The board of trustees of the Expeditionary School at Black River, located in Ludlow, is pleased to report that, after a long, arduous process, ESBR is now a recognized school by the Department of Education of Vermont.
This means that students who come from choice or sending towns can have their tuition paid by the state education taxes. This will allow us to expand our teaching staff and student enrollment.
This approval was on June 29, one day ahead of the July 1 moratorium on further independent school approvals. This delayed decisions for staff and students for the upcoming year. It also delayed our reaching out to prospective students, until we had approval and funding and knew we could increase our staff.
We are hustling to acquire new staff and are excited about the future of the Expeditionary School at Black River.
That being said, we are announcing that we are opening our enrollment to interested 7th to 12th grade students for the 2023-24 school year. If students live in a choice sending community, such as Ludlow and Mount Holly, as was said, their tuition will be covered by the state’s educational tax dollars. If a student is not from a sending community, they can still apply. Doors will open Aug. 30.
As you are aware, the Expeditionary School at Black River is a small, independent school that provides a hands-on, project-based education , utilizing many local and state resources, with many outdoor activities. It is an important local option for middle school and high school students in the area and is important for the health of our community.
We want to especially thank all of our supporters who have helped us get to this stage. We could not have reached this goal without you. We are interested in hearing from you at gblodgett@esblackriver.org or 802-558-3147. You can also visit the website. Also, please share our information to any prospective students.
Gary Blodgett
Board chair
Expeditionary School at Black River
Ludlow
Also on the board of trustees: Suzy Buckley, Pat Pullinen, Julie Abraham, Marissa Selleck, Stephen Messina
