[mustmove]

Ah the Brigham decision, wherein the state SC quoted from several different drafts of the state constitution(only the last one counts) to engineer their decision. Tsk tsk tsk. If some VT schools are less than stellar and Act 60/68 makes them all equal we are back to the lowest common denominator being the goal. As MRV pointed out it is a windfall for schools. Plus it isolates towns from making decisions that would lower their tax bills- Perfect from a gov'ts perspective.

[chrismpv]

My opinion is that all schools are different here in Vermont and in other state. I live in town with 5,000 residents; highschool have 240 students. My daughter is starting Junior year with AP american lit, AP american history, pre-calculus, 2 chemestry, French II and Art. She has done great both in sports and music/musicals, etc.

What is important is too get involved early with school, talk to the teachers, understand the program, etc.

1/2 day Kintergarden vs full day? well... when I was young (that's a long time ago), I didn't have Kintergarden and I did alright.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by mustmove

Ah the Brigham decision, wherein the state SC quoted from several different drafts of the state constitution(only the last one counts) to engineer their decision. Tsk tsk tsk. If some VT schools are less than stellar and Act 60/68 makes them all equal we are back to the lowest common denominator being the goal. As MRV pointed out it is a windfall for schools. Plus it isolates towns from making decisions that would lower their tax bills- Perfect from a gov'ts perspective.

Not totally true in that our property taxes are divided into two parts...the state part where everyone pays the same rate and the local part which towns get to decide at town meeting what the budgets and costs will be and therefore their tax rate. Every town has to pass their respective school budgets, some pass, some fail resulting in the school officials have to go back to the table and come up with a budget that the town residents will pass.

[Ellwood]

Very close friends are two teachers who taught in southern VT. Both were mortified by the inadequacies in teaching especially by administration. Funding that was to go to SPED was allocated elsewhere. Everyone looks the other way.

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Not totally true in that our property taxes are divided into two parts...the state part where everyone pays the same rate and the local part which towns get to decide at town meeting what the budgets and costs will be and therefore their tax rate. Every town has to pass their respective school budgets, some pass, some fail resulting in the school officials have to go back to the table and come up with a budget that the town residents will pass.

Under Act 60/68 some towns aren't paying for the school budget they vote for while other towns are paying for school budgets they didn't vote for. The arguments are funny- this budget will only raise the local taxes X cents, because someone else has to pay. Everyone does that and taxes go up 10% a year. VT loves sustainability- 10% yearly tax increases in a poor place good luck with that future.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by mustmove

Under Act 60/68 some towns aren't paying for the school budget they vote for while other towns are paying for school budgets they didn't vote for. The arguments are funny- this budget will only raise the local taxes X cents, because someone else has to pay. Everyone does that and taxes go up 10% a year. VT loves sustainability- 10% yearly tax increases in a poor place good luck with that future.

Yup, that's the part of Act 60 that doesn't seem very fair where the "sending towns" have to send part of their taxes if the towns choose to increase their budgets above the state's benchmark, I think it's around $6,000/student, to Montpelier to be distrubuted to the "receiving towns" in order to bring them up to the $6,000/student spending level.

When Act 60 was enacted it put towns like Stowe or Dorset which was spending over $10,000/student between a rock and a hard place.

There is talk in the legislature about trying to fix that, unfortunately, despite the fact that a majority of Vermont resident have made it crystal clear to the legislature that is this a high priority, not much is happening.

[NYLIER]

Did anyone read the article (page E3) in Sunday's Rutland Herald "Tax system is legalized plunder" written by Peter Webster. In this article he is quoted as saying "I suppose high taxes could almost be justified if we were at the top of the national student performance rankings, but that's not the case. When we compare VT to states with similar demographics we ranked almost in the middle of the park." Interesting article.

[jaxemma]

I started this post because I wanted to read what others had to say about vermont schools so thanks for all your replies.
I am in Very Nothern Vermont, I think that we have probably the most back woods, town political, the school is 'still run by the 70something year old lady that also runs the church'. So I can't blame the entirety of Vermont because that school has like 4 adults per classroom and only like 8 kids and they still cant teach them. They even have a room where they stick the adhd and autistic children and it has a door with no door knob where staff stands and holds the door. Its archaic here.
I don't know how I can send my son here this year! The Special Educator they work with is an alcoholic and stopped by my house plastered the other day to ask us about some real estate we have for sale, falling down grabbing door handle drunk. She also does respit for some school kids and drinks while she has them.
I have to say this is very true, and I know inappropriate.
Hopefull nobody from my area reads this because they will know what school I am talking about.
I am not trying to insult all VT schools I just can't believe how some schools can be. We are looking to move more to the Burlington Area anyway I am done with small towns.
I also have a question? To teach art in a public school do you have to have a teaching licence and a degree in art?
Does anyone know the laws on this?
Thanks!

[mustmove]

Jaxemma. Why not pick a Burlington sized city somewhere else with better schools and lower taxes? Plenty in New England with varying degrees of woodsyness.

[jaxemma]

Absolutely, I think we are heading in that direction.
My husband is a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwan Do and is either wanting to start a school or get a job in the martial arts in or around burlington.
Their are more options, for things to do and like minded people, more private schools to choose from.
The taxes out here are ridiculous, they have like a million dollar yearly budget at a school for less than 100 kids. Making our tax bill enormous and to see the quality of staff they hire and the education they provide it leaves you wondering where the money went!
They don't have a art or music teacher....
As for as moving to Burlington we first have to find jobs and opportunity their.
And hopefully that it isn't as 'back woods' mentality just hiding within a bigger city...