LETTER: Does ‘local control’ serve students or adults?

April 26, 2025

To the Community:

The Harwood School Board has taken a strong stance against the governor’s school district consolidation proposal. I completely disagree. I’ve yet to hear a single argument against consolidation that focuses on improving student opportunities. Every concern has been about preserving adult power, small-town identity, and familiar control.

What student benefit are we protecting by clinging to this outdated structure? Harwood recently cut K-6th grade world language instruction. Our students face fewer advanced classes, limited vocational offerings, and reduced access to extracurriculars. This isn’t just about money. Vermont already spends more per student than most other states and has more staff per student than anywhere else. The issue isn’t just how we pay. It’s how we are organized. We need to spend smarter and deliver more.

And while we often hear about the value of local control, the reality is different. Nearly every decision our board makes is shaped by recommendations from the Vermont Superintendents Association and the Vermont School Boards Association. That is not local control. It is a consolidation of influence in the hands of a few powerful special interest groups. 

Meanwhile, our own district struggles to fill open board seats. When no one runs, positions are filled by appointment. One board member is the spouse of a principal. Another was appointed based on a “popular” board member’s recommendation, not the select board’s. This is not a system built for student-centered governance. It is a system run by whoever shows up.

Larger consolidated districts would attract more qualified candidates and bring stronger fiscal and educational expertise to the table. Relying on local amateur volunteers is not serving students well. We cannot keep pretending it is.

Small towns will still have their concerts, parades, and farmers markets. That sense of community will remain. But if the Harwood board is more interested in preserving small-town charm than improving student outcomes, maybe it is time they start a historical society or plan a bake sale. Just do not confuse nostalgia with good education policy.

Brian Dalla Mura

Duxbury 

Brian Dalla Mura is a special educator in Winooski schools and a former Harwood School Board member.