Town Plan
Section 12: Education
Private Preschool, Elementary, and Secondary Schools
Rutland South Supervisory Union
Wallingford Elementary School
The
Wallingford Elementary School, located on a seven-acre lot on School Street, was
constructed in 1952 and expanded in 1969. In
1992, two temporary classroom units were added.
Instruction at the school is provided in a range of traditional subject
areas. The school also offers
library services, music and art instruction, guidance counseling and special
education.
Operation
of the school is governed by a five member volunteer school board.
Members of the board, who set policy and present the annual budget to
voters at Town Meetings, are elected on a staggered basis for two and three year
terms. Paid staff at the school
includes the principal, 18 full-time teachers, and 13 part and full-time
instructional support staff. Staffing
levels change in response to shifts in the school population, changes in the
school’s programs and budgetary decisions.
The
work of school volunteers permeates the environment at Wallingford Elementary
School. This spirit of community
support truly brings meaning to a poster in the buildings that reads
Together
We Can Make A Difference
Recently, Act
68 was passed to govern school funding across the State.
Its overall purpose is to simplify Act 60. The major change between the two is the elimination of the
“Sharing Pool” under Act 60. Act 68 creates a direct connection
between the local spending per student and the property taxes for homesteads.
For non-homesteads it sets a state-wide rate regardless of local spending.
Under Act 68 the state sets a base amount that represents education
spending per equalized pupils. For FY2005 that amount is $6,800.
This is reviewed annually. The state sets a base tax rate, currently
$1.05. So each district compares their local spending per equalized pupil
to the base amount and applies that ratio to the base tax rate to come up with
the local tax rate. Since that is an equalized rate, it is divided by the
Common Level of Appraisal. This results in the estimated local tax rate.
Presently,
primary homesteads are assessed at $1.10 per $100 of fair market property value,
while secondary homes and commercial property are assessed at $1.59.
These figures are subject to change.
Three types of homestead tax adjustments address issues of income
sensitivity under Act 68. Currently, the House has passed a bill, H540, that reduced
these numbers to $1.05, $1.54, and 1.9% respectively. The bill is in committee in the Senate.
The
state has recently adopted several different education funding strategies.
Presently, the town is unable to predict how Act 68 will affect town tax
levels.
Attendance
at the Wallingford Elementary School is open to children in kindergarten through
grade six who reside in the Town of Wallingford.
Although primarily a place of learning, the school serves as a community
center and is available for varied activities.
For example, the school is used by community groups such as the Girl
Scouts and Boy Scouts, volleyball and basketball leagues, church organizations,
and civic groups. The school is
also used for Town Meeting, the Annual School Meeting, meetings of Fire District
# 1, and other public meetings related to town governance.
Current
enrollment at the school is 171. Enrollment
at the school has fluctuated widely since the 1989-90 school year.
(See Table 12.1a) For
the past five years enrollment has been steadily dropping.
In the past five years, kindergarten
classes have been about 20 students, with the exception of the 2001-02, school
year, which had 31 entering students. The
projected enrollment for kindergarten students for the 2004-05 school year is
20.
TABLE
12.1a—WALLINGFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, 1984-1997
|
School
Year |
Enrollment |
|
School
Year |
Enrollment |
|
1989-90 |
236 |
1997-98 |
201 |
|
|
1990-91 |
245 |
1998-99 |
204 |
|
|
1991-92 |
258 |
1999-00 |
186 |
|
|
1992-93 |
|
2000-01 |
165 |
|
|
1993-94 |
258 |
2001-02 |
162 |
|
|
1994-95 |
240 |
2002-03 |
162 |
|
|
1995-96 |
241 |
2003-04 |
171 |
|
|
1996-97 |
211 |
2004-05
(est) |
168 |
Source:
Wallingford Town Reports
The
capacity of the school is estimated at 240-250 students.
This estimate of capacity recognized both physical and program
constraints and is based on the results of the Vermont Public School Approval (PSA)
review program. Currently, the
school is well below full capacity. Wallingford
Elementary School was reviewed for compliance with the PSA process in 1987.
The PSA report was prepared at a time when enrollment at the school was
considerably higher than it is today. Since
the PSA report was released, the recommendations have been addressed in a number
of different ways. In 1990, the
school received a certificate stating that Wallingford Elementary School was in
full compliance with State standards.
Extensive
renovations to the school’s plumbing, heating, electrical and fire safety
systems have been completed to meet applicable building, fire and safety codes.
Other more recent projects include an energy efficient lighting retrofit,
preventative maintenance on the heating system.
Capital improvement projects are needed to address the following areas:
·
Replacement of the roof
·
Replacement
of underground fuel tank.
Capital
equipment owned or controlled by the school includes busses, a light tractor,
playground equipment, computers and office equipment.
Of the two busses maintained by the school, one is a handicapped
accessible vehicle with a wheelchair lift.
The light tractor is used for grounds maintenance.
The playground equipment is used for recreational purposes and meets
current needs. Substantial
improvements to the playground have been made through the efforts of a parent
volunteer playground committee.
Mill River Union High School
Wallingford
sends secondary school students (those in grades 7 - 12) to Mill River Union
High School. MRUHS, which was
built in 1975, occupies a forty-acre parcel on Middle Road in Clarendon.
A major addition was completed in 1996-97.
A variety of secondary, vocational-technical, and college preparatory
classes are offered. The facility
also boasts a fully equipped drama unit and stage, music facilities, and home
economics and industrial arts areas, including a kiln, a darkroom, printing
presses and a small engine repair shop.
Faculty
at the school includes a principal, 3 housemasters, and 78 teachers and
instructional support staff. Administrative
and support services not provided in-house are provided by staff of the Rutland
South Supervisory Union.
Wallingford’s
share of the cost of operating MRUHS has decreased in recent years due to the
decrease in Wallingford’s high school-aged population.
The Town makes its contributions to the school based on the number of
students from Wallingford who attend Mill River.
TABLE
12.2a—MEMBER DISTRICT ASSESSMENTS TO MRUHS
|
Member
District |
Enrollment |
Percent |
Assessment |
|
Clarendon |
220 |
44% |
$2,213,399 |
|
Shrewsbury |
110 |
22% |
$1,114,262 |
|
Wallingford |
170 |
34% |
$1,717,415 |
|
Total |
500 |
100% |
$5,045,440 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per
Student Assessment (2004-2005):
$10,091
Non-resident
Tuition Rate (2004-2005): $8,390*
*Does not included transportation, vocational, and special education costs
which are funded separately by tuition districts |
|||
Source:
2004 Annual School Report
Attendance at
Mill River Union High School is open to all students in grades seven through
twelve who reside in the towns of Clarendon, Wallingford and Shrewsbury.
The school also accepts tuition students.
This year there are 220 students paying tuition to attend MRUHS.
Use
of MRUHS is broad-based, reflecting the school’s role as a community center.
In addition to regular classroom activities, for example, the school is
used ‘after hours’ for adult and continuing education classes, seminars,
public meetings and performances.
Enrollment
at the high school currently stands at 794 students, of whom approximately 170
are residents of the Town of Wallingford.
As Wallingford’s share of MRUHS’s enrollment has fluctuated over the
years, so have the number of School Board seats held by Wallingford residents.
Presently, Wallingford holds two seats on the MRUHS School Board. Like
members of the local school boards, members of the high school board also set
policy and help prepare and present an annual budget.
TABLE
12.2b—WALLINGFORD ENROLLMENT AT MILL RIVER UNION HIGH SCHOOL
School
Year
|
Enrollment
|
%
of Total MRUHS Enrollment |
|
School
Year
|
Enrollment
|
%
of total MRUHS Enrollment |
|
1989-90 |
193 |
24.6 |
1997-98 |
225 |
28.3 |
|
|
1990-91 |
179 |
23.0 |
1998-99 |
222 |
|
|
|
1991-92 |
168 |
21.9 |
1999-00 |
222 |
27.2 |
|
|
1992-93 |
184 |
23.7 |
2000-01 |
199 |
26.6 |
|
|
1993-94 |
181 |
23.6 |
2001-02 |
200 |
27.1 |
|
|
1994-95 |
191 |
24.8 |
2002-03 |
192 |
26.3 |
|
|
1995-96 |
199 |
25.7 |
2003-04 |
170 |
23.9 |
|
|
1996-97 |
222 |
27.7 |
2004-05 (est) |
168 |
23.8 |
Source:
Town of Wallingford Town Reports
Recent
population projections and elementary school enrollments suggest that the number
of secondary school students at MRUHS will remain stable.
Existing data from current class sizes at Wallingford Elementary School
leads us to believe that Wallingford’s percentage of the total enrollment at
the high school will decrease as the current elementary population reaches the
junior/senior high school level.
Stafford Technical Center
Students
from MRUHS may enroll in classes at the Stafford Technical Center.
The Center, built in 1974, is located in Rutland City and
provides secondary technical/vocational education to junior and senior
high school students and adults throughout the Rutland Region.
Thirteen students from Wallingford were enrolled in various
programs at the Technical Center for the 2003-2004 school year. Students may choose from the following programs: Automotive
Technology, Computer Information Systems and Accounting, Carpentry,
Culinary Arts, Electrical/Plumbing, Forestry and Natural Resources,
Health Services, Human Services, Manufacturing Technology, Marketing,
Office Technology, Power Mechanics, Principles and Applications of
Technology, Video/Media Technology, and Student and Registered
Apprenticeships. In the
1997-1998 school year, four additional programs were added: Jazz and
Contemporary Music, Computer Hardware and Network Servicing,
Horticulture/Landscaping and Diversified Agriculture.
The
Superintendent of Rutland South and one Member from the Mill River Union
High School Board are part of an Advisory Committee, which meets monthly
and assists with the governance of the Stafford Technical Center.
Private Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools
Private elementary education facilities are available outside the community to residents of the town on a tuition basis. They include: Rutland Area Christian School, Mountain View School and Christ the King in Rutland. Private secondary school facilities available to residents on a tuition basis include Mount St. Joseph in Rutland and the Long Trail School in Dorset. The town's pre-school population is served by the Little Red Schoolhouse and Wallingford Day Care, as well as numerous home-based providers. All are privately owned and operated.
Rutland South Supervisory Union
Administrative
and support services are provided by the staff of the Rutland South
Supervisory Union. The Supervisory Union comprises the districts of Wallingford,
Shrewsbury, Clarendon and the Mill River Union High School.
It provides administrative, financial and purchasing support,
employment services, training, special education personnel and various
other services to the three elementary schools and to MRUHS.
The Supervisory Union governing board consists of representative
members from the three town school boards and the MRUHS Board.
Teachers,
administrators and board members in the Wallingford Town School District
actively participate in a number of committees formed during the 1997-98
school year. Made up of
representatives from all of the Rutland South districts, these
committees focus on communication and coordination (K-12) and deal with
the following topics:
·
Teacher Evaluation and
Supervision (K-12).
·
Policy
Revision and Updates (RSSU).
·
Governance
(RSSU).
·
Gifted
and Talented Education (K-12).
·
Curriculum
coordination (K-12).
It is the goal of these committees to work together to share resources and to keep the focus on the improvement of instruction and student learning. Coordination provided by the Rutland South Supervisory Union is critical in this process and helps provide the K - 12 perspective that is necessary.
Vermont Adult Learning
Vermont
Adult Learning’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) program works with adults
who want to finish secondary school or learn literacy skills to improve
their lives. ABE provides
tutoring in reading, writing, math, English as a Second Language, and GED.
Programs are also offered in life skills.
One-to-one and small group tutoring is available for adults (age 16
and over) who do not have a high school diploma or cannot read and write.
The program is free, there are no income eligibility requirements.
ABE helps adults prepare for the GED exam, Vermont Adult Diploma
Program, the driver’s permit test, U.S. citizenship and the Commercial
Driver’s License (CDL). Since
July 1996, ABE has served 7 Wallingford residents with over 500 hours of
instruction.
Advanced Education
Degree
granting institutions of higher education within the Region include
Castleton State College, the College of St. Joseph and Green Mountain
College. Castleton State
with 86 full time and 84 part time faculty (in 2003), offers two and
four year programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. The College of St. Joseph has 14
full time and 32 part time faculty and offers courses in
education, business, arts and sciences.
Green Mountain College offers two and four year degrees in
business management, general sciences, retail management, leisure
resource management and liberal arts.
It has 36 full time and 24 part time faculty.
College level courses in various areas are also offered by the Community College of Vermont, St. Michaels College, and the University of Vermont. The Community College of Vermont offers associate degrees in liberal studies, business management, early childhood education and human services, while St. Michaels offers local students the opportunity to pursue Master of Science and Advanced Certificate programs in administration and management. University of Vermont courses held in Rutland complement the wide range of programs and degrees offered through UVM’s main campus in Burlington.