The State Board of Education on Tuesday gave the Elmore and Morristown school districts the green light to bring their case for a “unified union district” to voters on Nov. 3. The plan presented by the two towns would create a unified school district under Act 153 and Act 156 – not the new education law Act 46 – and officials expect it to generate nearly a half-million dollars in cost savings.
“The committee finds that overall, formation of a Unified Union District between the Districts of Elmore and Morristown strengthens quality and opportunity, promotes achievement of high standards, creates efficiencies and flexibility, provides taxpayer value, and promotes transparency and accountability,” said the Elmore Morristown Unified Union Study Committee.
In March 2014, the residents of Elmore lodged a protest vote by turning down the proposed school budget. This started a conversation that led to the formation of a study committee last spring. Elmore is expected to see its total school taxes go down by $600,000 and Morristown will avoid having to make program cuts due to a possible loss of $1.2 million in revenue. The unification will create savings through a single financial and accounting system, according to the study committee’s report. It also claims that local control will increase under this new arrangement.
Currently, Elmore and Morristown are each a school district with an elected board that sets policy and presents annual budgets to the voters. Those districts and the Stowe School District fall under the administrative responsibility of the Lamoille South Supervisory Union. If voters approve the unification it will become the Elmore-Morristown Unified Union District and will have four representatives on the seven-member Lamoille South Supervisory Union Board while Stowe School District will have three.
The main driver behind the anticipated annual savings of $490,000 is the plan to use Peoples Academy for grades 7-12 and eliminate tuitioning.
The recommendation in the report reads that “All 9-12 grade students in Elmore and Morristown will have access to public high school choice,” but they will not qualify for tuition to an independent school.
Lamoille Superintendent Tracy Wrend told the state board that Peoples Academy was where the majority of students chose to go to high school.
Elmore students currently enrolled in a choice school outside of the district will be allowed to finish their studies. Those students that start next year would have to go to a school within the unified union district.
In addition, “Elmore students will no longer have publicly funded choice in grades 7-8 or for independent schools,” the report states. Having said that, Elmore-Morristown will continue to accept tuition students from other towns.
Members of the State Board of Education praised the report saying it provides a good model for other districts.
