Voters reject $50.8 million Harwood budget, support maintenance funding

March 5, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti

Voters in the Harwood Unified Union School District voted Tuesday to send school leaders back to the drawing board on a school budget for 2024-25, but they also told them to stick with investing in school building maintenance. 

Voters in Waterbury mark their ballots on Tuesday at Brookside Primary School. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti

By a 29-point margin, voters rejected the district’s proposed $50.8 million budget on the Town Meeting Day ballot, according to results released late Tuesday night. The vote total was 2,640 to 1,439 against the budget, 64% to 35%.

Source: HUUSD data. Chart by Julia Bailey-Wells

But by a more than 25-point margin, voters supported allocating the 2023 surplus of $535,000 to the district’s maintenance reserve fund to pay for school facility repairs. That vote was 2,556 to 1,497 in favor, 62% to 36%. 

Superintendent Mike Leichliter shared the vote tallies shortly after 10:30 p.m. 

In comments to local newspapers, he said the results send a clear message: “I am pleased to see that our community values the importance of maintaining our buildings,” he said. “This is a tough budget year around Vermont for many reasons and we have more work to do. There is a lot of work to accomplish now in the coming weeks to work with a new board in order to draft a budget that will meet with the approval of our towns.”

The district brings together ballots voted in Waterbury, Duxbury, Moretown, Fayston, Waitsfield and Warren for a single count tabulated by hand at Harwood Union High School. 

The ballots asked voters two questions: whether to approve a budget of $50.8 million for the 2024-25 budget year and whether to allocate the $535,000 surplus from 2023 to the district’s maintenance reserve fund to pay for school facility repairs and upkeep. 

The budget represented an increase of just under 12% in spending for next school year. But, given the latest revisions to the state’s education funding formula, it was expected to result in school property tax increases between 20 and 30% across the district’s six towns. 

The district’s annual meeting on Monday evening for the first time since it unified several years ago attracted about 50 people. All questions put to school leaders focused on the budget and its tax implications. 

School Board Chair Kristen Rodgers of Moretown ended her term on Tuesday and was not on the ballot for re-election. Reached Tuesday evening, she said she was disappointed that the budget didn't pass. “This budget season has been unprecedented with many changes and challenges from the start of the budget season right up to end,” she said.

Source: HUUSD data. Chart by Julia Bailey-Wells

The results of the second ballot question are a reason to be optimistic, though, she added. “I am very happy to see the community passed the transfer to maintenance reserve. Our community clearly recognizes the value,” she said. 

Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Rodgers and outgoing Vice Chair Kelley Hackett wrote in a letter to the community that they wanted voters to weigh in to determine next steps. As the state legislature amended the education funding formula, school districts had an opportunity to revisit and alter their budgets rather than vote on them on Tuesday. Harwood’s board opted to leave the ballot in place as planned in January. “We want the voters to decide,” Rodgers said on Monday after the annual meeting and community discussion. 

After seeing the election results Tuesday, she said the board will be ready to discuss revisions now. “I have full faith in the school board to get back to work and put together a budget the community will support,” she said, adding that she hoped local residents will stay engaged as that process moves ahead. “I hope the community will make sure to attend any upcoming board meetings where the budget will be discussed. This is really the only way to stay fully informed.”

Source: HUUSD & Town Clerk. Chart by Julia Bailey-Wells

The School Board prior to Tuesday’s election decided that if the budget failed to pass, it would hold its reorganizational meeting early in order to begin work on budget revisions as soon as possible. That meeting is scheduled for this Friday, March 8, at 6 p.m. via Zoom and YouTube. The board will select officers and cover general housekeeping items necessary as it begins its new term. The agenda lists an hour to discuss the budget.

The board’s next regular meeting would be Wednesday, March 13.

The board will welcome one new member, Steven Rosenberg of Moretown, a first-time candidate who unopposed and won election on Tuesday with 449 votes to succeed outgoing board Chair Kristen Rodgers. Returning members to the board after this week’s election are Jonathan Young of Warren and Mike Bishop of Fayston.

Two of Waterbury’s four seats were on the ballot with no candidates who filed to run for office. Waterbury Town Clerk Karen Petrovic said there were 107 write-in votes for the openings, but none of them received the required 30 votes to win election on Tuesday.

The school board will need to solicit applications to appoint new members to those positions to serve until March 2025. The select board in the community where a school board vacancy occurs and is filled by appointment typically interviews prospective candidates to make a recommendation to the school board.

The board’s next regular meeting would be Wednesday, March 13.

Newspapers launch community survey

In addition, Waterbury Roundabout and The Valley Reporter are collaborating on a community survey to collect public opinion regarding the Town Meeting Day vote. The survey is posted on the Education page on the Waterbury Roundabout website. Results will be shared with the community.

Lisa Scagliotti