Stop the merger

OVERVIEW

The MAUSD/ANWSD Merger Study Committee was formed by the Boards of the Addison Northwest School District (Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes and Waltham); and the Mt. Abraham Unified School District (Bristol, Monkton, New Haven, and Starksboro). This Merger Study Committee concluded its work, and voted to warn a vote in each of the two districts to merge and form a new school district: Addison North School District (ANSD).

The voters in each district will decide whether or not to approve the merger. That vote is scheduled to take place on November 8th (election day).

A “yes” vote from the co-mingled ballots in MAUSD, and a “yes” vote from the co-mingled ballots in ANWSD would mean that the two districts would be merged as of July 1, 2023. The 2023-2024 school year would be the merged district’s first year of operation.

WHAT COULD MERGING MEAN?

  • Governance moved farther from the schools; more top-down decision making.

  • Merging the MAUSD and ANWSD Superintendents’ Offices, merging the high schools and middle schools, and removing all 6th graders from their town elementary schools.

  • Revoking towns’ right to vote on the future of their elementary schools.

  • Much longer bus rides for more students at a very high cost.

  • Less equity for students:

    1. Less access to after school help, athletics, other activities for some families.

    2. School choice would only be available to those who can afford to provide their own transportation.

  • Young families would move to towns with closer schools and shorter bus rides, worsening the problem of declining enrollment.

  • Making our small towns unattractive to young families would likely result in a decline in property value for homeowners in small towns.

  • There is no evidence that the merger will save costs compared with not merging; the merger becomes more costly than unmerged after the first 3-4 years.

There are better, less radical approaches to saving costs, increasing equity, and enhancing educational opportunities without merging governance.

Specific strategies that could save over $3 million per year:

  • Sister Schools - more efficient staffing

  • Weighted Student Funding/Bounded Autonomy

  • Cost Effective Budgeting and Staffing w/ School-Based Decision Making

  • Merge superintendents’ offices without merging governance

  • Collaborative MAUSD-ANWSD HS Classes

Stop Merger Flyer.pdf

flyer

Download and print our flyer and share with your neighbors!

Ideally printed on Bright Yellow paper, but works well on white as well.

KEY INFORMATION