LUDLOW, Vt. – Voters will decide on Tuesday, June 4, whether to accept the revised budget for the Ludlow Mount Holly Unified Union School District. Voting is from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the town hall in Ludlow and the town office in Mount Holly. Residents may also vote at their town offices any time the office is open before Tuesday.
The proposed budget would increase property taxes by about 1.3% in Ludlow and 3.9% in Mount Holly. These tax increases have been dramatically reduced since the original budget by the combination of spending reductions and actions of the state legislature.
The biggest increases in the budget are beyond local control. The largest increase of $542,016 is the assessment to the TRSU, primarily for special education. The next increase is $447,856 for tuition for middle and high school students, as the district no longer operates its own high school. The third big increase is $355,117 to the capital reserve fund, primarily to replace the Mount Holly boiler. It is on its last legs, and if it were to fail next winter, the school would have to close while awaiting its replacement. The rest of the budget will decrease by more than $200,000.
Business officer Cheryl Hammond explained that the state determined that the value of homes and property increased by 13% this year in Mount Holly and 11% in Ludlow. The complicated formula for financing schools bases the calculation on what they think the property is really worth, instead of the assessed value. As a result, even though the base budget will decrease by 10%, taxes will go up by 1.3% in Ludlow and 3.9% in Mount Holly.
TRSU Superintendent Lauren Fierman explained that she worked with the school principals to minimize spending while maintaining the excellence of our schools. Further reductions would require reducing the number of teachers and support staff, and reduce the quality of students’ education.
School committee members said that Ludlow and Mount Holly have excellent schools with better results than the Vermont average, even though we are spending less than the state average per weighted pupil. They noted that the quality of our schools attracts new residents, and that if we allow the reputation of the schools to decrease, then potential new families will be more likely to choose other towns.
Superintendent Fierman explained that the district must continue submitting budgets until the voters approve. There is no fallback budget, though the district may borrow some money to meet expenses until a budget is approved.