SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A school budget quandary in South Burlington has left many residents with questions. Voters already said no to two school budgets this year, and now the school has until July 1 to pass one. Wednesday night, residents gathered at a special meeting to discuss what’s next.
Faculty, staff and families donned matching T-shirts in support of the South Burlington School District during uncertain budgetary times.
A $69.5 million budget revote was rejected by voters last week by 150 votes. The spending plan would have raised property taxes by 14.5%. It was a scaled-down version of a previous plan that would have increased the rate to 23%. This first budget failed by over 700 votes.
South Burlington Superintendent Violet Nichols on Wednesday gave possible dates for the third vote but mainly wanted to hear from community members. Some advocated for their programs, which could potentially get cut as the district attempts to decrease its budget.
“These two nontraditional student-facing positions have immensely impacted my experience at the high school, and have empowered me to do things that are out of my comfort zone,” said Amanda Gallagher of South Burlington High School.
“I’ve learned, grown and succeeded because of German,” said Jayden French of South Burlington High School.
“By narrowing possibilities for intercultural communication and exchange, you deepen divisions at a time when we desperately need to bridge them,” said UVM Associate Professor Kat Scollins.
Because the margin of the last vote was so small, some say that instead of making big cuts, the district should try to get more voters on their side. But others felt the community sent a message by voting down the second budget. “I live in a neighborhood where the budget always gets voted down. I am surrounded by people who are retired and on a fixed income, people who are struggling to put dinner on the table. So, I worry a little bit when I hear, ‘I don’t think you have to cut this budget,’ because what I hear is, ‘Wow, how could they ask that,’” said one attendee.
If the school district doesn’t have a budget passed by July, it will have to start borrowing money from 87 percent of last year’s budget, and taxpayers will have to pay interest on that money.
The board will take community feedback and draft a third budget at the next meeting.
