The RNESU Act 46 Study Committee has recommended the creation of two new unified union school districts through merging the governance of existing member districts in a Side-by-Side Merger process outlined by the state legislature. The two districts will be the Otter Valley Unified Union School District, serving the towns of Brandon, Goshen, Leicester, Pittsfield, Sudbury and Whiting, and the Barstow Unified Union School District, serving the towns of Chittenden and Mendon.
Under the proposal, the Otter Valley Unified Union School District (OVUUSD) would unify six town school districts and the union high school district into a single unified union school district with a single 13-member governing board. Nine of the board seats would be apportioned to the six member towns according to town population. The remaining four would be at-large seats. At present, town populations would result in three seats designated for Brandon representatives, two for Pittsford and one each for Goshen, Leicester, Sudbury and Whiting.
Becky Bertrand and Ellen L. Kurrelmeyer are competing for the two-year Whiting seat on the board.
None of the five existing elementary schools in the Otter Valley region would be closed for at least four years, according to the proposal, unless closure is approved by the voters of the town where the school is located. After the four-year period, a school could be closed with a two-thirds vote of the OVUUSD board. If a school is closed, its town would have the right to purchase the property for $1, provided it is used for public purposes for a minimum of five years.
If the proposal is approved by all member towns, the OVUUSD would begin operation on July 1, 2016.
For more information:
- Otter Valley Unified Plan and Articles.
- Otter Valley Special Meeting Warning.
- Otter Valley School Board Candidate Ballot.
- Consolidation FAQ.
