Harwood preps for Central Office move, several staff cuts as outlined in new budget

May 26, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

With the new budget year starting in just five weeks, Harwood Unified Union School District is preparing to move its Central Office staff to the Harwood campus starting June 1.

The district also will see three full-time jobs cut as outlined in the 2026-27 budget, the first being the human resources director, who has left as of May 22, according to the superintendent. 

Voters on Town Meeting Day in March approved a $51.9 million budget for the 2026-27 school year. That represents an increase of 5.44% over the current budget year, but the spending plan required some reductions given higher costs to deliver the same programming next year. 

To rein in costs, the district opted not to renew its lease on rented office space at Mad River Park in Waitsfield. In recent months, some renovations have been done at Harwood Union Middle/High School to accommodate the move of Central Office staff to the school campus. 

In a report to the Harwood School Board at its May 13 meeting, Finance and Operations Director Lisa Estler explained the logistics of the move and the anticipated cost savings. “By relocating the Central Office within an existing district building, HUUSD will save approximately $50,000 annually,” she said. 

The district has for years rented office space, most recently in three-year leases at an annual cost of $47,350, Estler said. The landlord last year indicated that rent would increase to over $50,000 per year when the lease was to be renewed in 2026, Estler explained. 

The move is scheduled to begin on June 1 and be completed by June 15. During the first two weeks of June, the office staff will work remotely while the Waitsfield office is dismantled, moved, and reassembled, Estler said. 

When the staff returns to work, they will be located in various spaces at Harwood. The Superintendent’s Office will be on the main floor of the high school in Room 514. The Business and Technology Offices will be across the hall in Room 503; Student Services Offices will be located downstairs in Rooms 711A, 711B, and 711C.

The Central Office will also have a new mailing address: P.O. Box 1059, Waitsfield, VT 05673.

Three job cuts

In addition to the office move, the district also will trim three full-time positions as the current school year comes to a close: the human resources director, one pre-kindergarten teacher and an administrative assistant. 

In a memo to Harwood staff this weekend, Superintendent Mike Leichliter announced the departure of Human Resources Director Tanya Cheney, whose last day with the district was Friday. 

“On behalf of the district, I want to thank Tanya for her many years of service and dedication to HUUSD,” Leichliter wrote. “We appreciate the work she has done to support our staff, students, and schools over the years, and we wish her all the best in the future.”

Cheney has worked for the school district since it was the Washington West Supervisory Union. Prior to becoming human resources director in 2023, she worked for nearly a decade in the district’s central office, handling payroll and other personnel duties. The human resources director position was created during the transition in 2022-23 when Leichliter started as superintendent. 

In building the 2026-27 budget, school district leaders aimed for minimal staffing cuts after the previous two years saw reductions of the equivalent of 49 full-time positions. 

“As everyone is aware, our district has been significantly impacted by ongoing state-level education funding reductions and related financial pressures. As part of our efforts to manage these challenges responsibly, we have made the decision not to replace this central office position at this time,” Leichliter reminded staff in his memo announcing Cheney’s departure. 

Plans to consolidate the district’s pre-K classes were expected to result in a reduction of 1.5 full-time equivalent staff for next school year. Leichliter said expected enrollments, however, made a half-time position still needed at Warren Elementary School, resulting in just one full-time teaching position reduction. 

In addition, a resignation at Crossett Brook Middle School of an administrative assistant will be addressed by moving a staffer from Harwood to Crossett Brook, for a reduction of one position, he said. 

Leichliter’s memo addressed the loss of Cheney in the Central Office, given her role that had contact with staff across the entire district. Responsibilities previously overseen by the human resources director will now be handled by others in the central office, with much of the oversight falling to Finance Director Lisa Estler and Leichliter himself. 

One important switch will be that Leichiter will oversee the district’s Family and Medical Leave Act matters. He advised all staff to contact him with any questions in that regard going forward. 

“When we begin the new 26/27 school year, we will provide staff with a detailed guide outlining points of contact for the various responsibilities previously handled by this office,” the superintendent noted, adding a thanks to staff for their “patience, flexibility, and continued support as we work through these adjustments together.”