Understanding the Proposed 2024-2025 Budget

At Tuesday night's Champlain Valley School District's school board meeting, the board voted to adopt the finance committee’s recommendation to move forward with the originally warned budget that they spent more than six months reviewing and evaluating.

• At the meeting, CVSD Board vice chair and finance committee chair Meghan Metzler read this statement to begin the discussion. https://bit.ly/FinanceCommStatement

• After the meeting, Superintendent Sanchez shared this letter as well. https://bit.ly/SuptFeb2024

• Here are some budget highlights to help our community understand important elements of the proposed budget. https://bit.ly/FY25BudgetHighlights

If you are able, please attend tonight's CVSD Virtual Budget Town Hall to get more information about the proposed budget and your questions answered. To join, please find the Zoom link on the left side of the district's homepage. https://www.cvsdvt.org/

We deeply appreciate the support this community has shown us and we hope you can continue to do so.

All of the documents above are also shared on the Budget page of the district's website:
https://www.cvsdvt.org/budget

CVSD Budget Town Hall

 

Earlier this week, the CVSD School Board's Finance Committee had a productive meeting to discuss the options and implications for the district and taxpayers regarding the proposed 2024-2025 budget. At next week's school board meeting on Tuesday, 2/20 at 6:00 pm, the full board will come together to discuss the budget and work toward a decision on how to move forward.

On Wednesday, 2/21 at 6:30 pm, the district's administration and school board will host a virtual Town Hall at which they will provide the latest information available about the proposed budget and answer questions.

We hope you can join us for these events. See the calendar on the left side of the district's homepage for details about how to attend. https://www.cvsdvt.org/ 

 We will share another update next week.

Mid-August CCS Construction Update

Jen Roth, principal at Charlotte Central School, has provided us with another update on the construction work, along with some new photos. 

Spaces on both floors of the building are beginning to come together so furniture and teaching materials can be set up for the start of the year. As the contractors complete a learning space, it gets turned over to our maintenance crew to wipe down and polish the floors. First floor carpets will be cleaned this week opening up time for the CCS crew to return furniture to the classrooms.

The CCS STEM room feels a little bigger now that the extra storage closet has been removed to make room for additional hands-on tools for kids. It’s almost ready for a deep cleaning and the addition of furniture.

The utility space out front under the front porch, has been sealed up and the porch's structural components will be replaced in steps this coming week. The bus parking lot has had lines added to help provide adequate spaces for the fleet of buses used by CCS and SCS.

Our contractors are still at work in the cafeteria, the library and outside of the building. We’ll send updates on those particular projects in the near future.

 

Early August Update on CCS Construction

Thank you to Jen Roth, principal at Charlotte Central School, for providing this update on the construction at CCS. 

Here are some new details about the work happening around CCS for the last two weeks. Behind the scenes, I’d like to thank our entire custodial crew (May, Audrey, Ester, Jeremy, Alex, Mike H., Jack S. and Mason M.) for using every possible minute to polish up spaces in the building to make it safe and welcoming for everyone.

The placement of the water storage tanks has been completed. Concrete is getting poured to start building out the new utility room and to add the foundation from the front porch on the 1939 building.

 

Crews are updating the utility access to the front of the building and running conduit through the first floor of the building.

 

  

Second Floor classrooms are nearly polished. Carpets have been installed in the planned spaces. Some painting has been completed to brighten things up. Worn down shelves were given a coat of paint where possible. Final touches to the second floor will include waxing the green hallway, shampoo the carpets and finalizing any IT installations.

First floor rooms are still under construction. Switches for fire have been updated and the sprinkler pipes have been placed. Old electrical and tech lines are being pulled to align with necessary codes. A crew is going through this week to hang ceiling tile grids. Then the spaces will be turned over to the CCS crew for cleaning and the placement of furniture.

  

 

 

The bus parking lot is coated with blacktop and setting. The last step is to paint the lines to be ready for the buses.

 

 

  

Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding. Things are coming together!

CCS Construction Update

For those that live near the Charlotte Central School or drive by it, you may have noticed new activity. Construction is underway! During the summer of 2021, Phase One of the work improved ventilation, replaced siding and insulation, and new thermally-improved windows and doors were installed to provide more efficiency. Now, we're in Phase Two, which divides the life safety and code compliance project over two summers. This part of the project is funded through a bond approved by voters in CVSD towns in March of 2022. Beginning on Monday, June 19th, the front portion of the building was gated off to allow for first steps in the excavation process. Here are some of the exciting things that are underway. 

Contractors are making room for five 4000-gallon water tanks that will feed the new fire suppression system.

Underground utilities are being upgraded for electrical service. A new generator system will be installed to allow for full function of the building if we lose power.

All ceilings on the first floor have been removed so electrical updates can be made and fire suppression lines can be extended into all spaces.

For many of our community members, weaving through the potholes of the bus lot is familiar. This summer, we are reconstructing and paving the lot and creating a smooth parking area that will accommodate buses and community members. While that paving project is underway, the “bus lot” will be closed to community traffic. 

Please access Pease Mountain trails through the lot on the east end of the building.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as the work progresses and we prepare the building and grounds for a safe start of the next school year. 

Highlights of the Proposed Budget

Kelly Bowen, CVSD School Board Finance Committee Chair, has shared the following on Front Porch Forum in each CVSD town. It's the next in a series of posts to help inform voters about the proposed budget for 2022-2023.

Dear CVSD Community Members and Voters,

This is the final post in a series to update you on the upcoming 2022-2023 proposed school district budget. Thank you for your continued support and for reading these updates. And most of all, thank you for taking the time to VOTE on March 1, 2022.

Here are important takeaways for this year’s budget:

• The Champlain Valley School District is committed to supporting all students.
• During pandemic recovery, we will continue to provide mental health services, social-emotional guidance, and academic support that acknowledges the unique needs of each student.
• We are committed to diversity, equity, & inclusion.
• We strive to maintain class sizes within the recommended range.
• The bond proposal focuses on critical health & safety needs at CVSD facilities.
• The estimated Pre-CLA (Common Level of Appraisal) tax rate is down 9¢ from last year. After applying the CLA factor, we estimate that the tax rate will be down for most CVSD towns.

It has been a pleasure to serve this community as Chair of the Finance Committee these past two years. With a growing district and a growing budget, I recognize the need for frequent and clear communication. As this budget cycle closes, I urge community members to get involved with your school district. A vibrant district with strong fiscal health can only be maintained by an active community. Please reach out to me: kbowen@cvsdvt.org if I can be of assistance.

Kind regards,

Kelly A. Bowen, CVSD Finance Committee Chair


Please join the CVSD INFORMATIONAL MEETING via Zoom on Monday, February 28, 2022, at 5:00. ZOOM meeting information: https://www.cvsdvt.org/budget or directly: https://cvsdvt-org.zoom.us/j/88634652241 Meeting ID: 886 3465 2241 - Passcode: cvsd11

Phone Participation: 1-646-876-9923 - Passcode: 854788

More information:
Budget page www.cvsdvt.org/budget
Annual Report https://www.cvsdvt.org/Page/602
2022-2023 Budget Flyer https://bit.ly/CVSDBudgetFlyerFY23
Budget FAQ’s https://bit.ly/CVSDBudgetFY23FAQs

See the Annual Warning on the budget page of our website for all of the ballot articles. We encourage all eligible residents in Champlain Valley School District towns to vote on March 1st or earlier.

 

CVSD's Proposed Bond on the Ballot

Kelly Bowen, CVSD School Board Finance Committee Chair, has shared the following on Front Porch Forum in each CVSD town. It's the next in a series of posts to help inform voters about the proposed budget for 2022-2023. 

Dear CVSD Community Members and Voters,

This is the second post in a series to update you on the upcoming 2022-2023 proposed school district budget. Look for bi-weekly updates on Front Porch Forum or other school news outlets.

In this post, I will outline Article X (ten) on the ballot. Article X requests a bond that will positively impact all CVSD schools.

The CVSD Board of Directors is committed to a sustainable capital funding strategy, which minimizes costs and stabilizes tax impact. Our goal is to present district voters with consistent, small investment (bond) requests prioritized to eliminate the need for the large and costly construction projects that we have experienced in the past.

Tax-paying residents of Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George, and Williston share fiscal responsibility for maintaining the six CVSD buildings.

The projects funded by this proposed $7.5 million bond focus on urgent needs–life-safety, and accessibility upgrades, hazardous material remediation, trip/fall hazard remediation, security improvements, HVAC upgrades, and a few high-priority maintenance projects. Every school will benefit from the passage of this bond article. The most significant proposed project is for Charlotte Central School, where CVSD continues to address significant deferred maintenance. We are following the district's plan to stay ahead of maintenance needs in other schools. (Deferred maintenance is costly and time-consuming and detracts from students' needs.)

The bond timing is designed to take advantage of other retiring debt (past bonds that are expiring.) This is done to minimize the impact on the tax-rate and the taxpayer. We anticipate that the entire debt payment (at its highest level with no offsets) would be one cent on the tax rate.

For a complete outline of the proposed work plan to be funded through this bond, see: https://www.cvsdvt.org/budget Or, view a short video by CVSD's COO, Jeanne Jensen, here: https://youtu.be/D1g7rsSvy3s

As Finance Committee Chair, I appreciate and share the public's concern for fiscal conservatism. Please reach out to me: kbowen@cvsdvt.org if I can be of assistance.

Kind regards,

Kelly A. Bowen, CVSD Finance Committee Chair


Please join the CVSD INFORMATIONAL MEETING via Zoom on Monday, February 28, 2022, at 5:00. ZOOM meeting information: https://www.cvsdvt.org/budget or directly: https://cvsdvt-org.zoom.us/j/88634652241 Meeting ID: 886 3465 2241 - Passcode: cvsd11

Phone Participation: 1-646-876-9923 - Passcode: 854788

More information:

Budget page www.cvsdvt.org/budget
Annual Report https://www.cvsdvt.org/Page/602
2022-2023 Budget Flyer https://bit.ly/CVSDBudgetFlyerFY23
Budget FAQ’s https://bit.ly/CVSDBudgetFY23FAQs

See the Annual Warning on the budget page of our website for all of the ballot articles. We encourage all eligible residents in Champlain Valley School District towns to vote on March 1st or earlier.