Unified Union
School District
Planning
Committee Report
December 3,
2004
Authorization
to engage in this Unified Union Planning Committee process was voted in the
affirmative by the voters of Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes and
Waltham on March 2, 2004.
Commissioner
of Education, Richard Cate, acknowledged the formation of this Unified Union
School District Study Committee pursuant to Title 16 V.S.A., Section 706b by
letter dated May 23, 2004. Ms. Kristin
Bristow was acknowledged as chairperson of the Unified Union School District
Planning Committee through this same letter.
Recommended
Articles of Agreement, pursuant to the requirements of Title 16, V.S.A.,
Section 706b were agreed upon by the Planning Committee at its duly warned
meeting of October 26, 2004.
The voters in each of the “necessary town school
districts” will vote on whether or not to form a Unified Union School District
on March 1, 2005.
The ANWSU Planning Committee recommends the following Articles of Agreement to be adopted by the respective school districts for the creation of a Unified Union School District to be named Addison Northwest Unified Union School District.
The School Districts of Addison, Ferrisburgh,
Panton, Vergennes and Waltham are necessary to the establishment of the Addison
Northwest Unified Union School District.
Article #2
The member school districts of the Addison Northwest
Supervisory Union worked collaboratively for many years to consolidate
management and educational services, master employee contracts and to otherwise
bring about effective and efficient operating procedures and practices. Numerous formal agreements, management
systems and operating procedures are currently in place for these member school
districts. Therefore, no additional
school districts beyond those identified in Article I as necessary to the
formation of this Unified Union school District are being recommended at this
time as advisable to be included.
Article #3
The Unified Union School District will offer
education to students in Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, and will offer
Pre-K education as determined by the Unified Union School Board.
Article #4
No new school buildings are necessary to or proposed
for the formation of the Unified Union School District. The Unified Union School Board will operate
existing school facilities in Vergennes, Addison and Ferrisburgh commencing
July 1, 2006. Renovations and new
construction to insure healthy and safe buildings, and to address
instructional/learning needs are deemed necessary for the Ferrisburgh and
Addison school buildings as of the date of this Report. The Unified Union
School Board, as soon as possible following July 1, 2006 will address any
additional unmet facility needs. To the extent that Ferrisburgh and Addison
School Districts incur capitol debt in the period prior to June 30, 2006, any
unpaid debt arising therefrom debt will be assumed by the Unified Union School
District.
Article #5 a
Beginning July 1, 2006 the Unified Union School
District will be responsible for providing or contracting for any
transportation to public school students living within the boundaries of this
Unified Union School District in accordance with transportation policies
adopted by the Unified Union School Board.
The Unified Union School District will honor all
master contracts that are in place for the member school districts on June 30,
2006. These master agreements will continue until their specified termination
date. Subsequent master contracts will
be subject to legal and agreed upon bargaining procedures.
Article #5 c
All administrators, teachers and staff, employed by
the member school districts and supervisory union at the time of the formation
of this Unified Union School District may, at their discretion, continue in
their employment during the first year (2006-2007) of operating the proposed
Unified Union School District.
Subsequent personnel contracts will be the responsibility of the Unified
Union School Board. All personnel
employed by the Unified Union School District shall meet State of Vermont
educator licensing requirements and will be subject to Title 16, Section
1752(c).
Article #5 d
In its first year (2006-2007), the Unified Union
School District will continue with the current and proposed curricula that are
specified in the current A.N.W.S.U. Curriculum Plan. The curricula offered in the new Unified Union School District
will meet all State and Federal legal requirements.
Beyond the first year (2005-2006), the new Unified
Union School Board will be responsible for oversight and further development of
educational programs offered to students.
Article #6
The Unified Union School District will assume all
capitol debt of member school districts, including that debt described in
Article 4, for both principal and interest that is owed at the time of the
formation of the Unified Union School district. All general operating deficits
existing in any and all of the member school districts as of June 30, 2006,
will be the responsibility of the corresponding individual towns/cities and not
be assumed by the Unified Union School District.
In the event of any operating deficit in any member
school district at the end of the fiscal year 2006 any operating deficit of a
member school district shall be used to determine an increase in the homestead
tax rate of that member school district.
Those member districts with an operating deficit at the end of fiscal
year 2006 will have, in accordance with state law, an increase in the homestead
tax rate in fiscal year 2007 based upon the amount of the operating deficit.
Article #7
No later than July 1, 2006 the School Districts of
Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes, and Waltham will convey to the Unified
Union School District for one dollar each and subject to all encumbrances of
record, all of the real estate and personal property owned by them, including
all land and buildings.
Any and all fund balances resulting from general
operating budgets at the end of fiscal year 2006 will be returned to the
state’s education fund. Those member
districts returning funds to the state’s education fund will have, in accordance
with state law, a decrease in the homestead tax rate in fiscal year 2007 based
upon the amount of the returned funds.
Article #8
Pursuant to Act 130 of 2004, Unified Union School
Districts are funded directly from the Vermont Education Fund and therefore
allocation of capitol and operating expenses is no longer required.
Membership on the Unified Union School District
Board will be apportioned based on the combined population of all member towns,
corresponding to pre-existing school districts, as determined by the year 2000
Federal Census and every ten years thereafter. However, at no time will a
town/city corresponding to a pre-existing member school district have less than
one board member on the Unified Union School District Board. The number of
board members from each member town/city corresponding to a pre-existing school
district within the Unified Union School District will be determined by
dividing the population of the town or city by one twelfth of the total
population of the aggregate population of the city and towns within the Unified
Union District. The results of this
division shall be rounded to the nearest whole number.
|
Town/City |
Board Members |
|
Addison |
2 |
|
Ferrisburgh |
4 |
|
Panton |
1 |
|
Vergennes |
4 |
|
Waltham |
1 |
|
Total |
12 |
Article #10
School Board Members will be elected for three-year
terms except those initially elected at the time of the formation of the
Unified Union School District. In the
initial election terms of office will be as follows:
|
Town/City |
1 Year Term |
2 Year Term |
3 Year Term |
|
Addison |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Ferrisburgh |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Panton |
|
|
1 |
|
Vergennes |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Waltham |
1 |
|
|
The proposal for forming this Unified Union School
District will be presented to the voters of each member school district
designated as necessary in Article I on March 1, 2005, at which time school
board members will be elected.
The Unified Union School District shall become
operative on July 1, 2006.
The Unified Union School District Board, between
July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006, shall develop school district policies, adopt
curriculum and educational programs, prepare for contractual agreements, set
the school calendar for Fiscal Year 2007, prepare the budget for Fiscal Year
2007, and prepare for the 2006 Unified Union Annual Meeting.
The Unified Union School District shall commence
education operations on July 1, 2006.
The Unified Union School District Board will develop a budget to be presented to voters of the Unified Union School District at its 2006 Annual Meeting. Voting on the annual budget shall be conducted by Australian Ballot. The question of whether to vote by Australian Ballot shall be placed before the Unified Union School District voters for ratification in accordance with Vermont State Statutes Title 16, Section 711 (e) in March of 2006.
On July 1, 2006, each member school district previously a member of the Vergennes Elementary Union School District and the Vergennes Middle/High School Union School District shall withdraw from said union school district pursuant to Title 16, Section 721a(c). Following an affirmative vote on these articles, each such previous member district shall follow the applicable procedures contained in Section 721a.
Article #12 d
The school districts of Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes and Waltham shall remain in existence after July 1, 2006 for the purpose of completing any business not given to the Unified Union School District under these articles. Such business shall be completed as soon as practicable but in no event any later than June 30, 2007.