LETTER: Former chair asks school board to ‘focus on what we CAN control’

May 3, 2024  |  By Caitlin Hollister

Editor’s note: This letter was sent to the full Harwood Unified Union School Board and is shared here with the community. 

Open letter to the HUUSD Board:

While it is disappointing to see another budget vote fail, there is great opportunity ahead to build credibility with the Harwood Unified Union School District community. Having served on the board for 5 years, I appreciate the tremendous pressure that you are under from many sides and am grateful for your work in navigating this very challenging budget season. I respectfully submit the following suggestions, all of which focus on what we CAN control. Framing this as only a state legislature problem will not help us to pass another budget. 

1) Preserve the 178 school day calendar for both this year (2023-24) and next year (2024-25). Recent district communication indicated that HUUSD has requested a waiver from the Agency of Education for some of the days missed due to extreme weather events this year. A shortened school year sends the message to our students, staff and community members that the last days of school aren't necessary and that we are willing to pay for days that we do not use. Given the crisis of absenteeism (locally and nationally) and the amount of school our current students missed during the pandemic, it is critical that we communicate in every way that EVERY school day counts and is worth attending. Already, Vermont has a shorter required school year than most other states. Deferring to camp schedules is unwise, and only further privileges affluent families.

2) Request administrative reductions. I have enormous respect for our school leaders, but I recognize they are in a challenging position in recommending reductions.  It is especially hard for them to recommend a budget that reduces members of their own team. For this reason, the board should directly ask for a budget that includes administrative reductions at least for consideration.

3) Survey staff for budget saving ideas. Yes, I understand that a new board committee will be looking at potential savings for future years. In the meantime, asking HUUSD employees how they think the district could reduce this current budget will not only yield some helpful suggestions, but will also build the board's credibility simply by asking for input by those working in our schools.

4) Add meetings to the board calendar. Meeting more frequently communicates the urgency of this situation and allows for more community input as you consider next steps.

5) Offer a preview of what bigger changes the board is willing to consider for the next year's budget once this current budget is settled. Again, this will build credibility and reassure voters that the board is willing to engage in big picture conversations to bring our per pupil spending closer to the state average. During one of the April HUUSD budget meetings, I heard district leaders mention the need to bring spending down but without any specifics on what kind of changes they would consider. Reminding voters of what the local board has some control over (class sizes, staff:student ratios, collective bargaining agreements, school building configuration) and inviting input on those topics will be very valuable in the months ahead.

Respectfully submitted,

Caitlin Hollister

Waterbury

Caitlin Hollister is a former HUUSD school board member from Waterbury who served as chair.