Orange East Supervisory Union

Dear OESU Community,

As we move into January, I hope this message finds you well and that the holiday break was restful and restorative for you and your families. After a stretch of severe storms, snow, ice, and high winds, it’s been a relief to see some milder winter weather return. I want to begin by expressing deep gratitude to our students, teachers, and staff for coming back to learning with resilience, patience, and commitment despite the disruptions. Your flexibility and dedication continue to be noticed and appreciated.

This month’s newsletter includes several important updates, many of which reflect the complex and challenging moment we are in as a supervisory union and as a state. You will find a summary of the Budget Priorities Survey, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to respond. Your feedback clearly emphasized meeting the needs of all students, including special education and preschool, protecting music, arts, and STEAM programs, and prioritizing classroom instruction over administrative costs. This input is helping guide our work.

It was announced at the most recent Blue Mountain School Board Meeting that tax rates could rise as much as 31% in Ryegate, 27% in Wells River, and 19% in Groton unless budgets are cut. We are responding to that with an OESU budget update, information about possible staff cuts and organizational changes, including the difficult proposal to eliminate the Assistant Superintendent position. These conversations are not easy, but we are committed to being transparent as we work to balance fiscal realities with our responsibility to students and staff. You will also see information about the central office’s consideration of a move to River Bend, which is being explored as a potential cost-saving measure.

At the state level, the newsletter includes a legislative update, including the December 1 education tax letter and highlights from Governor Phil Scott’s State of the State address. The Governor strongly emphasized education reform and redistricting, calling for major structural changes across Vermont. Related to this, Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders has released new proposed school district maps. All of the maps put forward place OESU into very large districts serving thousands of students. These proposals raise serious questions about governance, representation, and local voice, and they have significant implications for our communities.

I know this is a lot to absorb, and I recognize the uncertainty and concern many are feeling. Please know that we are approaching this work thoughtfully, with students at the center, and with respect for the people who make our schools what they are every day. Thank you for your continued support and care for students.

Warmest regards,

Heather Lawler

Superintendent of Schools

Orange East Supervisory Union

Thank you to all who responded to the Budget Priorities Survey. Your input was thoughtful and reflects the real challenges facing our schools during a time of significant change.

Overall, responses showed strong concern about rising costs and long-term sustainability, while clearly prioritizing meeting the needs of all students, including special education and preschool learners. Many respondents emphasized the importance of protecting core student supports and services that help ensure equity and access across our schools.

There was strong support for preserving music, arts, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs, which were seen as essential to a well-rounded education and student engagement. Respondents also consistently expressed that, if reductions are necessary, cuts should focus on administrative costs before classroom teachers, in order to minimize direct impact on students.

Additional themes included maintaining manageable class sizes and taking a careful, thoughtful approach to budget and governance decisions as systems continue to evolve. The feedback from this survey will help inform upcoming budget discussions, and we appreciate the time and care taken by the community to share their priorities.

The Orange East Supervisory Union FY27 proposed budget reflects a deliberate and disciplined response to the State of Vermont’s December 1, 2025 education tax forecast, which projects an average statewide education property tax increase of approximately 11.9 %. Recognizing the significant pressure this forecast places on taxpayers and local communities, OESU undertook a comprehensive review of its initial budget proposal to reduce cost while maintaining essential services.

As requested by the OESU board, we reviewed the central office structure and salaries of 6 similarly structured Supervisory Unions in Vermont. Only Supervisory Unions are included in the study, not Supervisory Districts as the complexity of Supervisory Union management is considerably more complicated than Supervisory Districts. While at the same time, the level of scrutiny on the central office budget is much greater in Supervisory Unions where the member districts are analyzing the value of the assessments each year. The most significant finding was that Supervisory Unions of similar size and structure do not typically have an Assistant Superintendent and when they do have an Assistant Superintendent, that person is usually also the Director of Curriculum. Orange East Supervisory Union has a full administrative team of directors including a Director of Curriculum, Director of Support Services, Director of HR, Director of Technology, and Director of Finance.

You can read the full report here: Comparability Study of Supervisory Unions of Similar Size and Scope to Orange East.

These findings were presented to the board in the December 16, 2025 Superintendent Report and subsequently to each member district board.

The revised OESU budget proposal includes staff changes and cuts and demonstrates the Supervisory Union’s commitment to cost containment, shared sacrifice, and responsiveness to taxpayer impact. These recommendations were not made lightly and reflect a difficult but necessary prioritization of core services.

The following budget cuts and changes are being presented to the Orange East Supervisory Union Board:

• Cut a 0.6 FTE Accounting position.
• Restructure the Director of Finance position to become the Director of Finance and Operations. That redesigned position is posted on SchoolSpring.
• Cut the Assistant Superintendent for Student Support and Operations position.
• Relocate the OESU offices to River Bend.

The 0.6 Accounting position was not filled this year, 2025-2026, so that cut will not impact an employee. The change to a Director of Finance and Operations is needed to support Facilities across the Supervisory Union. This change may impact Lori Blood who is currently in the Director of Finance position.

Marla Ianello specifically requested that we share out this possible change publicly today. While we would be sad to lose Marla as the Assistant Superintendent, if the board approves this cut, we will reassign her responsibilities to the Superintendent, the Director of Curriculum Instruction and Assessment, the Director of Student Services, Director of Finance and Operations, Director of Technology, and Director of HR as appropriate. This will be challenging but given the funding landscape at this time it seems to be a necessary change.

And finally, the possible move of Central Office to River Bend is a chance to reduce costs. It is an unexpected possible opportunity that we cannot pass up.

While we are deeply saddened by the closure of the private Watch Them Grow Pre-K and Day Care at River Bend, we are exploring ways to respond thoughtfully to this change. One opportunity under consideration is relocating the Central Office from the furniture showroom in downtown Bradford to the space that will become available at River Bend. This move would reduce supervisory union rental costs and provide some taxpayer relief by lowering assessments to our member districts. It would also place central office staff within a school building and closer to the daily work of supporting students, educators, and families. River Bend Career and Technical Center is a strong potential location, as it serves students from all member districts across the supervisory union. We will continue to keep you informed as this option is explored. In addition, we are proposing the expansion of Pre-K to full-day programs at both Newbury and Bradford Elementary Schools to help meet the childcare needs of families impacted by the closure of the private program.

In his State of the State address on January 7, Governor Phil Scott discarded the recommendations of the Redistricting Task Force. He focused on the need to move forward with major education reform, even though it will be disruptive and difficult for many communities. With federal pandemic funds gone and education costs continuing to rise, he warned that Vermont’s current system is no longer affordable or sustainable.

The Governor emphasized his belief in the importance of fully implementing Act 73, which will change how schools are governed and funded across the state. He pointed to declining student enrollment, growing inequities between districts, and rising property taxes as signs that the current structure is not working. While acknowledging the strong local attachment to existing schools and districts, he said the system was built for a Vermont that no longer exists.

Governor Scott stressed that Act 73 is about creating a system that better supports teachers and gives all students equal access to courses, programs, and opportunities no matter where they live. He directed lawmakers to create new district maps and governance changes, stating that while the transition will be challenging, he believes it is necessary to improve student outcomes and control costs over the long term. He did not include any information about how school closings and job cuts might impact communities across the state.

He declared: "I will not sign a budget or an education bill or tax bill that deviates from Act 73 or fails to fix what’s broken."

You can watch the video or read the full transcript on Vermont Public.

At the January 15, 2026 presentation, Redistricting Maps: Scenarios and Considerations, Secretary Zoie Saunders outlined possible approaches for redrawing school district boundaries under Act 73. The presentation focused on how different mapping scenarios could reduce the number of districts and create larger systems intended to improve equity and efficiency.

A key concern raised was the scale of some proposed districts, including scenarios that would place Orange East into a district serving more than 7,000 students. Participants expressed worry that districts of this size could weaken local voice, complicate governance, and make it harder for community needs to be heard and addressed. There were also questions about whether very large districts would truly deliver the promised benefits, or instead create new challenges for leadership, communication, and accountability.

Overall, the presentation made clear that redistricting decisions will have major impacts on governance and community identity. While there is broad understanding that change is required, there is strong concern about the pace and scale of consolidation and the need for careful consideration before moving Vermont’s current 52 supervisory unions and 119 school districts into larger units.

See the Maps here: Zoie Saunders Presentation on Redistricting Maps 1-15-2026

Education issues in Vermont are complex and in need of a solid understanding of facts and context. A discussion forum is scheduled for Thursday, 1/22, 6:30-8:30 pm, to provide just that.

Speakers will be Neil Odell, a member since 2009 of the Norwich/Dresden school board; Nic Cook, chair of the Thetford Town school board and member of OESU board; and Jay Badams, the recently retired Norwich-Hanover-Dresden superintendent, Strafford resident, and member of the VT School Redistricting Task Force. State representative Rebecca Holcombe will facilitate the discussion.

Topics will include education cost drivers, cost containment options; proposals to maintain quality and community; whether public dollars should flow to private schools; various proposed changes and how they would work. There will be plenty of time for Q and A. Free and open to the public, the forum is organized by the Norwich Democratic Committee.

Thetford Elementary School January 15 Newsletter

Newbury Elementary January 16 Newsletter

River Bend January Newsletter

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Blue Mountain Union is on Facebook

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Newbury Elementary School is on Facebook

Oxbow Middle High is on Facebook

River Bend is on Facebook

Thetford Elementary is on Facebook

Waits River Valley School is on Facebook

OESU is on Facebook

Monday, 01/19/2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day No School

Tuesday, 01/20/2026 Regional Advisory Board Meeting at River Bend 5:30 PM

Tuesday, 01/20/2026 Orange East Supervisory Union Board Meeting at Oxbow at 6:00PM

Wednesday, 01/21/2026 Blue Mountain Union Special Meeting for Budget at BMU at 6:00 PM

Thursday, 01/22/2026 VT Education Forum in Norwich at the community room of the Norwich public Library at 6:30 PM

Friday, 01/23/2026 Thetford School Special Meeting for Budget at TES

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 Blue Mountain Union Board Meeting at BMU at 6:00 PM

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Thetford Town School District Meeting at Thetford Elementary at 6:00

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 OUUSD Board Meeting at Oxbow at 5:30 PM

Thursday, February 12, 2026 WRVSD Board Meeting at Waits River Valley at 6:00 PM

February 25 - March 3 February Break - no school

Saturday, February 28, Thetford Town Meeting Day, Thetford Academy

Tuesday, March 3, Town Meeting Day

Tuesday, March 3, Blue Mountain Union Budget Vote

Tuesday March 3, Thetford Town School Budget Ballot Voting

TBA Oxbow Unified Union School Budget vote will be in April

TBA Waits River Valley School Budget vote will be in early May

Full Calendars are available on the OESU website at https://www.oesu.org/calendars.

Orange East Supervisory Union (OESU) is located in the beautiful Upper Valley of the Connecticut River, The Central Office is located in Bradford, Vermont. The SU includes Blue Mountain Union School, Bradford Elementary School, Newbury Elementary School, Oxbow Middle High School, River Bend Career and Technical Center, Thetford Elementary School, and Waits River Valley School. The Supervisory Union proudly serves and connects the towns of Bradford, Newbury, Corinth, Groton, Ryegate, Thetford, Topsham, Wells River and local tuition towns. We all work together to support student learning and improve educational outcomes.

Orange East Supervisory Union

64 South Main Street

Bradford, Vermont

(802) 222-5216