Williston
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MARCH 21, 2024
Rene Sanchez
CVSD superintendent resigns WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
Rene Sanchez will step down as Champlain Valley School District superintendent after this school year, the Champlain Valley School Board announced in a news release Wednesday morning. Sanchez was hired in the spring of 2021. The announcement comes as the board had been conducting an annual performance evaluation of Sanchez during a series of closed door meetings over the past several weeks. It also follows the first Town Meeting Day rejection of a school budget since the district was formed
in 2017 out of a merger of smaller districts. Sanchez came to Vermont from South Bend, Ind., where he was an assistant school superintendent. He previously worked as a high school principal in his home state of Texas. His wife grew up in Brattleboro. CVSD board chair Meghan Metzler credits Sanchez with “many meaningful and lasting leadership decisions,” she said in the news release. They include creating the district’s first long-term strategic plan and a district-wide hub for student data. “The board greatly appreciates
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the contributions he’s made to the district,” Metzler said. “In particular, Superintendent Sanchez’s work on the district equity audit, and subsequent effort to establish positions to support the implementation of the resulting recommendations, is critical. These changes will continue to serve our students, administrators and staff as we all seek to bring more equity and understanding into our schools. “We wish him the very best in his next chapter.” The board plans to appoint an interim superintendent for the 2024-
2025 school year. “It has been a great honor to serve the Champlain Valley School District and to get established here in Vermont with my family,” Sanchez said in the news release. “The people here have been wonderful, and I have learned a great deal. I will look back on my time as CVSD superintendent knowing that together we made significant progress creating systems in service to our students and our community, and I greatly appreciate the board’s trust and support for our work.” — Jason Starr
Town budget revote expected mid-May BY JASON STARR Observer staff The Williston Selectboard will not be aligning the town’s budget revote with that of the Champlain Valley School District. Both budgets were rejected by voters at Town Meeting Day elections March 5. The school board met a week later and promptly set a revote for April 16 on a reduced spending proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. Selectboard members on Tuesday balked at trying to hold the town’s budget revote on the same day. “I don’t want to do it on that date,” selectboard member Greta D’Agostino said. “That feels too rushed.” The board is aiming for a midMay revote, and it gave town administrators some direction on Tuesday as to how much it’s looking to trim from the $15.3 million
proposal that failed on March 5. That budget carried a 10 percent ($1.37 million) increase over the current year. Board members directed Town Manager Erik Wells to come to their April 2 meeting with three tiers of spending cuts: one would cut the entire $1.37 million spending increase — a level-funded budget. Another would cut the increase to 7.5 percent, and another would cut the increase to 5 percent. Wells said every percentage point cut amounts to a reduction of about $150,000. If the increase is reduced by more than 2 percentage points, he said, staff cuts would be required. “I can run scenarios on what these reductions mean and how cutting staff would affect service delivery,” said Wells. The original budget would have increased property taxes by 11.5 percent. “It’s an aging population in
Williston on fixed incomes,” resident Sue Powers said during Tuesday’s meeting. “I don’t think it’s fair for them to come up with these increases … People don’t know if they’ll be able to stay in their homes. They’re not going to be able to if this continues. Every year it goes up, and it adds up.” The board plans to take more public input during its upcoming meetings — April 2 and April 16. In addition to setting a new budget proposal, the board will also be deciding whether to hold a revote on the two bond questions that voters rejected. One asked for up to $700,000 in borrowing approval for an expansion of the Town Hall parking lot. Another asked for up to $400,000 for the installation of a new fire suppression system at the Old Brick Church. “It’s not critical to move forward with these right away,” Wells said of the bond projects.
‘Lettuce Cook’ WCS Junior Iron Chefs get a taste of competition Above, Williston Central School’s Jr. Iron Chef team, “Lettuce Cook” is composed of, from left, Jackson Farr, Ryan Kelley, Ollie Charlton, Edward Whitcomb and Memphis Whitcomb. Ryan Kelley, right, checks in with teammates during the 16th annual Jr. Iron Chef competition at the Champlain Valley Exposition on March 9. See story on page 11. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTOS
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