Three Teachers to be Laid Off Due to Low Enrollment by Alicia Morissette

HYDE PARK ­ ³We¹re taking this back to the ratio where it was working,² said
David Wells, member of the LNSU #18 School Board of Directors and member of
the Curriculum Committee. This comment was one of many made during a public
meeting held on the evening of Tuesday, November 1, in response to a decline
in Lamoille Union Middle School (LUMS) enrollment.
Starting the informational presentation approximately 15 minutes early, as
all items but the executive session had been completed, Wells said, ³We¹ve
seen a decline in enrollment... and it looks like it will continue.² Wells¹
PowerPoint presentation showed the Cambridge Elementary School has reduced
its staff twice in recent years.
Wells also explained the purpose of the Curriculum Committee was to ³review
the situation² and ³propose action.² After reviewing statistics on
enrollment and other sources, the committee ³...came to the consensus that
teaching positions should be balanced to match student enrollment,² which
was displayed on the PowerPoint.
According to Wells, last school year the declining enrollment was apparent
to the school board, and the board was going to leave two teaching positions
unfilled. However, upon the request of LUMS Principal Paul Lowe and LUMS
faculty, the board waited to make its decision to reduce faculty numbers
until this year. The two newly hired teachers were informed of this decision
and the risk of being let go after one year.
Statistics showed that during the 2004-2005 school year, LUMS had 297
students enrolled, but this year, LUMS has only 275 students enrolled.Wells
said this is a ³12-13 percent drop.² When the Curriculum Committee looked at
enrollment beyond last year, they found ups and downs in past years¹
enrollments, but the number of students has generally been decreasing. The
committee projected LUMS¹ enrollment average to be 265 students for the next
six years.
Wells said the committee also found that one team in LUMS was comprised of
mostly new teachers, adding there has been a lot of turnover on the team.
Overall, LUMS has 27 full time educators distributed throughout four ³teams²
and three special education teachers. The committee decided the three
special educators should not be included in the cut, so there are currently
24 teachers for approximately 300 students.  Taking into consideration the
projected number of 265 students in the near future, the Curriculum
Committee decided to reduce the number of teachers to 21 for the 2006-2007
school year.
When Wells ended his presentation, School Board chair Peter Ingvoldstad
opened the meeting to the public for input. One Waterville resident inquired
if the committee had looked at community growth predictions. Wells, also a
Waterville resident, responded by saying ³the predictions are not panning
out.²
Anita Gagner, an Eden resident, Eden Central School (ECS) board member and
mother of a LUMS student, asked if the board could cut other parts of the
budget such as building or maintenance in order to keep the teachers. Gagner
also hit on the idea that class sizes always fluctuate and said, ³I would
hate to see the class size grow to 20 kids.²
Longtime LUMS teacher Marc Gilbertson asked what the board¹s goal was for
the student- teacher ratio and if the committee took into account all of the
preparation time teachers need.
Wells responded by saying that everyone took into account the prep time, but
³the ratio was working well,² and the board wants to ³maintain the ratio²
where it is successful.
Margo Warden, Johnson resident and mother of a LUMS student, said, ³I¹m
feeling this is the tail end of the conversation,² adding that she is
³concerned² with the committee¹s proposal. However, Warden added, that as a
Johnson State College (JSC) professor, she agrees that enrollment has
dropped, because she has noticed a drop in enrollment at JSC.
Patrick Cray, an Eden resident, parent and ECS School Board member, said, ³I
heard the quality of education is going up... there is a very big concern
this is going to be a huge step backward.²
A Waterville Elementary School Board member said, ³Sometimes the numbers go
up and sometimes they go down.² Sylvia Clutier, an Eden parent, added to
this by saying the board shouldn¹t cut the teachers if they need to reduce
the budget.
Sedney Ulrich, a Hyde Park parent, wanted to know the Curriculum Committee¹s
prior steps before the presentation.  Ulrich also asked how the Crickett
Hill property is being used by the school.
Pam Jaspersohn, a Johnson representative on the LNSU District #18 Board and
member of the Property Committee, explained that an apartment is being
rented in the Crickett Hill building, an Even Start program is conducted
there, and the upper portion of the building needs a sprinkler system.
Jaspersohn also explained, ³the property was bought for a secondary septic,²
and if the board sold portions of the property, the proceeds would have to
be used to pay toward the bond for the property.
David Whitcomb, board representative from Eden and member of the Property
Committee, said the Property Committee is trying to discover if they can
sell the property and use the money toward things other than the property¹s
bond. Whitcomb quickly added, ³I personally think we should sell it.²
Once the meeting was brought back on track, Carolyn Willey, a 17 year
science teacher at the Lamoille Union High School, said, ³different things
can happen,² including seniority of teachers, movement in the high school.
³It¹s really going to shake things up.²
Ingvoldstad ended public discussion shortly after, and left discussion to
the board. Whitcomb started by saying, ³I encourage you not to bring it to
vote tonight.² Sue Prescott mentioned that the school¹s budget is based on
the number of attending students.
Principal Lowe finally voiced his opinion, saying, ³One of the reasons we
are successful... is the support we get from teachers.² ³The point is not
where enrollment levels are, but the quality of education.² Lowe then
pleaded with the board: ³Please decide it very soon,² because he will need
time to ³plan around it.²
Wells made a motion to reduce the number of LUMS teachers by three and the
motion was seconded. Wells explained that LUMS was ³working well with the
size that we had,² and ³We¹re taking this back to the ratio where it was
working,² adding, ³We lose an average of two middle school teachers a year.²
Whitcomb mentioned that Wolcott is the fastest growing town in the county,
and although those students don¹t attend LUHS or LUMS, he wanted the board
to take into account the growth rate. Whitcomb added that Eden is the fifth
fastest growing town in the county.
Prescott said, on behalf of the Curriculum Committee, the decision of which
teachers should be asked to leave will be up to LUMS staff and
administrators.
A vote was taken on the motion to reduce the number of LUMS teachers by
three. All board members present voted to pass the motion except for:
Whitcomb, Jaspersohn, Debbie Baker (representing Belvidere) and Kathy
Hickory  (Johnson). The motion passed.
LNSU Superintendent Dr. Terry Bailey explained after the meeting that Wells
met with LUMS faculty before the evening meeting, and the proceedings were
the result of a ³very well thought out process.² Bailey added that a lot
still needs to  be done, including ³how it is going to be organized.²
Bailey also acknowledged that ³something could have been said earlier to
parents,² but he added, ³We¹re going to get the parents involved² with how
the board¹s motion will be implemented. According to Bailey, there are many
options.
In closing, Bailey said, ³First priority is to maintain the integrity of the
program.²
 

Grange Closing Pushed Back

by Amy Kolb Noyes

MORRISVILLE ­ A wastewater permit snag  has pushed back River Arts¹ closing
on the Lamoille Grange #233 building, on Pleasant Street, in Morrisville.
River Arts is ready to take possession of the building and has secured two
large grants toward the acquisition and renovation of the historic landmark.
A closing was scheduled for next week, but River Arts Executive Director
Chuck Turley said he is now working toward a December 15 closing.
Turley said, at this point, River Arts is just waiting upon a state
wastewater permit for the facility. All other papers needed for the closing
have been secured, including a $46,000 grant from the Vermont Housing and
Conservation Board. The VH&CB has also granted River Arts an additional
$30,000 toward the renovation of the Grange building.
³We are very excited,² Turley commented. ³It¹s going to be so wonderful to
have a home and put most of our programs under one roof.²
River Arts will share the facility with the Grange, having reached an
agreement whereby the Grange will be allowed to use the building in
perpetuity.
The hold-up on the state wastewater permit centers around a perceived
increase in demand capacity on the Morrisville wastewater system, due to the
fact two organizations will now be using the building. According to the
state wastewater office, River Arts is writing a letter to the state
explaining the two organizations will not be using the building on the same
day. Therefore a state wastewater permit is no longer needed.

CES Progress
by Alicia Morissette

CAMBRIDGE ­ Students at the Cambridge Elementary School (CES) were able to
have gym class inside and eat in their cafeteria for the first time on
Monday, October 31, after being in temporary buildings since May 2005.
³We are very excited,² said gym teacher Deb Wells during a class with fifth
graders. Since it was their first day in the newly renovated gymnasium,
Wells asked the children to point out the new things. Children noticed new
lights, windows, new electrical outlets and large vents that weren¹t there
before.
One student asked why there were still boxes and equipment in the gym, and
Wells responded, ³It¹s still a work in progress.² The new light structures
and windows ³make it lighter,² and the large vents located along the walls
of the gym help remove the hot stagnant air that builds up in a gym.
Another noticeable change is the larger area available on the stage. Wells
explained that all  gym equipment and her office are now located off the
stage, which gives the children full use of the entire stage. Other changes
have been made for safety purposes.
Once the question and answer session ended, the fifth graders were led to
the lobby, where many of them stood slack-jawed with awe and others were
abuzz and smiling. One student commented that it just ³looks so new.²
After the bathroom tours, the students were led back into the gym to resume
class. Wells instructed them to ³skip² because they were so ³happy to be
back in the gym.² Other instructions included galloping and jumping for the
same reason. The instructions were embraced enthusiastically!
Despite being four weeks behind schedule, Jim Buckley, chair of the CES
School Board, said the project is ³going extremely well.² According to him,
the project is approximately $70,000 under budget!
The four week loss was caused by several factors, including incorrect
drawings of the old buildings and the structural steel plant shutting down,
explained Buckley. Despite this loss of time, the middle portion of the
school, phase one, should be completed by December or January.
Although the cafeteria and gym  are still considered a ³work in progress,²
CES was given a certificate of occupancy on Friday, October 28, which
allowed them to use the spaces. Buckley said, ³It will be very nice² to have
these two areas available  again, because when it becomes ³cold and snowy,²
the children will have a warm place to have gym class and it will be a
³place for the community.²

Snowmobile Remnants Recovered

by Amy Kolb Noyes

Four young men have been cited into court, on felony charges, following the
recovery of three stolen snowmobiles. The snowmobiles were reported missing
from the front yard of Superior Waterworks, on Route 100, in Eden, on
Monday, October 17. Investigating Vermont State Police Trooper John Plaster
reported one snowmachine was found, damaged beyond repair, at the top of
East Hill Road, in Eden. The other two vehicles were recovered at two
separate Wolcott locations, hidden in the woods.
According to Trooper Plaster, the three snowmobiles were hooked to the back
of a truck with chains and dragged north on Route 100 to East Hill Road. Two
of the snowmachines broke off while being dragged. One of the two caught on
fire. The other was picked up from the road and was later recovered from a
spot where it was hidden in the woods in Wolcott, at the home of Tony
Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, 20, was arrested for Possession of Stolen Property.
Trooper Plaster reported the third snowmachine was dragged all the way to
Elmore Pond Road, in Wolcott. Once there, the snowmachine was stashed in the
woods and covered with leaves and branches. Three minors have been cited on
federal Grand Larceny charges. They include a 17-year-old from Wolcott, a
17-year-old from Greensboro and a 16-year-old from Lowell.
Trooper Plaster said all four arrests came after a tip from Newport Police
on the case. He added the young men are scheduled to appear in court on
Monday, November 21.


ECS Bus Collision
by Alicia Morissette

EDEN ­ On Tuesday, October 25, at approximately 3:20 p.m., an Eden Central
School schoolbus collided with a Chevrolet pickup truck on the straightaway
near the Mt. Norris Boy Scout Camp.
According to bus driver Gary Wright, he was traveling on the slippery roads
at the slow speed of 15 miles per hour when he noticed the pickup truck in
front of him going out of control. Wright stated the truck went sideways
then across the road, where Wright¹s bus hit the truck¹s passenger side.
No children were injured in the collision, the driver of the pickup truck
was uninjured, but Wright hurt his back. The bus sustained a cracked hood,
cracked light and other front end damage, but Wright explained the situation
could have been a lot worse for the bus and the children if they had hit the
guardrail and gone over the bank of the road.
Wright said he chose to hit the truck ³instead of the guardrail,² because he
thought it was the safest option, and he claimed a Vermont State Police
Trooper had agreed with him.
Overall, no one was seriously injured, no children were injured, and the bus
should be back in commission on Monday [October 31], said Wright.