November 6, 2026Editor’s note: The letter below from all of the principals in the Harwood Unified Union School District was shared with the Harwood School Board on Wednesday.
As the administrative leaders responsible for the daily educational experiences, safety, and growth of students across Harwood Unified Union School District, we are writing to express our collective and unequivocal support for a district-wide configuration of Pre-K–4th grades, 5th–6th grades, and 7th–12th grades.
Over the past several years, the principals have consistently identified alignment of grade levels across our campuses as a top priority in any future district planning. We believe this configuration best positions HUUSD to provide rigorous, consistent, sustainable educational experiences for all students, now and in the years ahead.
While we remain neutral on the specific facility decisions under consideration by the board tonight, we firmly believe that moving away from our current multi-building structure toward aligned grade configurations across elementary, upper-elementary, and secondary levels is one of the most important steps we can take for our students, staff and communities. The Pre-K–4 / 5–6 / 7–12 model achieves this alignment and creates a cohesive district structure. Other options that have been suggested -- such as closing only one valley elementary school next year or maintaining K–6 schools in the valley -- do not have the same educational and operational viability with our current enrollment and resources. Additionally, these other options miss the opportunity to establish consistent grade-level alignment across the entire district and move forward together as one consolidated school system.
We have examined this configuration through multiple lenses, including the number of school transitions students will experience, educational licensing and curriculum standards, the social and emotional development of children, current enrollment and building capacity, and the flexibility to accommodate future changes (such as the potential relocation of the Waterbury/Duxbury elementary school to the current Crossett Brook Middle School campus). Through this analysis, we have concluded that the PK–4 / 5–6 / 7–12 configuration is the most viable and effective model for our district. It meets our current needs while also providing a strong foundation for future planning.
We see reconfiguration as an opportunity not simply to reorganize our buildings, but to strengthen the educational experiences we provide across the entire district. We believe this can be accomplished while preserving the culture, relationships, and warmth that make our current schools special. We share this perspective not only as school leaders, but also as parents whose children attend or have attended our schools, and as residents of the communities we serve.
There is no question that change is difficult, particularly when it involves reductions in staffing, including our own positions. At the same time, we see tremendous possibilities in this new configuration. It creates opportunities to:
Restore or strengthen access to resources that some schools have lost, such as full-time nursing and library services.
Maintain more full-time positions within individual schools rather than stretching staff across multiple buildings.
Address inequities in student and staff experiences that have resulted from our current configuration.
Provide greater flexibility for student groupings, instructional collaboration, and learning opportunities that are difficult to offer in smaller school settings.
Establish a sustainable district structure while allowing our communities to thoughtfully consider longer-term facility and construction options.
The work ahead will be challenging and will require sustained focus, deep collaboration and dedicated time. We recognize and appreciate the questions and conversations that have brought forward different possible configurations. That exploration has been important, and we have taken the responsibility to consider these alternatives seriously.
Having examined the options from multiple educational, operational, and organizational perspectives, we believe a configuration that organizes schools by Pre-k-4th, 5th and 6th, and 7th-12th grades is the best. We hope to be able to now begin focusing our collective energy on the substantial work that lies ahead to successfully transition to this model.
We need to begin this next phase of work with clarity and a shared sense of purpose. There is much to be done to thoughtfully plan for this next iteration of HUUSD, preserving what is already working well in our schools, and building upon those strengths. We ask the board and our communities to support the Pre-K–4th / 5th–6th / 7th–12th grade configuration so that we can move forward together with the focus, intentionality, and care this transition requires.
Respectfully submitted,
Justina Boyden, Fayston principal
Jennifer Durren and Duane Pierson, Crossett Brook co-principals
Sam Krotinger, Warren principal
Kaiya Korb, Waitsfield principal
Kate Liptak, Moretown principal
Meg McDonough and Jess Deane, Harwood principal and assistant principal
Chris Neville and Sarah Schoolcraft, Brookside co-principals