FRANKLIN WEST UNION LIKELY TO REMAIN INTACT

Franklin West Union likely to remain intact

Ed. Commissioner meets with board

By LEON THOMPSON
Messenger Staff Writer

FAIRFAX — Keep things as is.

That is the message 15 Franklin West Supervisory Union (FWSU) school directors sent to Education Commissioner Richard Cate Wednesday night when he visited Bellows Free-Academy Fairfax.

Cate's trip was in response to Superintendent Phil Higgins' recent announcement that he would depart from the district in June, after six years on the job.

Cate explained that, under state statute, he and the state board could review supervisory union boundaries and explore whether boundaries need modification, and whether a new superintendent is necessary. Those changes, while it appears unlikely, could include a merger with a neighboring supervisory union.

The meeting in Fairfax was the sixth such session Cate has held in Vermont in two years. His predecessors - seven in 8 1/2 years - were not in his position long enough to conduct similar studies, he said.

"It's not something that state boards have done a lot of," Cate said. "This is really pretty routine, as far as I'm concerned. But no one can really remember the last time it was done."

With the FWSU covering such a small geographic area compared to others in the state, Cate wanted to give Fletcher, Georgia, and Fairfax school officials an opportunity to discuss their preferred direction.

"This is just your shot at telling me to do something one way or the other," Cate said. "It doesn't have to he a lengthy process."

It wasn't. For about 45 minutes, FWSU leaders told Cate a district shake-up could have a detrimental effect on the continuity, its solidarity, and the strong curriculum that has been developed in recent years.

"I think we demonstrate purpose, support and direction for our kids," said Scott Lang, BFA-Fairfax principal.

Ron King, of the Georgia School Board, said Georgia has already explored new options for its school system and decided to maintain the status quo.

Even if Georgia seceded to another supervisory union alone, students would not benefit, and retaining success and the curriculum would be endangered, King said.

Also, King said, no surrounding district could smoothly absorb just one FWSU town, let alone the whole supervisory union. He added that because Georgia and Fairfax are in the same Vermont House district, they should remain in one union.

"Our feeling is that our town isn't ready to change the structure," King said. "The three schools work tremendously well together."

Betsy Lesnikoski, of Fletcher, said her town benefits from its spot in the FWSU. When Fletcher was part of the Lamoille North Supervisory Union, there was less coordination, she said.

Lesnikoski, who also chairs the FWSU Board, said if Fletcher moved to a larger supervisory union again, it could be overshadowed and overlooked by other larger schools.

"It's kind of scary to think of being broken off and sent to Neverland as somebody's second cousin again," she said.

Greg Beeman, of the BFA-Fairfax School Board, asked the commissioner if he saw any glaring motivations for the FWSU to join another district.

"I haven't seen any," Cate answered. "No."

The Education Department has discussed supervisory union mergers for months. The goal is to eliminate the need to build new schools and create a single entity with one common board and administration.

The theory is that consolidated districts would be more efficient and economical.

No new initiatives have emerged from consolidation talks at the state level, Cate said. Some districts have studies mergers, moved in that direction, and then backed off.

Beeman said district mergers may pose an up-front savings, but that there would be no significant, long-term cost reductions.

"It seems your whole system still needs to be in place," Beeman said.

Cate agreed. He said the state must have a conversation about what works and what doesn't within the current system and focus more on coordinating school governance structures, not necessarily merging districts.

"You can eliminate all the central offices in the entire state," he said, "and you won't save enough money to do anything.

"I'm not a believer in saying, 'Here's a box, and everybody in Vermont needs to fit in that box.'"

Cate will make his FWSU recommendation to the State Education Board at a Feb. 21 meeting. If state education directors reject his suggestion - which he deemed highly unlikely - he would return to the FWSU before any formal action by the board, he said.