Community Newsletter

Dear Parents and Community Members,

As we head into February vacation and the final day of school before the break, I would like to take a moment to share several important updates from across our district. Students will be off next week, and we hope this time provides families with an opportunity to rest, recharge, and enjoy time together.

Our mid-year assessment data reflects encouraging growth in both reading and mathematics across multiple grade levels. While we celebrate this progress, the data also guides our next steps. Students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks are receiving additional diagnostic assessments and targeted interventions to ensure they receive the right support at the right time. Our focus remains clear: high expectations for all learners, paired with the individualized supports needed to help every student succeed.

We are also proud to celebrate the continued success of our Catamount Speech and Debate Team, which earned top honors at both state and regional competitions and secured the Vermont Middle School Championship for the third consecutive year. This remarkable accomplishment reflects rigorous academic preparation, the strength of our afterschool programming, and the power of meaningful community partnerships that elevate student voice, confidence, and critical thinking skills.

In addition, planning continues to expand our Catamount Community Connections Program (C3P). This work strengthens our ability to provide individualized, trauma-informed supports within our district while maintaining high expectations for student learning. By building internal capacity, we are creating systems that better serve students and families both now and in the future.

Thank you to the many families, staff, and community members who shared feedback throughout the FY2027 budget process. Your input helped guide important decisions as we worked to support students while being mindful of the financial impact on taxpayers.

The proposed FY2027 budget totals $31,830,266, representing a 5.34% increase over the current year. The increase is largely driven by rising healthcare costs, contractual salary obligations, and high school tuition. Over several months, the Board and administration carefully reviewed the budget, made adjustments to staffing and administrative structures, and identified efficiencies to reduce the overall increase wherever possible without impacting student programming.

To lessen the impact on taxpayers, the Board has applied $250,000 of an anticipated FY2025 surplus to offset the FY2027 budget. In addition, through Article 2, voters will be asked to authorize placing up to 50% of the anticipated surplus into a capital reserve fund to address important facilities needs. Any remaining surplus would be used in a future year to help stabilize taxes.

This budget reflects our ongoing commitment to strong educational programs, meaningful student supports, and careful stewardship of community resources. Based on the current proposal, the estimated homestead tax rate is projected at $1.14, an increase of $0.07. This estimate includes the anticipated state tax-rate buy-down and is subject to change as updated information is provided by the state, including yield calculations and legislative adjustments.

Our 2026 Annual Report is available on our website, and paper copies were sent home with students this week. The report includes a full budget breakdown and additional details for those who would like to review the information more closely.

The Annual Town Informational Meeting will be held on Monday, March 2nd, with voting on Tuesday, March 3rd. There is no deadline to register to vote in Vermont, and residents may register in advance or at the polls on March 3rd. We encourage everyone to make a plan to participate in this important decision for our school community.

Absentee ballots are available now. Residents may:

• Vote early in person at the St. Johnsbury Town Clerk’s Office; or

• Request an absentee ballot by phone at (802) 748-4331, by email at townclerk@stjvt.com, or online at vote.vermont.gov.

Thank you for your continued partnership, engagement, and support of our district. Together, we remain focused on investing in the academic success, well-being, and future of every student we serve. I wish you and your family a safe, restful, and enjoyable February break.

Sincerely,
Karen E. Conroy
Superintendent

Detailed budget information can be found on our budget information page on our website. Answers to frequently asked questions are available on our FAQ page, and additional questions can be submitted via the Connect with Us page found on our website at stjsd.org/budget.

There are two ways to vote early:

• Vote in person at the Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours using an absentee ballot, anytime leading up to Town Meeting Day, or

• Request an absentee ballot by phone at (802) 748-4331, by email at townclerk@stjvt.com, or online at vote.vermont.gov.

Please note: Absentee ballots requested through the online portal must be submitted by Tuesday, February 24.

On Saturday, February 14, 2026, the St. Johnsbury School proudly hosted the Vermont Middle School Speech and Debate Championships. The Catamounts captured the championship title for the third year in a row since the inception of the Vermont Middle School Forensics League — an incredible achievement and a reflection of the team’s hard work, courage, and commitment.

This year’s tournament was organized into two divisions: Novice and Varsity. Both divisions

competed using the same national debate topic for the 2025–2026 season:

Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly increase its exploration

and/or development of the Arctic.

Throughout the day, teams argued both sides of the resolution, demonstrating not only strong research and reasoning skills, but also flexibility, poise, and teamwork. Read more about the Catamount's Championship win here.

Our 8th graders were recently featured by WCAX after participating in an exciting hands-on mock trial experience at the Littleton Courthouse through the Street Law program. Students took on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, jurors, and judges while presenting both a criminal and civil case in a real courtroom, working alongside District Attorney Aaron Agnew and legal professionals from northern New Hampshire. The experience strengthened students’ critical thinking, public speaking, and collaboration skills — and marked the first time a Vermont school has participated in this cross-state partnership. Watch the full story here: https://www.wcax.com/2025/12/10/st-johnsbury-students-get-crash-course-court-system/

The St. Johnsbury School District proudly celebrated its first Farm to School Pizza Night on Thursday, November 13, 2025, bringing together more than 350 students and family members from the third, fourth, and fifth grades for an evening centered on local food, community connection, and hands-on learning.

This special event is part of the district’s newly awarded $15,000 Vermont Farm to School Grant, a competitive state-funded program through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets that supports schools in expanding nutrition education, strengthening local food systems, and increasing access to fresh, Vermont-grown foods. At the heart of this work is the district’s commitment to student well-being. Read more about this Farm to School event here.

If your child is attending high school, tuition to your child’s school cannot be paid until this form has been received and approved by the District Office.

To avoid any disruptions and ensure timely payment of tuition, please take the following actions:

• Complete the Request for Public Tuition Dollars Form (Voucher Form): Click the Parent Portal to log into your St. Johnsbury School District parent portal to access and complete the voucher.
• Don’t Have an Account?: If you do not yet have a parent portal account, please fill out the Parent Portal Request form.

Your prompt attention to this matter is essential for smoothly processing tuition payments. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Linda Hartwell in our District Office at (802) 745-2800.

Help us provide the best education possible for your children. Filling out this form only takes a few minutes. It will help your community, your school and your property taxes. The information you give helps your school access federal and state education dollars. This funding supports reading, math, science, arts, PE, afterschool and other vital programming. The privacy of your household financial information is protected by law. Your information collected through this electronic form will come securely to the Agency of Education's (AOE) data team who will send it again securely back to your child's school.

Complete the Household Income Form here.