[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6381819,"mediaKeyId","2127921-5dfedcca12ff1c8d52cc5dbf7c700bac","parentId",2127921,"title","Board liaison outlines superintendent search timeline; focus groups planned","audioSeconds",237,"startMs",4709000,"endMs",4946000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127921-5dfedcca12ff1c8d52cc5dbf7c700bac&start=4709&end=4946","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127921-5dfedcca12ff1c8d52cc5dbf7c700bac/thumbnail_4709000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6381819/Vermont/Board-liaison-outlines-superintendent-search-timeline-focus-groups-planned","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381819-975d3afb48d320bd0da195017e70a2df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016415&Signature=UTxgeOWNAM75N2Pm0AsofShVSsDSTvOxrixnYu45qjzVzUTwebDP4uSsPa~RXyaghBrTA9rEvJSqg8kPHv0fifToWdGgF3Pr6vFiIcUcg0~Veu70vVnS8W9nMkYvxNufJKbnnV8MrD5x2KEveFUiQK-zdfjeOCW-5B3eqn8XTFueuqlnjD~4NRjeMA3ofc3DgMxWFTQ-XLOjfoHOKKzPD8ToSg0z2LVlxq5hDBGAoCOipWlnwJSxW8eueiHLGVvCg507qx-NQH4654HHiznvVEWSoo5ZO68p7qMktNlu2Gjdmxsz6abD0vbsAnvYPxubrsWtrf6Ie5yYOik9iARErg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Barre Unified Union School District, VT","date","2025-01-16T15:47:13Z","article","A board liaison reported on the superintendent search timeline and next steps during the meeting. The liaison said the screening-committee composition and focus-group schedule are being finalized and that an invitational letter will be circulated to board members before it is sent to prospective participants.

The liaison told the board the search consultant (named in the meeting as David) recommended four hybrid focus groups the week of Feb. 10 and suggested that board members may attend but should avoid creating a quorum at any single focus-group session. The liaison said she would confirm recording plans and logistics with staff; she also said the focus groups would be recorded where feasible so the information can be shared with the public.

The board asked the liaison to confirm whether more than a quorum might attend focus groups and to ensure the timeline and materials are distributed to full board members prior to publication. The liaison encouraged board members to submit questions and suggested the committee will provide an invitational letter to the full board by the next meeting so the search timeline remains on schedule.

Ending: The board liaison will circulate the invitational letter and confirm logistics, and the district will schedule focus groups and post related information for the public.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BUUSD Special Board Meeting - January 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Board-appointed liaison reported that screening committee makeup and focus-group scheduling are in progress and that an invitational letter will be reviewed by the full board prior to distribution.","taxTitle","Barre Unified Union School District #97, School Districts, Vermont","taxId",67875,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6381823,"Barre Unified Union School District board approves hire of Bailey Mason",137,669000,806000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127921-5dfedcca12ff1c8d52cc5dbf7c700bac&start=669&end=806","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127921-5dfedcca12ff1c8d52cc5dbf7c700bac/thumbnail_669000.jpg","/articles/6381823/Vermont/Barre-Unified-Union-School-District-board-approves-hire-of-Bailey-Mason","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381823-fd732cdfa17875dcf416b15b21532f2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016415&Signature=aNAib-othUkh7bVwHZJ59IMxeQiUoLCHa1zLp-GRvhTRP9uiuv-C~~28fkMOH~CATOfjc1dCOmN--oyfZPmH6iQSqhI7JzuJQ7qtOUWTKCdqmgc9DJimq2IdtIaBm-H5pUfvXg4D6hWnybjmp6GAaI8XIYObaOX4xMouxklTDyVfQIsbV1Y5fkrtgX7ElHaABB7v1fiXkBdwNGG00IC4DMrNgy3FZ90Ga6jBMHS29BvKWlKPW9Qr5FMY3H-oVTUFmrVHgD9XXKAhely56YbqjSDryMexRihEfG2YBSd0QGeKFabQfNxvfB88jDTYvFFsgYoQHxOWOcbCoXJxN925Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Barre Unified Union School District #97 board approved the hire of Bailey Mason during its regular meeting. The hire was presented as agenda item 5.1 and received a roll-call affirmation from board members.

Board Chair Sonia Spalding called for a motion to approve the new hire; the motion was moved by Spalding and seconded by Garrett Grant. The board voted and recorded unanimous support. The board noted the contract was present at the meeting and would be filed with district human-resources records.

Ending: Administration indicated the contract paperwork will be handled by HR and payroll and the new employee will be added to district records.","The school board approved the appointment of Bailey Mason during the meeting; the vote and contract were recorded in open session.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6381829,"Barre Unified Union School District board approves 4.95% budget increase after hours of debate",3528,804000,4332000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127921-5dfedcca12ff1c8d52cc5dbf7c700bac&start=804&end=4332","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127921-5dfedcca12ff1c8d52cc5dbf7c700bac/thumbnail_804000.jpg","/articles/6381829/Vermont/Barre-Unified-Union-School-District-board-approves-495-budget-increase-after-hours-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381829-fc77f1ba861624e83cf6522d44d3d136/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016415&Signature=E2GvYmgosO6~petFIR9YTufCymCxcBVzotjCBQHdCCjfI67k9JRoD22Msv0AClCEnkyJMncRM45KOBrA~kpjVoODiWrcXyoQsbEzCohvlzYzJWOaSAnYBoPUomQg6zghSnLWeckII4Y6JaK7XgZKEj~dfGtMI1Cv05IHTIhRt-EuEz~hfuL50fHrTvrThlsE~0MTdiTv0KXaeMKLFZvVNr-57v4hRRcIZXf9dpgCkHJpE38CC3wAMBK9BKOaPSAjsM2zHzLkt0XCS7r3hzEMQwtSoRxryj~YXzgW4RiBUnpzRQW3BaJPvEsfLh6ea-lvlBHM8ic2Kz3Yn-mo2oCZ9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Barre Unified Union School District #97 board voted to approve a 4.95% budget increase for the 2025–26 fiscal year and to use $1,000,000 from district reserves to reduce the tax impact. The measure passed after public comment and extended board debate on tax yields, state funding formulas and program reductions.

The vote matters because it sets the district's spending level ahead of an Australian-ballot vote warned for March 4, 2025. Board members and community speakers framed the decision around competing priorities: limiting tax burdens for residents and maintaining staff and services for students.

Board members opened the public discussion with a period of public comment in which parents, teachers and other residents voiced opposing views. Rachel Dan Bleed, a special educator and union president, urged the board to avoid cuts, saying schools need resources to support students with complex needs. Several other teachers and parents described measurable student improvements and appealed to the board to invest in staff and programs. Other community members urged lower increases, citing affordability, rising household costs and concern that higher nonresidential rates will shift costs to renters and small businesses.

During board discussion members emphasized two technical drivers behind local tax impacts: the state's new education funding formulas (referred to in the meeting as Act 173 and Act 183) and the property-yield calculation. Board members and attendees repeatedly noted that the yield is set after the budget, which complicates predictions of the ultimate tax rate. Administration staff pointed to a long-term weighted average daily membership adjustment that increases the district's calculated student count for funding purposes and reduces per-pupil figures on paper.

The board considered two formal budget motions. A motion to adopt a 5.14% budget that would have used $1,000,000 in surplus revenue failed after roll-call votes. A subsequent motion to adopt a 4.95% budget, also using $1,000,000 from reserves and incorporating additional reductions, passed by a majority.

Votes at a glance —
- Motion to adopt 5.14% budget using $1,000,000 in surplus (failed): recorded roll-call indicated multiple ayes but not a majority. (Motion maker: Terry [last name not specified]; second: Garrett Grant.)
- Motion to adopt 4.95% budget using $1,000,000 in surplus (approved): board recorded a majority in favor; the chair announced the motion passed and the board moved to approve the warning for the Australian-ballot vote process. (Motion maker: [name recorded in transcript]; second: Sonya/Sonia Spalding.)

The adopted budget package includes previously discussed reductions the administration identified earlier in the process. During the meeting staff confirmed a list of proposed reductions previously circulated totaling approximately $965,000 and enumerated as 11 positions (a mix of clerical, bookkeeping FTEs, counselor, instructors, paraeducator, behavior specialist and classroom teachers). The administration told the board that roughly 75–80% of the district budget is staff compensation and benefits, and that capital reserve funds remain available for large one-time projects.

Board Chair Sonia Spalding and multiple board members urged that the community's concerns about affordability be balanced with obligations to students who require special education services; speakers noted the district's substantial number of students with Individualized Education Programs (about 600 mentioned in the meeting) and the legislature's intent to weight funding for higher-need students. The superintendent, Joanne Canning, and business staff (Lisa, identified in the packet and meeting) answered technical questions about the elements that drive tax calculations but said some items — notably the property yield and the state's final funding decisions — will not be known until after the budget is set.

The board also discussed the nonresidential (nonhomestead) tax rate impact under the new formula and cited published guidance and commentary from state tax officials and other district leaders that the yield could move in a way that raises effective tax rates even when a residential rate appears flat. Several board members said they want to use the coming year to more closely examine facilities costs and other district spending before making longer-term commitments.

The board instructed administration to proceed with the warning and informational meeting logistics for the Australian-ballot vote, with a follow-up informational session to be scheduled for voters and absentee-ballot recipients. The board also asked administrators to continue developing the reduction plan tied to the chosen budget option so the public and board have clearer detail before finalizing the warning materials.

Looking ahead, the budget will appear on the March 4 ballot; the board scheduled an informational meeting for March 3, 2025, and directed staff to ensure materials are available to voters and absentee ballot recipients. The board's final tax impact will be shaped by state actions on yield and other funding details that are not set at the local level.

Ending note: Board members and several community speakers emphasized a shared goal of balancing affordability and student services, but the meeting exposed substantive disagreement about what level of spending best serves both aims. The adopted 4.95% budget represents a compromise the majority of the board endorsed for the coming year.","After extensive public comment and debate, the Barre Unified Union School District #97 board approved a 4.95% spending increase for fiscal year 2026 using $1,000,000 of surplus revenue; the vote followed an earlier failed motion for a 5.14% budget.","actionData","errors"]

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Board liaison outlines superintendent search timeline; focus groups planned

Barre Unified Union School District board approves hire of Bailey Mason

Barre Unified Union School District board approves 4.95% budget increase after hours of debate