The Lamoille Ledger

August 19th - Faculty and Staff Return

August 21st - Phone Free Informational Meeting 5-6PM (Virtual) - Link HERE

August 21st - PAML Ice Cream Social 6:30 - 7:30PM

August 22nd - Stowe Middle School Ice Cream Social 3-4PM

August 22nd - MES Ice Cream Social 5-6:30PM

August 26th - First Day of School (PreK to Grade 9 and new students)

August 27th - Grades 10-12) Return

August 30th - No School (Labor Day)

September 2nd - No School (Labor Day)

September 9th - SSD Board Meeting (5:30PM) - SES

September 10th - SMS / SHS Open House 5-6PM

September 16th - LSSU Board Meeting

September 23rd - EMUU Board Meeting

September 27th - Early Release (Elementary Only)

October 11th - No School (Yom Kippur)

October 14th - No School (Indigenous Peoples Day)

LSSU Strategic Plan

LSSU Family Handbook (2024-25)

Annual Report

Healthy Lamoille Youth Resources

Prior Newsletters

District Website

District 2024-25 Calendar

Lamoille County - Find Help Page

In just over a week, we will be welcoming our students back to school. On Monday, teachers will return to prepare their classrooms and participate in important trainings and professional development activities. Our schools have been thoroughly cleaned over the summer and we are very grateful to our incredible facilities team for their hard work. The walls have been painted, the floors have been waxed, and many minor facilities upgrades have occurred. Several parking lots have been re-paved in areas to account for the potholes that permeate the drop-off loops. Stowe Elementary has also added several drainage basins to help address some of the flooding issues that have occurred with recent storms. Peoples Academy has completed a substantial renovation to the kitchen which will improve overall food service. We have been working hard on the new website (with your feedback) to ensure it provides timely and reliable information that is easily accessible. School safety has also been a significant focus over the summer months as we prepare for a new year ahead.

One thing you won't see in our schools this year is cell phones and personal electronic devices. As mentioned in my letter on August 5th, we are moving to a phone-free environment after receiving overwhelming support from our families and educators on this topic in the spring. We thank you for partnering with us on this culture shift as there is no way we can make this change without your support. There is no doubt that the entire state will eventually make this change based on the clear research that is now available documenting how detrimental these devices can be. Although we have restricted classroom use over the past few years, a no phone policy will allow our teachers and students to focus completely on learning and building community. WCAX recently reported on this new policy, along with our local newspapers. Please consider attending the upcoming information meeting next Wednesday.

As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns and I look forward to seeing you at the many community events happening throughout the year.

Sincerely,

Ryan Heraty

Superintendent

Lamoille South Supervisory Union

ryan.heraty@lamoillesouth.org

802-888-4541

We are thrilled to welcome a group of terrific new educators to our supervisory union. This week, they completed a two-day orientation to the district to get acclimated to all things Lamoille South. We are extremely fortunate to have recruited some very high caliber individuals, nearly all of them joining us with extensive classroom experience in other districts. We have a new Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Karen Fredericks, joining us from the Barre Unified Union School District. Dr. Jes Wills also joins us from Washington Central and will serve as the new principal of Peoples Academy Middle Level. You will hear more about these terrific new additions in the coming months.

Below: New LSSU Teachers participated in two days of professional learning on August 14th and 15th

As we enter a new school year, phones and personal electronic devices (smart watches, ear buds) will not be allowed during the school day. This decision was made after hearing from many parents, teachers, and students.

HERE is the letter that was sent to families on August 5th regarding this change. A document with many questions and answers can be found HERE. Also, we encourage everyone to attend an upcoming informational meeting and Q and A session next Wednesday that will be held virtually to accommodate the distance between towns.

One of the most common questions that comes up is in regards to student safety and the potential threat for an active shooter. What I want to stress is that cell phones will not keep our students safe. The best way to keep our students safe is to focus on strengthening our communities, increasing our sense of belonging, and ensuring that all children feel supported every day. When reflecting on the individuals that have caused harm over the past few decades, they are typically students that have been disenfranchised, bullied, targeted, or pushed to the fray.

Vermont Public recently released a map showing tax increases by town across the state. As predicted, Stowe's property tax increased by 28% and Elmore by 13%. Morristown increased by 6.4%. These numbers are not reflective of how our district stacks up against others around the state in regards to overall spending. We know that Stowe was ranked around 90th in overall spending and EMUU around 109th out of 122 districts in Vermont. Both districts are significantly below average for actual per-pupil spending in the state. In other words, Elmore, Morristown, and Stowe are all experiencing large tax increases to account for the excessive spending that occured in many other districts.

The tax increases are primarily a result of Act 127 which dramatically shifted tax capacity across the state, allowing some towns to now spend close to $40,000 / pupil at a relatively low tax rate. Other towns are able to reduce their tax rates by not operating schools and instead, sending tuition to private schools while still getting tax incentives from the state.

The only way this can be resolved is through legislative or legal action. One way to have your voice heard is through the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont. This group has been meeting over the summer and is taking public comment at each meeting as they prepare to make initial recommendations to the legislature in December around education finance. There are no Lamoille County residents on this commission. The next meeting is on Monday, August 26, 2024 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. If you want change, please consider showing up (if possible) and sharing your concerns. HERE is the link to join the meeting virtually.

As we prepare for a return to school, HERE is a brief checklist from the Red Cross that you may find helpful. We also remind all drivers to please slow down in school zones and remember that you cannot pass a bus with flashing lights.

There is a new resource available for those in Lamoille County hoping to navigate various community resources. Click HERE to find out more.