CVSD Update June 2024

 

Dear CVSD Staff, Families, and Caregivers,

The last official CVSD Update of the year is ready for your viewing. There's a lot to celebrate this week; we've focused on some details to help you end the year smoothly with support for a safe and healthy summer. 

• A message from Superintendent Sanchez
• Celebrating CVSD's Retirees
• Summer meals information
• Let's Talk winding down
• and more! 

Thank you for reading and for all you've done to support our students. 

Reach out via Let's Talk (for a few more weeks) to share questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or kudos!

CVSD Update May 2024

 

Dear CVSD Staff, Families, and Caregivers, 

The latest edition of the CVSD Update is now available! There's a little less content, which we hope will make for easy viewing. It does include important details, announcements, and celebrations. 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• Summer EBT Program to Help Feed Kids
• Introducing Stopfinder
• Celebrations
• Events and Dates to Remember 
• and more

Thank you for taking the time to view it. 

Reminder- Monday, May 27 is Memorial Day and there's no school.

 

As always, reach out via Let's Talk to share questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or kudos!

CVSD Interim Superintendent Announcement

 Here's a guest post from CVSD's Board of Directors

Dear CVSD Community

The CVSD Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Adam Bunting, CVU’s principal, has been appointed to the role of Interim Superintendent of the Champlain Valley School District for the 2024-2025 school year. Adam has served as the principal of CVU for nine years and has led collaborative teams to envision, design, and implement personalized, proficiency-based learning for CVU’s 1,300 students.

Prior to serving in his current role as the CVU principal, Adam was a teacher and house director at CVU. He has served on several statewide councils, and was previously the principal at Montpelier High School. These experiences, along with Adam’s focus on students and deep understanding of CVSD’s educational systems, will be critical in executing our strategic plan and addressing the statewide education funding challenges that are impacting our schools.

CVU and CVSD administrators will name an interim CVU principal before the end of this school year. Both Adam and the interim principal will officially begin their positions on July 1, 2024.

We would like to express our appreciation to Superintendent Sanchez for his contributions to the district over the past three years and look forward to working with Adam and his administrative team in the coming year as we continue to focus on the growth and belonging of all of our students.

The school board will begin the search for a permanent superintendent in the fall and will continue to share more information on that process when it begins.

Sincerely,

The Champlain Valley School District Board of Directors

Free Summer Meals!

 

Dear CVSD Community,

We have an amazing opportunity to help families in our district to bridge the food gap during the summer by providing 7-day meal boxes for free for any child 18 or under. The boxes will include everything needed to make 7 breakfast meals and 7 lunch meals for one child. They will be simple, delicious and nutritious. Again, these boxes are available for any child 18 and under. We are able to offer this service thanks to some recent changes in USDA regulations for Summer Food Service Programs.

Feeding children is our main priority and this gives us an opportunity to continue through the summer. Distributing these meal boxes this summer will help families stretch their food dollars. It will also help our school district in several ways. We will be able to keep a few of our food service staff employed and using their skills during the summer. The revenues from federal reimbursements can also help to offset costs that we will incur in the food service department when school begins. The more meal boxes we can serve, the better it will be for families in our district and for our food service department. We hope that many families will take advantage of this opportunity and that we can help meet the needs of many children during the summer like we do during the school year.

There is a catch. Meal boxes must be picked up in Hinesburg at the St. Judes Church on our scheduled distribution day which will be Mondays, starting on June 24th and going every Monday through August 19th. We will have 2 distribution times on each of those days. 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM and 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM or until all of the boxes are gone. We will not be able to deliver any meal boxes. All meal boxes must be picked up at the distribution site, during the approved distribution hours.

In order to make sure we are prepared to help as many families as we can this summer we need your input. Below is a link to a survey which will simply ask if you are interested in picking up meal boxes for your children this summer and how many you would need each week. This will help us determine the need / interest in our district and help us put the team together to handle the job. Please complete the survey by Monday, May 6.

Summer Meal Boxes Survey

Please note, this is not the order form. You will need to order meals for your children each week on a special meal order form that will be on our website during the summer. We will also send the link out to all families each week and ask that you plan a week in advance so that we can order food etc. and work on your meals and have them ready for you on the distribution day.

We understand that you may have questions. Please use the Food Service topic on Let’s Talk to submit those.

Thank you!

Gary Marckres

CVSD, Chief Operations Officer

April 11, 2024 Update

 Dear CVSD Community,

Please take a moment to read the latest district update. It includes: 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• An explanation about RIF notices
• Additional Budget Information
• Reminders and Events

Thank you so much for engaging in this process with us.

 

 
As always, reach out via Let's Talk with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or kudos!

Proposed Budget Updates and Resources

 Dear CVSD Community,

We are writing to share a reminder and resources about the proposed 2024-2025 budget. 

• Reminder: Please join district administration and school board members at tomorrow's CVSD Budget Virtual Town Hall. 
• Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 6:30 pm
• The Zoom information to join is on the left side of the district's website and on the budget page of the website

• The new Budget FAQs (frequently asked questions) resource is now available. We will add to it as we receive more questions, so check back! 

• Included in the FAQs is a link to a separate document with a chart of specific reductions. 

• Please check out the Budget Information for the April 16th vote.

• See this blog post about yesterday's Legislative Breakfast. Our school board hosted the event to connect with legislators. Education and property taxes were the main topics discussed. 

We hope this information is helpful and provides answers to any questions you may have about the proposed budget. We will post this on the budget page of our website for easy future access. 

For more information, please visit our Budget page on the district's website, use the Let's Talk School Board or Budget topics, or email the school board with questions. CVSDschoolboard@cvsdvt.org

Superintendent Message to Families

March 20, 2024

Dear CVSD Community:

I hope this note finds you well.

As you may already know from last night’s CVSD board meeting, I will be stepping down as superintendent at the end of this school year. I am honored to have served as the CVSD superintendent for three years, and, please know, the district and the five towns will always hold a special place in my heart.

I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished during these last three years. CVSD has excellent forward momentum to further our progress in serving our students and community. In particular, by using our demographic study to assist in budgeting and review of facilities, implementing our equity audit to improve accessibility and inclusiveness for our students and staff, and utilizing our new data warehouse to readily and quickly identify and address student needs and opportunities for enrichment, we will enhance our status as one of the best school districts in Vermont. Additionally, the development of a unified, community-built strategic plan sets us on a path to work with a shared vision for the future success of students, staff, and the operations of our district.

I am proud of the work that each CVSD employee and the school board perform every day in support of our students. Preparing the next generation of Vermonters for the world of the mid- and late 21st century is challenging but rewarding work. The caring, loving, and empathetic approach of our teachers and staff is one of the things that I most value about our remarkable district.

As we look ahead, there is still important work to be done, and I am dedicated to ensuring a strong finish to the school year. I will continue to be actively involved in our schools and community, advocating for our shared vision of excellence in education.

For the 2024-25 school year, the school board will appoint an interim superintendent and more details will be communicated in the coming months.

I’d like to thank you for welcoming me to Vermont and for all you do to make CVSD a great place. I look forward to seeing you in the days and months to come.

Sincerely,

Rene Sanchez, Superintendent

Champlain Valley School District

Welcome to Our New School Board Members

CVSD's Board of Directors

 At last Tuesday's Champlain Valley School District's Board of Directors meeting, we welcomed two new members. But first, we want to thank and acknowledge those who have left the Board. 

Josilyn Adams from Williston, and Barbra Marden from Shelburne, both served on the CVSD Board for many years. We thank them for their dedication to our schools and our district and for the many contributions they made over their years of service. 

We welcome Sarah Showalter-Feuillette from Williston, and Kate Webb from Shelburne, who were elected on Town Meeting Day for three year terms. In addition, Brendan McMahon from Williston, and Meghan Metzler from Charlotte, were re-elected to three year terms on the board. 

Also at the March 12th meeting, elections took place for Board positions. Meghan Metzler is our new Board Chair and Dave Connery is the Vice Chair. We thank outgoing Chair, Angela Arsenault, for her tireless efforts on behalf of CVSD. 

Two days after officially becoming Chair of our school board, Meghan Metzler testified before a joint meeting of the House Education Committee and House Ways and Means Committee. 

• Here is the text of Meghan's testimony.
• View a video of the meeting
• View the full text of all testimonies

We encourage community members to reach out to the legislature to share your thoughts about education funding and tax increases. 

Learn more about our School Board on this page of our website. 

March 8 Budget Update

Hello CVSD Families, Caregivers, and Community,

This is a quick note to update you at the end of the week on where we are in the process of bringing a new budget to the community. On Wednesday afternoon, we emailed this statement to our families and community.

For context, we are not the only district in the state whose budget did not pass on Tuesday, Town Meeting Day. Twenty-nine other districts will need to re-warn their budgets (fourteen out of twenty-one in our four-county region), sixty-four budgets passed, and twenty-six other districts are waiting on results, postponing their elections, or voting at a later date.

Since the morning after the budget vote, our entire administrative team has been working on a revised budget proposal, with a focus on identifying reductions that will have the least impact on students. This proposal will be shared with the school board for review at a Special Meeting on Tuesday, March 12. The board will consider the administration’s proposed new budget and either adopt it or recommend a change.

Finally, we must warn the budget for at least thirty days. If the board approves or decides on a different budget number on Tuesday, we hope to hold an election on April 16, 2024, before the April school vacation week.

During the thirty days of warning, the administration and the Board will offer opportunities for everyone to learn more about the new proposed budget and its updated tax implications for residents. We also plan to mail out a more condensed budget document to help inform our community about the proposed budget, similar to what we typically send out each year. That didn't happen previously due to the last-minute changes from the legislature in late-January and February. We will update our website to ensure the latest information about the budget is available.

Thank you so much for your support of our schools and our students. Have a great and restful weekend.

Rene

Post Election Statement

Hello CVSD Community Members,

Thank you for participating in this year’s Town Meeting Day elections. More than 8500 votes were cast for our four articles, and three of the four passed: the bond for new buses, the application of the district’s fund balance as revenue on a future budget, and the additional funds needed to support the 2022 facilities bond.

Unfortunately, Article VII, our annual budget, did not pass last night. While we are disappointed in the election results, we appreciate the insight we gained from our community through the voting process. With your vote, and through various other methods, we heard that the community overwhelmingly supports our schools. However, the state education funding formula, which caused our property taxes to increase dramatically, was a bridge too far for most. The voices and perspectives from within our schools and from our five towns continue to be essential as we plan for the future direction of our district.

Next steps for the board and administration include taking a closer look at our proposed FY25 budget to see where reductions might be made that will have the least impact on our students and schools. The board will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 pm, to consider a new proposed budget. Because budget articles need to be warned for 30 days, we anticipate a re-vote in mid-April.

Thanks again for your participation and continued support as we navigate this challenge together.

Rene Sanchez, Superintendent

 

Summary of the Proposed 2024-2025 CVSD Budget

Dear Champlain Valley School District Voters,

This year has presented significant challenges and complexities regarding our proposed budget. Initiated by the school board and administration in line with Act 127, the new education funding law passed in 2022, the budget development process began in September. However, considerable changes arose in late January. Rather than attempt to explain what has transpired in a lengthy post here, the district has compiled a series of articles published by local media and state representatives in recent months. These can be found at the bottom of the Budget page on the district’s website.

This budget represents what the CVSD School Board does have control over. It continues to provide the programming and support that have served our students well, including consistent class sizes.

With that being said, the Board makes changes when they need to. This budget does reduce five teaching positions and four unfilled paraprofessional positions while maintaining class sizes within CVSD recommendations.

In addition to maintaining programming, this budget continues some of the previously ESSER-funded positions, but not all. The Board has reduced the number of positions in place this year by 20% for the coming year. These positions have provided critical social/emotional support to our students where the need has never been greater, and where finding support outside of the school has never been harder. We are committed to phasing them out over time and our strategy was to do it over five years. We may have to accelerate this going forward.

The final “add-on” in this budget is for certain one-time facilities projects- including some HVAC work that is needed to provide the learning environment needed for our students.

There is nothing in this budget that the Board considers to be irresponsible or unneeded spending.

We encourage you to get informed. Please reach out to the CVSD School Board with any questions. cvsdschoolboard@cvsdvt.org or use the School Board or Budget Let’s Talk topics 

Please join the CVSD Annual Meeting on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 5:00 at CVU. Information about how to join in person or remotely can be found on the left side of the district's homepage or on the Budget page.


More information:

CVSD’s Budget page

CVSD Annual Report

 

CVSD Update February 2024

 

Dear CVSD Families and Caregivers,

We know that a lot of information has been coming your way in the last few weeks about the proposed 2024-2025 budget. There are other exciting things to celebrate about our district.

This edition of the CVSD Update, our monthly district newsletter, contains information about the proposed budget and much more. We hope you'll take the time to check it out.

Some highlights: 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• Budget resources
• Celebrations
• Upcoming events- don't miss the DEI event in March to learn about the Somali community in Vermont
• Announcements and updates from our partners
• and more!

We hope you can spend time next week with family and friends. Please remember to vote on or before March 5!

Feel free to reach out using Let's Talk with any questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, or kudos.

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.

CVSD Update, January 2024

 

Hello CVSD Community,

We are happy to share the January issue of the CVSD Update, a newsletter for all CVSD families, caregivers, and community members. 

In this issue, you will find: 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• Reminders about upcoming events 
• Information about the proposed school budget and bond for 2024-2025
• The full version of our Strategic Plan
• Information about the K-4 report cards
• Updates from our community partners
• and more

Thank you for taking the time to read it. Feel free to reach out using Let's Talk with any questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, or kudos. 

CVSD Update, December 2023

 Hello,

We are happy to share the December issue of the CVSD Update, a newsletter for all CVSD families, caregivers, and community members. 

In this issue, you will find: 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• Reminders about upcoming events 
  • There is a board meeting and budget presentation tonight!
  • Our rescheduled December Virtual Town Hall is tomorrow night!
• Information about how decisions for cancelations and snow days are made
• Updates from our community partners
• and more

Thank you for taking the time to read it. Feel free to reach out using Let's Talk with any questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, or kudos. 

A Statement from Superintendent Sanchez

 

Dear CVSD Community and Families,

We are writing in response to the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Burlington over the weekend. We know that law enforcement is working hard to determine what led to such an atrocity. The Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) expresses its unwavering opposition to hate speech, religious persecution, racism, and violence. 

We urge everyone to approach one another with compassion and empathy. As always, we offer support to those who might need it through school counselors, trusted staff members, and for staff, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

CVSD is committed to fostering a safe and nurturing environment for everyone. The district remains dedicated to growth and — especially — belonging for all as we continue to come to terms with what is happening nearby and in the global community. 

Thank you to all in our schools and at home for providing care and support for our students and one another.

Respectfully,

Rene Sanchez

CVSD Superintendent

CVSD Update October 2023

 

Dear CVSD Families and Caregivers, 

Please enjoy the October issue of the CVSD Update, which is chock-full of important information and announcements, including: 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• An update about the VTCAP assessments
• News about the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse
• Upcoming events
• and more! 

Thank you for taking the time to read it. Please reach out using Let's Talk with any questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, or compliments. 

Champlain Valley School District

CVSD Update September 2023

 Dear CVSD Families and Caregivers,

Wow- we are aware that some of you have received a number of communications today from our schools. We especially thank SCS families and caregivers for your flexibility in an unexpected situation. (For those who don't know, there was a water main break in Shelburne and students were dismissed this morning.)

We do want to keep other things flowing and are sharing the September issue of the CVSD Update with all of you. It includes: 

• A letter from Superintendent Sanchez
• A link to the CVSD Fall 2023 Climate Survey for all families and caregivers to complete
• It's Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
• It's Hispanic Heritage Month
• Current guidance from the VT Department of Health
• and more!

Thank you for taking the time to read it. Please reach out using Let's Talk with any questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, or compliments. 

CVSD Update, August 2023

Dear Families, Caregivers, and CVSD Faculty/Staff,

We are so excited to kick off a new school year this week. For most of you, that's tomorrow! Please view updates in the latest CVSD newsletter.

It includes:

• A video welcome from Superintendent Sanchez
• Celebrations
• Reminders (get those PowerSchool forms in today if you haven't already!)
• Communication reminders
• a little bit more, but not too much!

As always, reach out using Let's Talk with questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or compliments.

Welcome back!

Champlain Valley School District

Back to School Reminders

Dear CVSD Families and Caregivers,

The school district's offices are gearing up for the upcoming school year. You can help us! Please view these reminders and take the necessary action. We truly appreciate your help and support and are excited to kick off the school year soon!

1. We know that you all received notifications and emails about completing the PowerSchool Annual Forms Update. This is required each year and is important for many reasons including safety and security as well as for the various permissions that are needed annually. Contact your school if you need assistance.

2. We also want to remind families and caregivers about filling out the Free and Reduced Meal application each year as well. Students need healthy meals to learn. The Champlain Valley School District offers healthy meals every school day. In School Year 2023-2024, all students will receive free breakfast and lunch at school. Even though there is no charge for breakfast and lunch, we are asking you to fill out this application for free and reduced-price school meals. 

This document provides many of the reasons why it is important to fill out the forms even though meals are free to students this year. Please go to the Free and Reduced Meals page on our website to learn more and to access the online and printable forms. 

3. And finally, mark your calendar for the 2nd annual Playing Fields event! Join us on September 7 from 6-8 pm at CVU. This is open to all CVSD families and community members.

As always, feel free to reach out with questions, feedback, or compliments using Let's Talk!