REGION – The Taconic & Green Regional School District (T&G) will be meeting on Monday, March 17, to discuss options for the future alignment of its schools. The meeting will be held in the gymnasium of the Manchester Elementary Middle School, from 7-9 p.m.
This is the next step in T&G’s ongoing work to determine the best school configuration for equitable and quality education for its students as they plan for the future. At this session, Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU) Superintendent Randi Lowe and architects from TruexCullins will offer a few proposals for the T&G Board to consider.
The public is encouraged to attend the March 17 meeting. Background information on work completed to date, plus a link that allows you to join the meeting remotely, can be found at www.brsu.org. GNAT TV will cover the meeting live on Comcast Channel 1084, and its various streaming channels found at GNAT TV.org. T&G serves nine Northshire communities – Danby, Dorset, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Mount Tabor, Peru, Sunderland, and Weston.
“T&G has been exploring the development of a regional middle school and reconfiguration of our entire system for the past two-and-a-half years,” says Lowe. “During that time, we have gathered feedback from teachers, staff, parents, demographers, architects, education professionals, and members of the local community. It’s time for the T&G Board to finalize a proposal and allow the public to vote and make the ultimate decision.”
T&G’s work takes place at the same time the Vermont’s Legislature and governor are considering fundamental reform of the state’s education funding and governance model. At this time, expectations are that any agreement in Montpelier will include school and district consolidation statewide, meaning T&G will probably no longer exist following state level decisions.
“Depending on the final results of this statewide education transformation, this may be the last opportunity we will have as a local community to make decisions for our students,” says Lowe. “We must ask ourselves, what steps can we take now as a community for our kids? How can we best prepare ourselves for the future?”
T&G is one of three school districts in the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU), and provides K-8 public education in five schools: Currier Memorial School, Flood Brook School, Manchester Elementary Middle School, Sunderland Elementary, and The Dorset School. T&G students in secondary school (grades 9-12) are provided with school choice.
The March 17 meeting agenda, with a link for remote viewing, can be found at www.brsu.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=2402.
A background information on The Future of Our Schools is at www.brsu.org/page/future-of-our-schools.
Background information on the T&G Middle School Study can be found at www.benningtonrutlandvt.sites.thrillshare.com/o/brsu/page/taconic-and-green-middle-school-study.