Vermonters in several school districts approve revised budgets

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) - Voters hit the polls again in many Vermont communities on Tuesday to decide on their school budgets.

Residents in South Burlington and St. Johnsbury passed school budgets after a third vote Tuesday. On their second try, voters in Essex-Westford and Washington Central Unified Union School District also passed their budgets.

South Burlington’s budget passed with a vote of 2,242-1,706, St. Johnsbury’s passed 673-475, and Essex-Westford’s passed 2,404-1,925. Washington Central Unified Union School District also passed its budget on a count of 1,222-1,023,

But the Alburgh School District did not pass its second budget, voting 136-100 against the spending plan. They will now prepare for a third vote.

“I really appreciate the hard work that our school board did to reduce it just like the community asked for and I’m happy to support our community, our students. I mean the kids are our future, so I can’t imagine not wanting to support this,” said Jessica Neiles, an Essex resident.

The EWSD school board says they tried to make as many cuts as possible to appease taxpayers while doing what’s best for the school community. The more than $93 million budget voted on Tuesday was reduced by $4.5 million compared to the one that failed on Town Meeting Day. The district is the second largest in Vermont, serving roughly 4,500 pre-K to high school students in Essex Town, Essex Junction and Westford.

Most voters we spoke to seemed strongly in favor of the budget’s passing.

“My kids have been in the school recently, my wife works in the schools periodically, and I know the needs that they have, and I want to have really good schools so I’m willing to pay a little more if I need to,” said Dan Davis of Essex.

“A community simply has to look into the future and decide that they’re gonna support the children’s education or not. You can always make more money or find more money, but you can’t always find a better education,” said Tom Jiamachello of Essex.

Others who voted no cited the property taxes as their main reason.

The second budget would raise property tax rates by nearly 10% in Westford, just over 12% in Essex Town, and nearly 15% in Essex Junction.

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