CVSD Community Connections

First, as we head toward Town Meeting Day, I want to share that our budget is in a good place after two challenging years that required more than $9 million in reductions. Those reductions contributed to property tax decreases last year, but they also resulted in the loss of 82 positions and some services for students. This year we put forward a budget that maintains current services and increases per-pupil spending by just 2.7%—less than half of the statewide average. With the Governor’s proposed tax buy-down, tax rates should increase only a modest amount.

My second update is more exciting, and it relates to the work our educators are doing to create learning that is increasingly engaging—building an environment that is dynamic, human-centered, and cutting edge. Our goal is for our graduates—when they leave CVSD—to be able to say: “Now, that was a ride! I maximized my time. I’m connected to my community, my values, and my strengths, and I’m ready to carry that engagement into my next adventure!”

Is this work aspirational? Sure. Achievable? Only if we build systems that allow us to continually design, learn, and iterate with and for our students and community. For the past three years, we’ve partnered with Transcend Education, a national nonprofit—first at HCS and now across CVSD—to build those systems and to strengthen the student experiences to which we hold ourselves accountable.

Please be on the lookout for continued invitations to share your thinking and your experiences as we transition from looking inward to the action planning phases of this journey.

Warmly,

Adam Bunting
CVSD Superintendent

January marked National Mentor Month, and we shined a spotlight on mentorship in our schools through a video and conversations with students and local mentors engaged in the program.

For more than 25 years, Champlain Valley School District’s Connecting Youth Mentoring Program has served a pivotal role in students’ lives. Our program is the oldest and one of the largest in Vermont, pairing thousands of mentors with local students throughout its history. Each year, Connecting Youth Mentoring serves more than 150 5-8th graders at Charlotte Central School, Hinesburg Community School, Shelburne Community School and Williston Central School.

In developing the FY27 budget, the CVSD Board and administration are committed to transparency, proactivity and collaboration as we work to continue to provide high-quality education for nearly 4,000 learners across five towns and six schools while balancing the realities of the challenging fiscal landscape.

On January 20, the CVSD School Board approved a $107.9M FY27 budget to support and operate the district. Voters will consider this budget on Town Meeting Day—Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

At the end of January, Superintendent Adam Bunting, CVSD Board Chair Meghan Metzler and COO Gary Marckres sat down with CCTV & Town Meeting TV to share what you need to know about the CVSD's proposed FY27 budget and how it will impact our schools.

At the January School Board Meeting, Allen Brook School's Ali Schwartz celebrated Julio Rivera for his dedication to learning and the way in which he spreads joy and makes his classmates smile every single day. Then Susan Stewart celebrated Williston Central School's Elijah Sinchuari, a humble and dedicated leader with a passion for soccer and academics who is not afraid to stick up for others and ask questions.

More than 100 teams from across Vermont participated in January's FIRST Lego League Vermont State Championships, and five of the top 11 teams came from CVSD's schools. At that competition, teams from Williston and Shelburne qualified for this summer’s regional championships. The Williston Observer wrote about how the Williston Wired Cats are learning about Abenaki heritage earlier last month. Read More

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This series invites reflection on digital well-being and the role devices, social media, and gaming play in students’ relationships, communication, and daily lives. Grounded in curiosity rather than fear, we’ll explore practical family strategies that support kindness, empathy, and healthy boundaries—online and offline.

• Tues., Feb. 10 | 5:30-6:30 PM: A panel with local experts from UVM Health Network and Timber Lane Pediatrics.

• Wed., Feb. 18 | 5:30-6:30 PM: A practical workshop on tools like the Bark app and family boundaries.

Open to all caregivers who live within the Champlain Valley School District—including families whose children attend CVSD schools, private schools, or are homeschooled.

Please RSVP so we can plan for attendance and share any updates to the programming.

Join students from across the Champlain Valley School District for an evening of entertainment and celebration, showcasing performing and visual arts from the district’s six schools. This annual tradition returns to CVU on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, transforming the high school halls and theater into a vibrant gallery of learning, innovation and inspiration.

The 14th-annual Celebrate the Arts Night brings together art, music, theater, media, arts, foods, business, design and technology in a one-night-only exhibition of student creativity.

All students who will be 5 years old before September 1, 2026, and live within CVSD (Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George or Williston) are eligible for Kindergarten for Fall 2026.