To the editor:
I attended the MVU [Mountainview Union Elementary School District] informational meeting on May 14.
The OSSU [Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union] building operations manager, Joe Houston, explained the timeline for the repairs on the [Wolcott Elementary School] fire escape. The repairs are to be completed by August 14. However, we are still waiting for the structural engineer report that should be back to the board sometime in June. The report will give the board details of repairs to be done to satisfy the Fire Marshall’s list of concerns. The board said they have no money budgeted in the proposed budget to pay for repairs to the fire escape. They didn’t explain where the money would come from however. One would assume that they will have to use money from the capital fund to fix whatever repairs are necessary. The cost is still a big unknown.
The board voted to form a sub-committee to study pros and cons of school consolidation. Committee members will include one community member from each of the four towns, plus four board members and administration. There was lots of discussion and a plea from a board member to add a directive for a vote on consolidation on election day, November 3. The board decided they couldn’t take the step of committing to a vote until they reviewed the work that the subcommittee will complete by October 1. The request to have a vote on the findings by the four towns, the most important part of the proposal, did not get the board’s approval.
The proposed sub-committee’s findings should shed light on many consolidation questions if the study is done without bias. However, I believe if we pass the budget without a commitment from the board to move forward with a vote on consolidation of K-6, the board will not agree to initiate the vote after the study is complete.
Consolidation may not save us lots of money in taxes. However there is clear evidence that by combining the financial resources of both schools we could provide equatable opportunities for all of our MVU students. In the proposed ’26-’27 budget we have unmet needs at HES [Hardwick Elementary School].
Board members are quick to tell you they represent all the students in the MVU district. If so, they could have met those needs in the ’26-’27 budget had they been willing to consolidate. We need a path forward where we will be meeting student needs with an educationally and fiscally sound budget. The current budget fails on both accounts.
I will vote “no” on May 20.
Perhaps a fourth vote in June will bring about agreements from the board to let the voters weigh in on consolidation. Then the board can create in November-December a ’27-’28 budget that does meet the needs of all of our students.
We have a unified school district. It is time we have a unified school with stability and certainty.
Harold McCoy, Hardwick
