‘Town Academy’ advocates to host forum

Andrew McKeever

GNAT News Project

MANCHESTER — Voters here may have a chance to consider a local alternative to an Act 46 merger which anticipates consolidating school districts covering nine towns under one school board.

While the Northshire Merger Study Committee nears the end of several months of discussion and research about crafting a proposal to the state board of education for approval — which would then be brought before the voters — another group of local residents is hoping to push an alternative “town academy” model. Its backers hope enough signatures can be gathered on a petition to warn an article during March Town Meeting, where Burr and Burton Academy would be asked to examine the possibility of operating the Manchester Elementary Middle School, in whole or in part, and setting up an independent academy.

“Looking at a town academy model is a great opportunity for us because when it comes time for Manchester to vote on Act 46, we know that we will have to make some concessions,” said Suzanne Moore, a member of a study group of local residents who have formed to explore the idea. “If we’ve reviewed the town academy model this will give us an alternative at that point.”

A forum at the Manchester Community Library is being planned for Tuesday, Nov. 1, to solicit feedback and comments from community members about the idea. The forum will start at 7 p.m.

Last year, the Manchester School Board formed an “ad hoc” committee charged with exploring a similar concept as an alternative to an Act 46-inspired merger and consolidation, but the committee was unable to pull together a proposal with enough traction to push the concept forward, and the effort petered out.

At present, the Northshire Merger Study Committee, a group of area residents from across the nine towns pondering a consolidation into one school district that would include Manchester, Dorset, Sunderland, Mt. Tabor, Danby, Londonderry, Peru, Weston and Landgrove has held several community forums to test the waters as well. Their proposal, yet to be finalized, will likely seek to form a regional education district from the nine towns. One school board consisting of 13 members is likely to be called for to govern the new district, with each of the towns having one representative or school director and the other four elected on an at large basis. The four at large seats however, could only be filled by candidates from the four largest towns in the district — Manchester, Dorset, Danby and Londonderry.

The Northshire Merger Study Group is also holding a public forum at the Manchester Community Library on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m., to present their proposal as it currently stands, with information on tax impacts and governance structure, as well as explaining how the new district would operate and the steps needed to be taken before it comes into existence.

But before that happens, advocates for the “town academy” model hope to give town residents another option.

Brian Vogel, a former member and chairman of the Manchester School Board said he had approached Burr and Burton’s officials to see if they would be willing to entertain the idea of expanding the number of instructional grades they offer, if they got a clear signal from local residents that such an alternative would be something they, the voters,  would consider.

“The response I got from BBA was if the town requested it, they would certainly look at it,” he said.

Three possibilities present themselves, Vogel said, assuming voters generate enough enthusiasm for the idea by getting it on the town meeting warning and then endorsing it next March. BBA might ultimately reject it, or be interested in restructuring itself to operate all grades from pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, or something in between, such as a grades 5 -12 model, he said.

Members of the town academy study group will be at the town offices on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, to discuss the issue further with interested residents and gather signatures for the petition; 190 are required to get the article on the warning, Vogel said.

One of the driving factors behind the initiative is preserving as much local control over school affairs as possible, he said.

If the consolidated school district under consideration comes into existence, in theory voters in Manchester could be left with only one board member on a 13-seat board, compared to the five-member school board that focuses on Manchester and the education of its own students, he added.

“I think local control is best … and the further you get away from that, the more other people are making decisions for your kids,” he said.

The Mountain School at Winhall is one local example of a town academy, as is The Village School in North Bennington. Other town academies in Vermont are all secondary schools: Burr and Burton Academy being one, along with Lyndon Institute, St. Johnsbury Academy and Thetford Academy.

An upcoming video segment on this topic will be on-air later this week.