Page 2 - Jack Bryar News Today

Dont miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   WESTMINSTER — The high per-pupil costs for the 315 students attending Bellows Falls Union High School attracted attention from a former school board member Wednesday night. James McAuliffe of Bellows Falls, the former board member, questioned the current board and principal on why more hadn’t been done to bring per-pupil costs down and avoid the financial penalty cap established by the Vermont Agency of Education. Principal Christop...

Dont miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   WESTMINSTER — The Bellows Falls Union High School Board narrowly approved a proposed budget for the 2021-22 school year Monday night that shows a 2 percent decrease over the current budget. But three school directors almost defeated the budget with their insistence that the board know what the actual impact will be on taxpayers before the budget is approved. On a 4-3 vote, the board approved the proposed $7,502,808 million budget, which ...

Dont miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   WESTMINSTER — With Westminster residents voting overwhelming to return to their traditional school district, the focus now turns to Grafton and Athens. In a modest turnout for a special town meeting, Westminster voters voted 200-58 in favor of leaving the consolidated elementary school district, forced upon all three towns by the Vermont Board of Education. In a second companion vote, 219-35, voters agreed to the steps needed for the loc...

Dont miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   WESTMINSTER — A group of Vermont parents is suing the state and three school districts, including Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, over “unequal access to education.” According to the Liberty Justice Center, which is representing four families, including Brianna Schaefer, of Grafton, and Sara and Louis Vitale, of Athens, the state’s educational tuition system “violates the state constitution by allowing children r...

1 of 6 Stacey Reeve, of Westminster, Vt., receives her ballot from the Westminster Town Hall during a special vote Tuesday on whether to withdraw from the elementary union school district that was formed two years ago under Act 46. Kristopher Radder, Brattleboro Reformer Stacey Reeve, of Westminster, Vt., fills out her ballot during a special vote Tuesday on whether to withdraw from the elementary union school district that was formed two years ago under Act 46. Kristop...

Dont miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   WESTMINSTER — The chairman of the Windham Northeast Unified Union Elementary School Board told Westminster residents Tuesday night that the dissolution of the merged elementary school district was not without its potential legal problems. Jack Bryar of Grafton, chairman of the merged elementary school district, said that because the state Board of Education forced Westminster, Grafton and Athens to merge back in 2018, it’s not clear...

Dont miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   WESTMINSTER — Westminster voters who plan on requesting absentee ballots for the upcoming Jan. 5 vote on dismantling the union elementary school district have until today, or Wednesday at the latest, to ask for one to be sent to them by mail, according to the Westminster town clerk’s office. Patty Mark, the assistant town clerk, said Monday that voters can request a ballot in person up until Monday at 5 p.m. She said the town set up...

BELLOWS FALLS — What a difference 24 hours makes ... Officials from the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union released new overall budget figures that were dramatically different from from budget figures discussed Monday night at a meeting of the Bellows Falls Union High School. At that time, a BFUHS budget increase of 11 percent was projected. Now the various budgets of the different schools in the union look like they will be close to level funded. Superintendent Christopher Pratt and Busi...

Dont miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.   WESTMINSTER — Members of the Bellows Falls Union High School board got their first look at the proposed 2021-22 school budget of $8.8 million and its 11 percent potential increase. Flora Pagan, the business manager for the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, outlined the budget and its areas of major increases: special education is up 63 percent, she said. Director Jack Bryar of Grafton said that increase in special education “was ...