SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The board of the Springfield School District would like to thank the voters and the community for their support of the 2024-2025 budget. After six meetings between the board, administration, and community, many concerns and ideas were exchanged, which resulted in very positive energy surrounding the board and community engagement. On Tuesday, May 21, the community approved the fiscal year 2025 budget.
During the budget meetings, the community raised many valid questions and asked the board to consider different approaches to the budget development. As a result of the meetings, the board believes there is real positive energy coming from the community. One positive result is that there are a number of community members who have already stepped up to be a part of the fiscal year 2026 budget committee, to help formulate the budget. Some common themes that came out of the budget meetings were to consolidate buildings, reduce administrative overhead, improve student success, and better understand the district’s capital plan.
Although the board has taken actions in the past to reduce administration, the board is constantly evaluating the district and its staffing to run more effectively and efficiently. The board looked at the opportunity of the vacant principal position at Elm Hill School. After much evaluation, consideration, and planning, the district has decided it would be best from both an educational standpoint and a budgetary standpoint to combine the pre-K director position and the Elm Hill principal position into one primary principal position.
The consolidation in leadership will provide an opportunity for our youngest students to experience a more consistent approach to their education. There will be a focus placed on play-based instruction, developmentally appropriate practices, and helping our primary age students develop the necessary social skills they need to be successful both inside and outside the classroom. There will be an emphasis placed upon literacy, math, physical activity, recess, and outdoor learning. We are committed to strengthening our ties with our families and community.
The district has reassigned staff with the skills and expertise in primary education to work in this new primary education environment. We are looking forward to and expecting great results to come out of this change. The community’s conversations during the budget meetings helped us make this decision, which we believe will ultimately provide a stronger start to our students’ education, while at the same time saving the taxpayers money going forward.
Currently, the administrative offices have been moved from Park Street to Springfield High School (SHS) last spring. The district is operating two pre-K classrooms out of the third floor of the River Valley Technical Center (RVTC). The RVTC was not designed for pre-K aged students.
The board will engage in discussions with the administration to determine the best way to consolidate our facilities to four (Elm Hill School, Union Street School, Riverside Middle School, and SHS). Currently, the district administration is temporarily located at the high school through June 30, 2025, and pre-K is located at RVTC on a year to year basis.
The board will soon select community members for the upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget development, with an immediate need to provide input into the district’s capital plan, which the board adopts each year.
We look forward to engaging with the families and community as we perform this very valuable work at future board meetings.
For more information, contact Board Chair Troy Palmer at 802-885-7805 or tpalmer@ssdvt.org.