On Town Meeting Day Burlington voters said “YES” to public schools. Burlington School District’s (BSD) proposed 2025-2026 budget passed with more than 73% of all votes cast in its favor.
“On behalf of Burlington School District and the Burlington Board of School Commissioners, we want to thank the Queen City’s voters for their continued support of Burlington schools!” said BSD Superintendent Tom Flanagan and Board Chair Clare Wool.
“I am excited about the budget we put forward because it continues to support students, our values, and our employees while reducing tax rates for Burlingtonians and allowing us to proactively plan for future building needs and capital improvements,” said Flanagan. “I’m also aware that this vote is a message to those in our state and federal government who are proposing massive changes to our educational landscape and, in some cases, undermining the real work of providing an equitable educational experience for all. Burlingtonians value diversity, equity, and inclusion and appreciate that we are working hard to ensure that every learner in Burlington School District is challenged, empowered, and engaged.”
Board Chair Clare Wool noted that the proposed budget is estimated to lower property tax rates by 4%. “After asking taxpayers for a large increase last year due to our high school and technical center bond, we wanted to show our steadfast commitment to protecting taxpayers while supporting students. We are so grateful residents heard that message and approved next year’s budget. With our proposed budget, we were able to lower tax rates because we have been very careful with staffing decisions and we did not add new initiatives or programs. We also benefited from the work our school board did to help pass Vermont’s new weighted pupil law, Act 127, which provides more equitable funding to meet the needs of students in our district.”
