TO OUR COMMUNITY:
On January 8th the majority of the South Burlington School Board approved a school budget that we believe meets the needs of students and community. The proposed budget is crafted to increase bus drivers, multilingual supports and special education supports (many of which provide cost-savings) and to preserve structured literacy programming and the arts. This budget has a projected tax increase of 8.10% and a 15.76% increase in per pupil spending, representing a net staff reduction of just under 15 staff members. To craft this budget district and building-based administration have been working for months, evaluating data, finding efficiencies and collaborating on the hard task of developing a budget where reductions would be required. The board supports this budget that nimbly bridges the gap between student need and community need- a gap that will require more bridging and support from our state government.
The final budget incorporated staff, administrative, and Board feedback given during each draft of the budget and attended to the Board's desire to support all students through our ENDS policy, meet regulatory requirements, and include Agency of Education (AOE) required designated equity supports while being mindful of the impact of a back-to-back tax increases due to the impacts of Act 127, and the need to produce a budget that members of our community can afford.
The board heard immensely moving and passionate testimony from staff and community members- all of them emphasizing the incredible and important work that they do for our schools and students each day. While all feedback was from the heart, not all public comment was accurate. We heard requests from most staff whose positions are being reduced to be reinstated and yet to reinstate all reductions would certainly mean a hefty double digit tax increase.
We believe this is a fiscally responsible budget that maintains programming and supports for SBSD students.
Click the link below to learn more about the budget. The board will discuss the budget again at our steering committee meeting on 01/22/25 at 4pm at 577 Dorset St, and we will hear the city's proposed budget at that time as well.
Yours in collaboration,
The South Burlington School Board
Budget Info: https://www.sbschools.net/page/budget-fy26