November 14, 2026 | By HUUSD School Board Dear HUUSD Community,
We want to share information about the upcoming Harwood Unified Union School District Board meeting on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, including the board's planned discussion regarding potential school closures and opportunities for public participation.
The meeting will take place in the Harwood Union High School Library, with an option to participate remotely via Zoom. Here is the agenda.
Meeting Schedule
The board will convene at 5 p.m. and anticipates immediately entering executive session until approximately 5:45 p.m. This portion of the meeting will be closed to the public for confidential matters permitted under Vermont's Open Meeting Law.
The public portion of the meeting will begin at 6 p.m. with public comment. Community members may participate in person or remotely.
To help organize public comment, we encourage anyone wishing to speak to register in advance: Advance Registration for Public Comment
Preregistration is optional. Community members may also request an opportunity to speak at the meeting.
School Closure Discussion and Clarifying Where We Are in the Process
One of the primary agenda items will be a 90-minute discussion regarding the potential closure of one or more HUUSD schools.
We want to clarify an important point about where we are in this process. The board has not voted to close any schools, nor has it formally identified which schools, if any, will be considered for closure. While much of the discussion to date has focused on the potential closure of two Valley elementary schools, that is not a foregone conclusion.
At the November 4 board meeting, members participated in an informal discussion in which they shared their preliminary thoughts about possible school configurations. This was not a formal vote, nor did it establish a decision about which schools would move forward for potential closure. It was an opportunity for board members to publicly express where they stood at that point in the process.
The board has also reviewed information comparing possible school configurations, including enrollment projections, building capacity, facility conditions, capital needs, kitchen operations, and wastewater considerations. Board members have also participated in walkthroughs of Moretown and Waitsfield Elementary Schools to better understand the facilities.
The information collected through these exercises is intended to inform the board's judgment, not produce a mathematical score that determines which schools should remain open or be considered for closure. Different factors may carry different significance, and board members may reasonably reach different conclusions based on the same information.
At the Nov. 18 meeting, the board will build upon this work through a structured public discussion that allows every member to explain their thinking, consider the educational, financial, operational, and community implications, and determine what, if anything, should move forward for formal consideration through public hearings.
During Wednesday's meeting, board members will participate in a structured discussion designed to give each board member an opportunity to share their perspective. The discussion will focus on three questions:
What does the evidence tell us? What are the most important findings from the school configuration ratings, building information, community input, and recent facility walkthroughs?
What are the tradeoffs? What educational, operational, financial, and community considerations should influence the board's decisions?
Where do we go from here? Based on the information available, which school or schools, if any, should move forward for public hearings on potential closure, and why?
No motions or votes will occur during this 90-min. discussion. Later in the meeting, under the Action Items portion of the agenda, board members may introduce motions to formally identify one or more schools for potential closure consideration and establish dates and locations for public hearings.
What happens next?
Under the district's Articles of Agreement, the board must conduct at least three public hearings, including one in each affected town, before taking a final vote on school closure.
If the board decides to move forward with considering the closure of specific schools, it will establish the required public hearings to provide additional opportunities for community input. Following those hearings, if the board intends to proceed with closure, it must provide at least ten days' public notice before holding a formal vote, which requires a two-thirds majority.
A final closure vote could occur on January 6. No final decision has been made.
We recognize that these discussions are difficult and that the uncertainty surrounding the future of our schools is weighing heavily on students, families, employees, and community members. The board is considering significant financial challenges while also weighing the educational, operational, and community implications of the options before it.
Our goal is to provide accurate information, maintain a transparent process, and ensure that members of our community have opportunities to be heard before any final decisions are made.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support of our schools.
Ashley Woods (Warren), Board Chair
Cindy Senning (Duxbury), Board Vice-Chair