Unofficial results show many large towns, cities vote NO

Burlington, Colchester, small communities vote YES

Sen. Richard Westman (R-Lamoille) speaks at 2020 Morristown Town Meeting. At Tuesday’s meeting, Morristown voters rejected proposed budget by almost 2-1.

By Guy Page

Drawing on reports from school officials, residents and media reports, Vermont Daily Chronicle has tallied the 2024 Town Meeting budget results in 40 Vermont school and supervisory union districts. 

Vermont has over 130 school/supervisory union districts. Many results were unavailable due to late counting and meetings scheduled for later this month or later this spring. Results shown below are unofficial, and a few depict town votes that were in effect nullified by contrary votes in their supervisory unions (such as Killington, which also voted to study leaving its supervisory union.)

An expected 20% increase in the statewide property tax, due to high costs, diminished funding, and the state’s confusing, equity-based education spending formula, has had lawmakers and property owners alike concerned. Voters in these school districts rejected the proposed budgets:

Alburgh, Barre Town/City Union, Fairfax, Holland, Killington, Milton, Morrisville, Northfield, Rutland Town, South Burlington, Barstow Union, Otter Valley Union, Champlain Valley Union, Lamoille North Union elementary schools, Harwood Union, Montpelier-Roxbury Union, Green Mountain Union (Chester, etc.), Champlain Islands Union, Slate Valley Union (Fair Haven, Poultney, etc.), Missisquoi Valley Union, Elmore-Morrisville Union, and Northern Mountain Valley (Franklin NE) Union. 

Other results can be seen below and will be updated as more information becomes available. 

Burlington passes by 71% – Act 127 helped, officials say – Burlington school superintendent Tom Flanagan noted that because the District would need to begin paying for the new school, leaders and the school board worked hard to limit spending decisions within their control. “We knew the bond and increases in wages, utilities, and health care were going to have a huge impact on the budget, so we worked to offset other investments with reductions. In the end, we wanted to present a budget that continues to move us forward without asking taxpayers for exorbitant investments.” 

Wool also noted that Act 127, the new weighted pupil law, played a major role in this year’s budget development process. “We continue to be grateful to the Vermont legislature for working to correct the inequities that plagued the school funding formula for so long. Without the updated formula, there is no way Burlington could have afforded next year’s budget. We urge the legislature to continue to support these new weights that are working to create balance and equity in the system.”

SCHOOL DISTRICTYesNoSUPERVISORY UNIONDetails
AlburghNoGrand Isle SU229 Yes – 330 No
ArlingtonSouthwest Vermont SU
Barre Town, CityNo
BrightonYesNorth Country SU
BurlingtonYesBurlington SD71% vote yes
CabotYesCaledonia Central SU
CanaanEssex North SU
CharlestonYesNorth Country SU
ColchesterYesColchester SD
CoventryNorth Country SU
CraftsburyOrleans Southwest SU
DanvilleYesCaledonia Central SU256 Yes, 243 No
DerbyNorth Country SU
FairfaxNoFranklin West SU680 Yes -740 No
FletcherLamoille North SU
GeorgiaFranklin West SU
HartfordHartford SD
HartlandWindsor Southeast SU
HollandNoNorth Country SU
IraYesGreater Rutland County SU78-41
JayYesNorth Country SU
KillingtonNovoted to leave supervisory union
LowellNorth Country SU
MarlboroWindham Central SU
MiltonNoMilton SD
MorganNorth Country SU
MorrisvilleNoalmost 2-1 against
Newport CityNorth Country SU
Newport TownNorth Country SU
North Bennington IDSouthwest Vermont SU
NorthfieldNo
NorwichSAU 70
PeachamYesCaledonia Central SU
PittsfieldMountain Views SU
RockinghamWindham Northeast SU
Rutland CityRutland City SD
Rutland TownNoGreater Rutland County SU
St. JohnsburySt. Johnsbury SD
SandgateSouthwest Vermont SU
SearsburgWindham Southwest SU
SharonWhite River Valley SU
South BurlingtonNoSouth Burlington SD
South HeroGrand Isle SU
SpringfieldSpringfield SD
StamfordWindham Southwest SU
StannardOrleans Southwest SU
StraffordWhite River Valley SU
StrattonYesWindham Central SU
ThetfordYesOrange East SU
TroyNorth Country SU
VernonWindham Southeast SU
WeathersfieldWindsor Southeast SU
WestfieldYesNorth Country SU
Winooski IDWinooski SD
WolcottOrleans Southwest SU
Buels GoreMt. Mansfield UUSD
AverillEssex North SU
Averys GoreEssex North SU
FerdinandNorth Country SU
GlastenburySouthwest Vermont SU
LewisEssex North SU
SomersetWindham Southwest SU
Warners GrantEssex North SU
Warren GoreEssex North SU
Mt. Anthony UHSDSouthwest Vermont SU
Blue Mountain USDOrange East SU
North Country Jr UHSDNorth Country SU
North Country Sr UHSDNorth Country SU
Lake Region UHSDOrleans Central SU
Hazen UHSDOrleans Southwest SU
Bellows Falls UHSDWindham Northeast SU
Twinfield USDCaledonia Central SU
Waits River Valley School DistrictOrange East SU
Barstow UUSDNoRutland Northeast SU
Essex-Westford ECUUSDEssex Westford ECUUSD
Mill River UUSDMill River UUSD
Otter Valley UUSDNoRutland Northeast SU
Addison Northwest USDAddison Northwest SD
Addison Central USDAddison Central SD
Champlain Valley USDNoChamplain Valley SD
Maple Run USDYesMaple Run USD
Lamoille North MUSD ANoLamoille North SUFive Elementary schools
Lamoille North MUSD BYesLamoille North SULamoille Union High/Middle School
Orange Southwest USDOrange Southwest UUSD
Harwood UUSDNoHarwood UUSD
Mt. Abraham USDMt. Abraham USD
Taconic and Green Regional SDBennington Rutland SU
Kingdom East USDKingdom East SD
Northeast Kingdom Choice School DistrictEssex North SU
Echo Valley Community School DistrictCentral Vermont SU
Paine Mountain School DistrictCentral Vermont SU
Wells Spring Unified Union DistrictGreater Rutland County SU
Quarry Valley UUSDGreater Rutland County SU
Montpelier Roxbury School DistrictNoMontpelier Roxbury SDRoxbury Yes, Montpelier No
HalifaxWindham Southwest SU
ReadsboroWindham Southwest SU
Twin Valley USDWindham Southwest SU
Green Mountain USDNoTwo Rivers SUAndover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester.
Caledonia Cooperative School DistrictCaledonia Central SU
White River Unified DistrictYesWhite River Valley SU98 Yes, 28 No (Royalton, other towns)
Granville-Hancock Unified DistrictWhite River Valley SU
Rochester-Stockbridge USDWhite River Valley SU
First Branch USDWhite River Valley SU
Ludlow – Mt. Holly UUSDTwo Rivers SU
Metawee School DistrictBennington Rutland SU
Dresden Interstate UHSDSAU 70
Rivendell Interstate School DistrictRivendell Interstate SD
Mt. Mansfield UUSDMt. Mansfield UUSD
Winhall
Champlain Islands UUSDNoGrand Isle SUYes 562 No 735
Mt. Ascutney SDWindsor Southeast SU
Slate Valley UUSDNoSlate Valley UUSD1004 Yes, 1468 No
Southwest Vermont UESDSouthwest Vermont SU
Enosburgh-Richford UUSDFranklin Northeast SU
Missisquoi Valley School DistristNoMissisquoi Valley SDYes 926, No 1426
Elmore-Morristown UUSDNoLamoille South SU900 Yes, 922 No
Oxbow UUSDOrange East SU
Washington Central UUSDWashington Central UUSD
Lake Region Union Elm-Middle SDOrleans Central SU
Orleans Southwest UESDOrleans Southwest SU
River Valleys USDWindham Central SU
Athens Grafton UESDWindham Northeast SU
Windham Southeast SDWindham Southeast SU
Barre UUSDNoBarre UUSD
Northern Mountain Valley UUSDNoFranklin Northeast SU499 Yes, 548 No
West River Modified Union Education DistrictWindham Central SU
WindhamWindham Central SU
Mountain Views School DistrictYesMountain Views SUKillington and Bridgewater no, 4 towns yes
WestminsterWindham Northeast SU
LincolnYesLincoln SD
StoweLamoille South SU

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Categories: Town Meeting

16 replies »

  1. Mount Ascutney School District (Windsor and West Windsor) have presented a revised budget which will be voted on April 2, 2024.

  2. Paine Mountain School District—Northfield and Williamstown. They voted down the school budget. 752-882

  3. remember/// their will be no bond default from any of these towns/// all tax payers in vermont are on the hook to pay all bond debt/// what they voted for in st. albans city bonds will be covered by every one///

    • This is actually quite frightening and sadly true. I keep trying to see if your posts are Haikus.

  4. remember/// the state of vermont will not allow a bond default// they are hooked on debt that can not be paid back/// your property is the collateral for the debt///

    • The bond market secret won’t be secret much longer to the whole collective. The corporation is, indeed, insolvent. Take a look at who is front running the petro fiat dollar collapse by unloading billions in stock. If you hold a social security number, you are collateral or rather, chattel. Similar to Germany during WWII, they issue you a card with your ID number on it instead of tattooing it on your arm. The end of the great ponzi scheme is about to be realized and nothing they do or say can stop what is coming. The house of cards is shaking and falling apart.

  5. St. Johnsbury and the Kingdom East district (6 towns) both voted down the budgets.

  6. Fletcher is incorrectly listed in Lamoille district. It is not. It is is franklin west supervisory union with fairfax and georgia. Unfortunately its 4.6+ million dollar budget passed.

  7. The school tally was slow because the “NEW” machines are slow.
    One could see the lines at some polling places. The machines jammed when ever someone placed their ballots (the presidential primary ballot and then the town ballot) in one after the other rather than waiting for a green check mark to slowly appear and a then listen for a series of beeps before placing their second ballot in. It appears the machines must take a picture of each ballot. hmmm – more expensive and more bells and whistles – does it pay off for “better” elections? “Better” for whom? “Better” how?

    • They took pictures the last two times… Try getting the pictures though….

    • These “machines” need to be removed. My small town had 843 votes cast. 163 were absentee. Whay can’t they be counted by hand instead?? 9 of the 10 races were uncontested. Better for the Cabal!

    • Multi town school districts such as Mill River have to hand count ballots. State law requires all of the ballots be co-mingled and then counted together. At Mill River it took to just before 10. (BTW) Both measures passed.

  8. Can someone help me understand this?
    https://www.wsdvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Budget-Community-Presentation.pdf

    If I am reading this correctly, and i will gladly be shown that my understanding is wrong, Winooski (approved) a 26% increase in the school budget.
    However, due to the funding mechanisms, Winooski will see a DECREASE in their homestead tax rate by 35%.

    Please correct me if I am misunderstanding… so a town (Winooski as an example) can approve a dramatic increase in spending, but have a significant decrease in property tax rate.
    Seems like a disconnect between approving a school budget and having to directly feel the affects of the increased spending.