At the Pierson
State champs
Lecturer addresses how birding can change the world
Girls’ Nordic team wins Division I title
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Volume 53 Number 10
shelburnenews.com
In Shelburne
March 7, 2024
Community eats
Town budget, other ballot items pass LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
At Shelburne’s 236th annual Town Meeting Day, residents passed the town’s $13 million municipal budget, approved three additional ballot items, and voted in two uncontested selectboard candidates. While most of the voting happened at the polls Tuesday, the town opted this year to keep some of the unique Town Meeting Day traditions alive, including a soldout lasagna dinner on Monday night in the Shelburne Community School cafeteria and a floor vote that saw 150 people approve selectboard salaries. However, the biggest surprise of the night was a last-minute motion made by resident Adam Franz to pass a resolution that Shelburne call for an immediate
ceasefire in Gaza, which overwhelmingly passed after some debate. “Why am I bringing this motion tonight? Is this not a conflict on the other side of the world? Isn’t Town Meeting Day for local issues only?” he said. “Unfortunately, this is not just a conflict all the way over there. It’s an issue that touches each and every one of us every day. Vermont has a proud history of standing up for justice around the world.”
Town budget In a 1,531 to 989 vote, residents approved a town budget of $13 million, a roughly 21 percent increase over last year. With a 2 percent increase in the grand list, See TOWN MEETING DAY on page 10
PHOTO BY LIBERTY DARR
Pam Brangan, right, a member of the town’s housing committee and food shelf volunteer, seated next to other volunteers during the town dinner. Brangan took home the Colleen Haag Award for public service at this year’s Town Meeting Day.
Voters reject school budget, $3.6 million bond passes COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER
The Champlain Valley School District’s budget was voted down Tuesday night, throwing the financial future of the state’s largest school district into question. Just over 5,000 votes were
cast against the district’s $105.8 million budget, with 3,391 votes in favor. The vote will almost certainly force the district to consider measurable cuts to programs and faculty to reshape next year’s school finances. It’s a gut punch to a district that has been severely disadvantaged
by recent changes to the state’s education finance system. Board members and administration officials will likely first look to cut support positions in the district that, in previous years, were funded through federal COVID-19 relief funds, called ESSER funds.
District officials, when finalizing the budget in recent weeks, made a point to fund 17 of the 24 federally funded positions that they deemed critical — special education support staff, para-educators, English language specialists, academic and behavioral interventionists, school counselors
and socials workers among them. Those may now be at risk. Voters did approve a $3.6 million bond Tuesday night, meant to complete infrastructure projects that were already bonded in See SCHOOL BUDGET on page 11
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