School budget: Vote yes, then write your legislators

February 26, 2026

To the Community:

We are in a tough spot with our school budget. You have to ask yourself, is it fair? Are the school board and administrators doing the best for students, teachers, and taxpayers? It appears they (we) are caught between a rock and a hard place.

There are state and federal laws that require schools to provide services for special education, healthcare premiums, maintenance, salaries, and pre-K student services, to name a few. What can be cut? No options there.

So what to do? Start cutting! OK, where, who? 

It is my understanding that the following have already been cut: elementary foreign language programs, nursing staff, bus routes, some administrative staff, funding to extracurriculars like athletics, technology aids for students, the number of preK centers, and they reduced the number of sections by one in each K-4 grade at Brookside.

I have thought that consolidation of middle schools and some elementary schools might be a solution. TruexCullins consultants were hired to assess this option and reported that it would take a significant amount of money (think bond vote) to do that. For example, moving Fayston Elementary kids to Waitsfield would entail adding some classrooms as there aren’t empty classrooms. Are you ready to vote for a bond??

Over the past three years, the budget has been cut by $7.5 million or roughly 15%.

What’s the solution? Vote NO? Cut more?

Our current system is broken. We need to pressure our elected legislators to design a system of school financing. We have a complicated property tax formula. We have a decrease in student population and an aging population. 

As a taxpayer in the district, I’m willing to fork over my money to support our schools. Please vote YES. Yes, it’s painful. Yes, it’s a stretch for many homeowners as they see their taxes go up. But, does voting NO change the system we have now of how we fund our education?

Our school board is working hard to propose a budget that will fund our schools without further cuts and is proposing a budget of 5.44% increase.

As a retired Harwood Union High School teacher, it grieves me to see the stress that current teachers are feeling with this impending vote. They are stretched thin. I personally had two of our kids go through HUUSD and know first-hand the dedication of the teachers and the quality of their education. They got an excellent education. 

Please support our teachers, staff and students. Vote YES and write to your legislators!

Connie Perignat-Lisle

Waterbury