Merging school superintendencies is not the same as consolidating school districts. Supervisory unions are not school districts. Unified unions are not supervisory unions. Confused? Below is an interview with Chittenden Central Supervisory Union Superintendent, Dr. Michael Deweese explaining the current landscape:

What is the issue?

This is about the potential consolidation of the Essex Town School District (ETSD) and Chittenden Central Supervisory Union (CCSU) superintendencies.  In technical terms, this is about supervisory union boundary adjustments. If this proposal goes forward, the four districts involved (Westford, Essex Junction, Essex Town, and Union #46) would be consolidated under one superintendency, expanding CCSU to those four member districts.  (CCSU is currently made up of the Westford, Essex Junction, and Union #46 School Districts.)

What is this issue not about?

This proposal is not about school governance reform.  This potential merger of school districts would not result in unifying member districts into a single school district (such as a Unified Union district).  Instead, this would result in four school districts  with four school boards, with a reduction from two superintendencies to one.

Why is this being proposed?

The Commissioner of Education has the responsibility to consider this opportunity when a superintendent’s position becomes vacant.  Because of a pending superintendent vacancy in ETSD at the end of this school year, the ETSD School Board needs the consent of the Commissioner to move forward in filling this vacancy.  At this time, the Commissioner is considering that board’s request to proceed with their work in filling this vacancy. If the Commissioner permits the ETSD School Board to go forward, then no consolidation will occur.  If he recommends to the State Board of Education that a supervisory union boundary adjustment may be appropriate, then the State Board has the authority to consider this consolidation.

What are the Next Steps?

If the Commissioner doesn’t recommend consolidation, then ETSD will remain its own Supervisory District and its board will proceed with its work on filling the superintendent vacancy.  If the Commissioner does recommend consolidation, then the State Board of Education will initiate a needs assessment to be conducted by the Vermont Department of Education (DOE).  The State Board will thereafter make its determination based upon receipt of that assessment.

What would be different?

If ETSD and CCSU were consolidated, there would be a single superintendent and CCSU would go from:

• Three school boards to four
• Six budgets to seven
• Five bargaining units to seven
• $54 million in annual expenditures to $75 million
• 3,100 students to 4,400 students
• Seven schools to 10 schools
• 600 regular employees to 800 regular employees
• Nine Supervisory Union Board members to 12
• 16 school board members to 21

The graphs illustrate CCSU’s current configuration and a combined CCSU/ETSD configuration (based on the percentage of student enrollment in each district).

What’s the history between these two organizations?

Until 1978, ETSD was a member district of CCSU, at which time it was authorized by the State Board of Education to become its own preK-grade 8 district.  In 1996, voters in Essex Junction and Essex Town decided to form a union high school district (now the Union #46 School District) and what was formerly Essex Junction High School became Essex High School (EHS).  Today, it is atypical for a member of a union high school district (ETSD) not to be part of the supervisory union of the union high school (EHS).  Since 1996, the Union #46 School District Board has had six board members, three each from Essex Town and Essex Junction.  Today, Essex Town students represent the majority of students attending EHS.

In 2003, member community boards commissioned a citizen study group to examine local school governance options.  This study group was co-chaired by Tom Torti of Essex Town and Mike Quinn of Essex Junction.  The committee reviewed school governance options and rejected consolidation of ETSD into CCSU (through an expansion of CCSU).  They unanimously (13-0) recommended a more formal study occur, specifically on the merits of a Unified Union School District.  In 2006-2007, another citizen committee was formed as authorized by voters.  Working over a year and a half, this committee (chaired by Ken Booream of Essex Town) unanimously (16-0) recommended voters consider the formation of a Unified Union School District (i.e. one school district, one school board for the communities of Westford, Essex Junction, Essex Town, and to include EHS).  Voters thereafter rejected this idea in each community.