School Board Hears
Early Survey Results
By Martha Slater

At its Dec. 19 meeting, the Rochester School Board heard from selectboard member Charlie Biederman, who spoke about preliminary results from the Quin-Town survey.

The survey is part of a regional planning project done in cooperation with the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission.

Biederman, who is on the Quin-Town planning committee, said about 20% of residents in the five towns had returned the survey so far. The results will be discussed at Town Meetings in March.

Biederman noted that 45% of the respondents were over 60 years old, 70% were over 40, and 60% had lived here 11 years or more. He gave the board a brief summary of school-related data collected.

Biederman noted respondents shared a concern for keeping the quality of life in their towns.

"There are a lot of pressures coming in from all directions," he said. "We need to be aware of that and work together. You can’t sit still and hope that nothing happens to change your way of life."

School board members will review the results and discuss them further at their next meeting.

WNWSU Deficit

Chairman Becky Donnet reported on her meeting with interim WNWSU business manager Ollie Jacob. She praised his work over the past several months to clear up accounting errors in the WNWSU office in order to give the board an accurate picture of the financial situation.

(The WNWSU reported an unexpected deficit of $200,000 at its latest meeting; see related stories on page one by Chris Costanzo.)

A lengthy and somewhat heated discussion ensued, during which several board members asked pointed questions about problems encountered with reports from that office over the past three years.

At the conclusion of their discussion, the board voted 3-1 to pay a $43,545 invoice for the Oct. 18 special education assessment.

CLA Drops

Donnet also reported the unwelcome news that the common level of appraisal, which was 97.25, had dropped to 89.91.

A drop in the CLA means an automatic rise in tax rates, according to the state formula.

Donnet gave an update on education support personnel contract negotiations.

WNWSU Supt. Tim Mock reported on applications received in the principal search and said he expected the search committee would make recommendations to the board by February.

Who Will Plow?

Board member Barb DeHart brought up the topic of who would clear the sidewalks in the village, since the school owns the snow removal equipment.

Last year, the school was responsible for this task, but Principal Bob Gray said he and the board agreed that they wanted the town to take it over. The school board will propose a solution in writing to the selectboard.

The board approved proposed policies on alcohol, drug, and chemical abuse, and on student conduct and discipline.

Gray said a recent emergency evacuation drill went smoothly, with all the school kids moved to the church, and all emergency personnel doing their parts well.

Parents had received a letter in advance of the drill, but Gray said the next drill will be done without prior notification to parents or students.

Mock gave a report on the final audit on 2004-05, done by the accounting firm Angolano and Co.. The board voted to accept those figures.

The board voted to participate in the Winooski Valley School Choice Collaborative.

Donnet noted the Bethel and Rochester school boards would meet jointly Dec. 20 to discuss ways the two schools might share resources. (See page one story.)

The board spent the remainder of the meeting in executive session discussing what was described as "a board matter."

The next regular meeting of the Rochester School Board will be Tuesday, Jan. 16, 5:30 p.m., in Mr. Parson’s classroom at the high school.

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