
January 17, 2025
Dear BSD Families, Students, and Staff,
Thank you for your continued engagement and partnership throughout this year’s budget development process. Our priorities this year were to keep tax increases low after a big ask last year and to drive resources to schools. I am happy to let you know that on Tuesday night I will ask the board to approve a budget that is estimated to decrease taxes by just over 4% for the citizens of Burlington while maintaining our level of service and helping us plan for the future.
An estimated 4% tax decrease is possible this year as a result of strength in the State’s education fund, sound governance, strong School Board leadership and advocacy, and disciplined budgeting. Specifically,
- We use an equitable budgeting model that aligns staffing with enrollment; we have followed this model responsibly, reducing positions over the past four years in response to enrollment trends.
- We did not create a fiscal cliff with ESSER funding by adding multiple positions with the funds. Instead, we allocated most of our ESSER funds to PPE, curriculum, and facilities. Where we did add positions, those positions were largely reduced once the funding expired.
- We successfully advocated for equitable funding at the state level, and we are now seeing the benefits of this change.
Though we are projecting our budget will lower taxes by more than 4%, our proposed budget will increase education spending by approximately $9 million. This growth is driven by increased costs for wages and benefits (health insurance is increasing 11.9% alone), debt service (primarily due to the high school), inflation/basic operational increases (for things such as rent/leases, licenses, and RISE), and a small amount needed to replace expiring external funds. Thinking long-term, the budget also proposes adding $600,000 in dedicated funds for future needs in facilities. This will allow us to be proactive in thinking about mid-sized capital project needs we may have in the future, address issues as they arise, and reduce the need for future bonding.
We are also doing our part to keep costs down. In keeping with our equitable budgeting model and stewardship of ESSER funds, my budget recommendation includes the reduction of two positions this year, including one teacher at Flynn Elementary (where we have one fewer classroom next year due to enrollment) and a District Substitute position (one of the last remaining ESSER positions). We are working with the individuals currently in these roles to try to find them a spot in BSD, as we have successfully done each of the previous four years. I am also proposing we reduce Central Office budgets once again and we will no longer need to pay for leases for IAA students as our renovation of IAA nears completion.
I am confident that this budget gives BSD the resources needed to keep deep learning, high-quality programs, and relationships at the forefront of all we do. Please let me know if you have any questions or visit our budget website for more information.
Thanks again for your continued support.
Tom
Protecting New American Families – In the past few months, we have been working hard to ensure the safety and security of our New American and immigrant families. We have been working with individual families to hear their concerns and to provide information and resources. We are also working to finalize procedures which will be in place on Tuesday and will help schools respond in the event we are asked for information about or access to students; essentially, I am directing our staff that they should not entertain any conversations without a legal warrant signed by a judge. In addition, we are partnering with local nonprofits and agencies to host meetings for families in the next few weeks where we will share information on immigrant rights and local protective resources. Our multilingual liaisons are also working to connect with families, quell fears, and provide feedback regarding the needs in their communities. BSD will do all we can within the letter of the law to make sure our families feel safe and supported through this time. In this work, we are also being mindful not to draw undue attention to our district as we believe this approach is the safest for families and students.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday – School is closed on Monday in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Though we will not be in school, it is important to remember that this day has always been intended to be “a day on, not a day off.” I encourage you to get into your community, to connect with others, and to serve those around you. The best way to honor Dr. King’s legacy and dream is to actively engage in the pursuit of equity, justice, and unity for all. Here are some events in the area.
Coffee with Tom – Questions about this year’s budget planning or want to talk about other BSD happenings? Join me for coffee (or tea!) at the Skinny Pancake in Burlington from 8-9AM on January 24! Ask questions and provide feedback – I will come prepared to give a few updates, but mostly be ready to engage in conversation. Come late, leave early, or stay the whole time – either way, coffee is on us! Big thanks to the Skinny Pancake for stepping up to host! P.S. Can’t make it on January 24th? Join us for “Coffee with Tom” on any of these dates: January 24, February 28, March 28, May 2

Change Your PowerSchool Password – As I noted previously, individual passwords were not accessed during the PowerSchool breach. However, our IT department is strongly recommending that we all change any passwords associated with this account. Please watch out for phishing attempts as well!
Stay Home When Sick – There has been a lot of sickness going around the community in the past few weeks. Please remember the best way we can all keep our whole community healthy is for those who are sick to stay home until they are well enough to come back to school. The CDC also has tips on how to prevent the spread of sickness when we are sick.
Kindergarten Registration – If you have a student turning five before September 1, it is time to register for kindergarten! Registration is open now through February 28 (after which we accept applications on a rolling basis). Learn more!
Priority Areas 2/3 Update – Last Tuesday we provided an update on our work in Priority Area 2 and 3: Deeper Learning for Every Student/Reimagined High School. As you can see, we are making a lot of progress on the development of an Instructional Framework which will capture our collective commitment to what we believe about learning, including the dispositions and skills that are essential for our learners. We are also piloting new literacy materials in middle school, new math materials in grades 3-5, and supplemental phonics resources. This priority area is key to success in meeting our North Star: Every learner is challenged, empowered, and engaged.
Hero Among Us – Have you heard? There’s a Hero Among Us! Troy Austin, Burlington High School campus safety liaison and organizer/founder of Troy’s Toy Drive was recognized by the Boston Celtics this past weekend! In 2015 he began collecting toys from the community to give to youth in need. Since then, Troy Austin has helped the community to donate more than 10,000 toys! The Celtics provided Troy with dinner, tickets, parking, and a tour of the front office. In true Troy fashion, he said “the most important thing was getting the toy drive out to people in the community.” Congrats Troy!
IAA LEGO Robotics Team Advances to State Championship The Integrated Arts Academy’s (IAA) First LEGO League team, “Slay Submerged,” secured a spot at the 2024–2025 Vermont State Championship following a strong showing at a regional competition this past weekend. In addition to designing and programming their robots, these fourth and fifth graders researched Sea Star Wasting Disease—also known as “The Zombie Disease”—with guidance from University of Vermont Professor Melissa Pespeni and Ph.D. candidate Sarah Stover. Their prepared presentation on this topic contributed to their overall success. The upcoming State Championship will be held on January 18, 2025, at GlobalFoundries’ Essex Junction facility. Hosted by GlobalFoundries in collaboration with the nonprofit FIRSTinVermont, the event is part of the FIRST LEGO League program, which encourages students in grades 4–8 to engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The “Slay Submerged” team’s advancement marks a meaningful achievement for IAA’s growing emphasis on STEM education.
HMS UVM Dairy Barn – We had an AMAZING field trip at the UVM Dairy Barn last Monday! Many thanks to our adult chaperones who helped lead our students through seven different stations: Calypso parent Jessica Lavery, our guidance counselor Karen Quinn, our SAP counselor Marissa Stokes, and our instructional coach James Moore. We are also very grateful to an anonymous UVM donor who paid for bus transportation and to Annie Boudreau, the creative force behind the Adopt-a-Calf program. Students will be finishing their thank you cards to the CREAM students this week.
Champlain Teacher Honored in Montpelier – Paulina Valentine was honored on Friday in Montpelier and recognized as a John Lewis Youth Leadership Finalist. Paulina earned this nomination with her advocacy and teaching of her students, her initiative-taking in advocacy for new American families, and also her work in coaching/inspiring the girls she works with on the BHS Womens Soccer team. The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award was created in February 2021, as a way for NASS members to recognize a gifted, civic-minded young person in their state each year. The recipient should demonstrate leadership abilities, have a passion for social justice, and be motivated to improve the quality of life in their community. Thanks for all you do Paulina!
National Championship – Another Champ will be honored this coming week. Aziza Malik will be representing Vermont as our State Teacher of the Year, on the field at the College Football National Championship Game between Notre Dame and OSU in Atlanta Georgia.