Dresden Board Chair

This time last year, students could be seen hanging out on our campuses, concerts and plays were in full rehearsal mode, and our high school athletes were competing throughout the state. Then the world turned on its head. Overnight, teachers and students were asked to adapt in ways they had never imagined, amid fears for everyone’s health and safety. Immediately, our staff set to work on the necessary: ensuring that students had the materials to learn from home, that meals were delivered, and that families had the support they needed. Through the spring, we all adjusted to the ever-shifting new normal and learned from our missteps and breakthroughs. Everyone – teachers, staff, and parents – did a remarkable job engaging students in new and exciting home-based lessons, but missed being in the building and the unique learning opportunities that environment provides.

As summer finally came, we started to think about what might be possible as we asked questions, examined data, consulted experts, and listened to our community. We welcomed three new administrators to our team: Jim Logan as the Interim Principal at HHS, Debra Beaupre as the Associate Principal at HHS, and Robin Steiner as our Assistant Superintendent. They jumped right into their new roles, as our administrative teams worked with teachers and staff to define the “new normal.” Both RMS and HHS created Remote Academies with an array of offerings to meet the needs of at-home learners. Through their ongoing efforts, an entirely remote educational experience that we would have thought impossible only a year earlier, has become a wonderful reality. In the buildings, our custodians, staff, administrators, and teachers worked tirelessly to transform our physical spaces for students to return in the fall.

Throughout this year, students and staff throughout the district have demonstrated their adaptability, resilience, patience, and determination to protect one another in order to continue the in-person learning that we all value just a little bit more now. Students are learning in innovative ways: outdoor classrooms have become a regular part of the school day; athletics have incorporated masks and reduced travel to allow competition to resume; music and drama classes have combined masking, distancing, and alternative spaces to keep students performing. We recognize that none of this has been easy. Our staff and students have truly achieved the impossible through determination, collaboration, and daily appreciation for the support of this exceptional community.

Teachers, staff, and administrators have also embarked on an important equity initiative that began with an equity audit last year. Since September, teachers and staff have engaged in bi-monthly training sessions to explore the challenges facing our district, and incorporate greater equity and diversity acknowledgment into our daily practice. The pandemic has exacerbated many of the inequities we regularly see in our district, making this work all the more timely. Students have been asked to learn in vastly different home situations, confronting various health and learning challenges, and being able to access differing levels of technology and academic support. This is hard, emotionally-draining work, and our entire staff is to be commended for taking it on, particularly in these challenging times.

The 2021-22 Dresden budget reflects no programmatic increases above those that are contractually negotiated. While Hanover is expected to see a very small increase in their tax assessment, Norwich tax payers are facing a significant increase in the combined Dresden/Norwich School District assessment. Our administrators have gone through multiple iterations of the budget to remove all expenses that are not absolutely essential to the quality educational experience that we all expect for our students. The increases on the Norwich side of our district are driven by factors outside of our control, and arise despite a decrease to the Marion Cross School budget and an overall increase to the Dresden budget of less than 1.5 percent. Dresden will also experience a decrease in tuition revenue as Hanover sends fewer sixth graders to the middle school. In addition to costs related to taxation at the state level in Vermont, Norwich is responsible for a greater share of the 2020-21 Dresden budget due to a relative increase in their student population percentage (ADM) within Dresden. As an interstate board, we are aware of these larger financial pressures, and are mindful of the costs to our community.

This year, we are proposing two new warrant articles. First, we are asking you to allow the District to borrow funds to address significant shortcomings of the District’s current technology infrastructure. While these improvements have been planned for some time, their urgency became more apparent during the pandemic. If passed, the funds associated with this article will not affect next year’s tax rate, but will impact subsequent years. Secondly, we are proposing revisions to our current Hanover sixth grade tuition formula. As we see especially in Norwich this year, the current formula creates volatility that masks the true operating costs of our districts. Recently we have seen fluctuations as high as $936k, due to class size changes, and “catch-up” payments for unanticipated new students in the previous year. The proposed amendments would mean that the sixth grade cost allocation could follow the same method currently used for Dresden grades 7-12, which should result in more transparent, less volatile tax assessments to each town.

As the events of January 6 unfolded in our Capitol, I paused to consider with gratitude the democratic, collaborative, and restorative principles that drive our school community. The members of the Dresden School Board and School Administration recognize that the excellence of our schools depends on the support and involvement of our community. We are grateful for you and the confidence that you have placed in us, particularly in this year of difficult choices and necessary change. Together, we have made the impossible possible for our students.

—Kelly McConnell, Chair, Dresden School Board