Vermont Public is independent, community-supported media, serving Vermont with trusted, relevant and essential information. We share stories that bring people together, from every corner of our region. New to Vermont Public? Start here.

© 2024 Vermont Public | 365 Troy Ave. Colchester, VT 05446

Public Files:
WVTI · WOXM · WVBA · WVNK · WVTQ · WVTX
WVPR · WRVT · WOXR · WNCH · WVPA
WVPS · WVXR · WETK · WVTB · WVER
WVER-FM · WVLR-FM · WBTN-FM

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact hello@vermontpublic.org or call 802-655-9451.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Act 46 Votes Split On Latest Merger Plans

There were mixed results in the latest Act 46 votes Tuesday.

Act 46 is Vermont's school district consolidation law, and districts that were able to get their plans approved before July 1st receive extra tax incentives.

Voters on Tuesday in the Orleans Central and Franklin Northeast supervisory unions rejected their merger proposals.

Franklin Northeast Superintendent Jay Nichols says the turnout was good, even though each of the five towns in the district voted against the consolidation plan.

"Compared to what we have in our regular town meeting day votes, or when there's a national election ,or whatever, to have a vote on June 7 with that many people coming out, I thought was really good," Nichols says. "It's clear that people are not ready to move forward with an accelerated, unified plan."

But in the Chittenden South and Washington West districts, voters overwhelmingly supported their merger plans.

In the Washington West supervisory union, almost 80 percent of the voters supported the plan to merge the schools in Warren, Waitsfield, Moretown, Fayston, Duxbury and Waterbury under a single, unified board.

Howard Weiss-Tisman is Vermont Public’s southern Vermont reporter, but sometimes the story takes him to other parts of the state.
Latest Stories