Comments on: Peltz: Consolidation or Merger? http://vtdigger.org/2010/02/03/peltz-consolidation-or-merger/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=peltz-consolidation-or-merger Independent, investigative news for Vermont Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:57:51 +0000 hourly 1 By: Thomas J Dwyer http://vtdigger.org/2010/02/03/peltz-consolidation-or-merger/#comment-7235 Thomas J Dwyer Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:24:50 +0000 http://vtdigger.org/?p=3878#comment-7235 I'm from Orange VT. At our Town Meeting a $2,490,000.00 school budget was narrowly voted in. Our town has 105 elementary students and 46 High School students. We are spending over $700,000.00 on the High School Students in the form of Tuition, but we are spending over $16,900.00 per elementary school student. The local School Board (Orange) signed a load for $175,000.00 to pay a debt we owed for a short fall on the High School student Tuition, but it's the elementary school that is the larger part of the spending. I heard someone at the meeting say we could tuition our elementary students for $10,000.00 to $11,000.00 and save over half a million every year. That would mean closing the Orange Center School and putting some people out of a job but we will go bankrupt if we don't do it. The Principal is retiring, effective at the end of this year. If you are from Orange and support the Idea of closing the elementary school please contact me: tombuster1@netzero.com I’m from Orange VT. At our Town Meeting a $2,490,000.00 school budget was narrowly voted in. Our town has 105 elementary students and 46 High School students. We are spending over $700,000.00 on the High School Students in the form of Tuition, but we are spending over $16,900.00 per elementary school student. The local School Board (Orange) signed a load for $175,000.00 to pay a debt we owed for a short fall on the High School student Tuition, but it’s the elementary school that is the larger part of the spending. I heard someone at the meeting say we could tuition our elementary students for $10,000.00 to $11,000.00 and save over half a million every year. That would mean closing the Orange Center School and putting some people out of a job but we will go bankrupt if we don’t do it. The Principal is retiring, effective at the end of this year. If you are from Orange and support the Idea of closing the elementary school please contact me: tombuster1@netzero.com

]]> By: Cara Cookson http://vtdigger.org/2010/02/03/peltz-consolidation-or-merger/#comment-7234 Cara Cookson Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:42:13 +0000 http://vtdigger.org/?p=3878#comment-7234 Once you give away local democracy, you can't get it back again. Once you give away local democracy, you can’t get it back again.

]]> By: Bill Schubart http://vtdigger.org/2010/02/03/peltz-consolidation-or-merger/#comment-7233 Bill Schubart Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:12:37 +0000 http://vtdigger.org/?p=3878#comment-7233 I would only add that, according to several friends on school boards wrestling with budgets, the non-discretionary elements of school budgets such as health care, insurances and energy are some of the most intractable elements of their budget increases. Bill I would only add that, according to several friends on school boards wrestling with budgets, the non-discretionary elements of school budgets such as health care, insurances and energy are some of the most intractable elements of their budget increases. Bill

]]> By: David Usher http://vtdigger.org/2010/02/03/peltz-consolidation-or-merger/#comment-7232 David Usher Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:11:29 +0000 http://vtdigger.org/?p=3878#comment-7232 Peter Pelz's notion that "the reduction in school spending has mirrored the economic trend lines" suggests that he would have us believe school spending has been reduced. Certainly private sector employment has shrunk, per capita income has diminished recently, but school spending has not been reduced. He may mean school budget growth rates have been tamed, but that's a far cry from the pressing need to reduce education spending to match shrinking K-12 enrollment. Given the history of explosive school spending, top-down funding caps by Vermont's Legislature may offer the only realistic hope of reducing education spending. It's a bold move whose time has come. Peter Pelz’s notion that “the reduction in school spending has mirrored the economic trend lines” suggests that he would have us believe school spending has been reduced. Certainly private sector employment has shrunk, per capita income has diminished recently, but school spending has not been reduced.

He may mean school budget growth rates have been tamed, but that’s a far cry from the pressing need to reduce education spending to match shrinking K-12 enrollment.

Given the history of explosive school spending, top-down funding caps by Vermont’s Legislature may offer the only realistic hope of reducing education spending. It’s a bold move whose time has come.

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