Forest species loss in real time
Tess Everett earns top honors
Ethan Tapper goes deep on cryptid function loss
Field hockey player nabs regional recognition
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Volume 52 Number 8
shelburnenews.com
Selectboard, school candidates weigh in at forum LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Two Shelburne selectboard candidates and one Champlain Valley School District school board candidate covered a variety of topics surrounding affordable housing, bike and pedestrian safety, green energy, policing and other issues during an hour-anda-half long community forum last week. Luce Hillman is running for reelection on the selectboard for a two-year term, and Andrew Everett is running unopposed for a three year seat on the selectboard vacated by Kate Lalley. Dave Connery is also running unopposed for Champlain Valley School District school board and has previously been on the school board from 2012 until 2020.
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Flying high
Since these are uncontested races, discussions were more collaborative in nature with all three sharing similar viewpoints to big issues within the town. “Part of me is a little sad that we’re all sitting up here running unopposed,” said Everett. “I don’t know what that says about democracy. That’s either really good because we have three tremendous candidates that no one thought was worth beating, and we’re in great shape, it’s a sad reflection that we don’t have other people wanting to go. So, I had mixed feelings about that.”
Affordable Housing The first question that kicked off the night was directed to the See CANDIDATES on page 16
Students return amid staffing shortages ABIGAIL CARROLL COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE
Vermont schools face critical staff shortages midway through the academic year, education leaders say, with some suggesting the state hack away at its 1,000 teacher and staff vacancies by providing loan support and reducing red tape in licensing and certification. Before the school year, a Vermont Superintendents Association study found there were around 1,200 open jobs in K-12 schools. Midway through the academic year, more than 1,000 positions
for teachers, special educators and support staff remain open according to Vermont Principals Association executive director Jay Nichols. Staff shortages were a problem before the pandemic, but the problem has been exacerbated since. “Fifty percent of teachers who begin (their careers) leave teaching after five years,” Colin Robinson, political director for the Vermont National Education Association, told legislators last week. Teachers struggle with scarce See STAFF SHORTAGES on page 13
PHOTO BY AL FREY
Players from CVU and South Burlington played a hard-fought game as the season wound down for the teams this week. See story on page 11.