February 4, 2026
Dear BSD Community,
February is an important and busy month in our schools. It is Black History Month, and students and staff are engaging in meaningful learning about Black History and continuing to celebrate Black Excellence through our year-round initiative, the Sankofa Project. With that in mind, I want to invite you to join us in celebration at the next Sankofa event, the Second Annual Legacy and Light Event on February 15th, from 1-4 at Contois Auditorium in City Hall (see more below!).
We are also in the middle of our winter assessment window for students in grades K–4. After several years of progress in early reading, we saw a decline in third-grade reading outcomes last year. In response, we have been strengthening our shared understanding of the science of reading and improving the literacy practices that support students as they learn to read. Early literacy is a top priority for our district and a critical part of our commitment to equity. It is our responsibility to ensure that every child has the reading skills they need to be successful in school and beyond. This month, students in grades K–4 will be given literacy screeners, which are low-stakes assessments designed to help us understand where they are in their reading development. These screeners allow our teachers and interventionists to provide timely, targeted support for students who may need extra help.
At the same time, we know that many students and families are experiencing fear and uncertainty related to actions of the federal government. On Friday, I received an email from an eighth-grade student who wrote:
“If I’m being honest with you, kids in our society are terrified—not afraid or even scared, terrified—by the injustice we are seeing in our community. As kids, we feel that our innocence is being wrongfully ripped from us.”
While our daily work remains focused on providing a strong education in science, math, literacy, history, and the arts, part of our responsibility as a school district is also to create space for students to process current events, ask questions, and form their own understanding of what is happening in the world around them.
In addition to providing this space, we believe it is equally important to offer families clarity and reassurance about how we will protect and support our community. With increased immigration enforcement activity affecting families in Minnesota, Portland and across the country, we are updating our district procedures. While our existing guidance is primarily focused on how schools respond if immigration enforcement attempts to enter a school, we are expanding this work to address what we will do if there is an increased presence in the community that disrupts student attendance or access to education, food, and other essential supports.
To inform this work, district leaders have met with BSD principals, BHS student advisors, city officials, Somali and Maay Maay–speaking families, and other community partners. We are also drawing on established guidance from Minneapolis Public Schools and other districts. Our goal is to share updated procedures and plans with families by late next week.
Thank you for your continued partnership and trust. We remain committed to the safety, dignity, and education of every student in our care.
Sincerely,
Tom
Legacy and Light (Sunday, February 15th, 1-4 pm) – Join us for our 2nd Annual Sankofa Legacy and Light Event, on Sunday, February 15th from 1-4 pm at Contois Auditorium/City Hall. This FREE, family-friendly celebration will feature a community luncheon, a visual arts show curated by BHS Art teacher Misuk Weaver, student musical performances, and community music and dance performances. Join us as we celebrate Black Excellence during Black History Month… and beyond! (This event is one of many equity initiatives we are pursuing through our Sankofa Project, which pushes us to learn from the past to create a better future.) Special thanks to BHS alum Sage Wyndorf for designing this year’s beautiful poster!
Budget Update – On January 20, the School Board approved our proposed budget for next year. The budget offers a number of reductions, allowing us to keep the budget increase to 4.47%, growth that is below the rate of wage increases, rising healthcare costs, need-based special education investments, transportation costs, and more. The budget also ensures we remain well-positioned to stay focused on our Strategic Plan and support instructional activities designed to help student achievement:
🍎Updating the academic coaching model to include increased time spent on direct student support (e.g., intervention).
🍎Revising our teacher evaluations to align with Districtwide teaching and learning expectations.
🍎Prioritizing early literacy throughtraining in the science of reading and the use of universal screeners (assessments designed to show areas of strength and opportunity).
🍎Expanding support for elementary mathematics.
🍎Expanding in-District special education programming for students with the most significant needs.
We estimate that the average property taxpayer can expect a moderate property tax impact of 4.7% as a result of our proposed budget, resulting in an estimated tax bill increase of $266 per year. (Based on the average home value of $370,000, according to the most recent City-wide home value reappraisal.) It’s important to know that this projected Property Tax Rate increase assumes that the Vermont legislature will add $75 million to Vermont’s Education Fund, reducing the tax impact on every community in the state. We are confident that at least this amount will be added. Without this, the tax rate increase would be 8.99%. For those who pay based on income, the household income percentage limit would increase by 1.89%, or $23 per year on a $50,000 income.
First Day of School/Calendar Feedback – We have been working with regional superintendents to create next year’s calendar. August 26th will be the first day of school next year. We have a few more details to figure and we hope to have the board review the calendar in April. In the meantime, we would love your feedback on the calendar and works/doesn’t work for your family. Please feel free to take this short survey to share your thoughts.
Ramadan Take-Home Meals Available – We are pleased to offer take-home meals for students who will be observing Ramadan and not eating during the school day. These meals are intended to support students and families during the month of Ramadan. Each meal bag will include vegetarian breakfast and lunch items similar to what is served at school and will provide enough food for multiple school days. Meals will be available for pick-up beginning 15 minutes before and through dismissal on scheduled distribution dates. Students are eligible to receive either a take-home meal or a school meal (one breakfast and one lunch) each school day. Students should not receive both. If a student who is participating in the take-home meal program needs to break their fast unexpectedly, snacks will be available in both the Multilingual Liaison office and the Nurse’s office. Families who would like to request meals should complete this online form by February 5. (Please submit one form for each student.) If you have questions or need to make changes to your request, please contact Laura La Vacca at llavacca@bsdvt.org or 802-864-8416 x14001.
Thank You, Bobby Riley – After more than 20 years in BSD and several local and national awards, “Principal Bobby” has moved on from BSD to pursue other opportunities. In his time at BSD, Bobby was a steadfast supporter of mental well-being, community partnerships, and arts integration. From librarian to principal at IAA, he touched the lives of countless elementary schoolers. His focus on holistic education helped drive BSD’s reshaping of our alternative high school programs. Under his leadership, we combined Horizons and OnTop into one, unified program dedicated to personalized learning in a beautiful new home, Eagle Bay Academy. Students, staff, and families are better for having had Bobby be a part of the BSD fabric for so long, and I hope you will join me in thanking him for all he has done for our community. Best of luck, Bobby!
Kindergarten Registration is OPEN! – Please spread the word… Kindergarten Registration is OPEN! For the best chance of getting into your preferred school, please register by Friday, February 27. Learn more or register online.
Programming Expansion for Students with IEPs – We have identified a need to expand programming for students with IEPs, and specifically, students with greater behavioral needs and those with high-needs Autism. School leaders are working closely with special educators to determine how to expand this programming, which we should be able to support without additional staffing. This shift will allow us to better support students with the greatest needs, while reducing the strain the current model has on schools and keeping students in the district instead of being placed into alternative settings.
Expanding Cultural Connections – “Cultural Connections” is a program that helps multilingual students build connections, celebrate their heritage, and form lasting friendships with others who share their cultural background. BSD’s multilingual liaisons run the groups, giving students the ability to learn about one another, embrace differences, and discover many things we all have in common. This year, we have been able to expand these groups into three new schools, as part of our Strategic Plan work in Priority Area 1 (Belonging and Well-being): IAA (Zaharo – Somali/Maay Maay), Flynn (Sunita – Nepali), and Smith (Sunita-Nepali). Together with programs at HMS (Alicia – Kirundi, Swahili, French; Sunita – Nepali; Ervina – Bosnian), EES/EMS (Diego – Spanish), and BHS (Diego-Spanish and Zaharo-Maay Maay), we are fostering well-being by providing hundreds of students safe spaces where they can speak their language and connect with others who have shared experiences!
School Councilor and Crossing Guard Appreciation! It is National School Counseling Week! Held the first full week of February, this week highlights the vital impact counselors have on student success and social-emotional growth. Please join us in thanking our school counselors for their steadfast, loving support of BSD students! And Wednesday, February 11, is Crossing Guard Appreciation Day, a date to share the love with our crossing guards! Through wind, snow, rain, heatwaves, and everything in between, our Crossing Guards make sure students get to and from school safely. Thank you, Crossing Guards! Ideas for support for crossing guards or councilors include bringing them a coffee and a pastry, a homemade card, or a gift card. Join us in sharing the love!
BHS/BTC Update – Every day, our BHS/BTC Project grows nearer to completion! We expect to be able to begin moving new furniture and equipment into the building this April, and we are planning to hold a ribbon-cutting and community tours in late spring or early summer. Stay tuned!
FY25 Audit – BSD’s FY25 Audit and Management Letter are complete and available online. The auditors gave an unqualified opinion, which means that the audited financial statements fairly represent the District’s financial position in all material respects. The audit confirms that BSD produced a modest operating surplus, which reflects our established and intentional pattern of careful financial management. The Finance and Facilities Committee will review the details of both documents at the March meeting.
Annual Survey – Our Annual Survey will be given to all students in grades 3-12 between mid-March and mid-April. This survey is an important way that our district measures student experience and engagement in school. You should know that the survey is anonymous and responses will not be linked to your child’s record in any way. If you are interested in learning more, you can preview the grades 3-5 version and grades 6-12 version of the survey questions. There is no need to do anything if you are allowing your student(s) to take this survey. If you do not want your student(s) completing the survey, please fill out the Annual Survey Opt Out form in the PowerSchool parent portal before Friday, February 20th. To do so, login to your PowerSchool account, navigate to “Forms” on the left side, and then you’ll be able to complete the Annual Survey Opt Out form.
17 Students from HMS to be Published! HMS teacher, Kassidy O’Connell, facilitated an optional extracurricular writing activity in which students submitted original work to the Stranger Sagas contest through the Young Writers Vermont project. The result? 17 HMS students were selected as winners and will have their work officially published in the 2026 book!! The book is scheduled for publication on March 23, 2026, and HMS will receive a complimentary copy to keep at the school, featuring our students’ published writing.
Reading for Inclusion: Spreading Awareness about Disabilities and Disability Advocacy – The Office of Equity and the Office of Student Support Services partnered up to bring “Reading for Inclusion” to all of Burlington’s elementary schools last month. The program is designed to engage PreK-5 students with books and personal stories that lead to discussions about disability awareness and combating ableism. Readers and students had so much fun, with readers noting that the students already knew a lot about inclusion and differences. It was truly a joy to see that students are already understanding and practicing ideas around how to celebrate inclusion and combat ableism.
2025 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award – Congratulations BHS Senior, Victoria Tornwini (shown below working with a fifth-grade student), who was named a finalist for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, presented by the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. This award honors the extraordinary accomplishments of Congressman John Lewis and recognizes the achievements of people under the age of 25 who have demonstrated leadership abilities, a passion for social justice, and are motivated to improve the quality of life in their community. She was recognized at the Vermont State House in Montpelier on January 12!
Stop, Drop, and Read! BTC Education, Training & Leadership students dressed up as book characters to participate in the Stop, Drop, and Read day at EES!
Congratulations to Katie Culliton – Katie was recognized at the VT Statehouse on Monday as a young leader in our community. Katie’s (and others’ too) initiative and work on our summer EST project continues to pay dividends with an improved system for getting support for students. Katie’s positivity is contagious, and she is always looking for solutions to challenges through a kid-first lens.
Rumano Inaugurated! On Monday, Champlain student Rumano was inaugurated as part of the first Kid Governor cabinet! You continue make us proud!
Emerging Leader at Champlain – Evan Kendall, paraeducator at Champlain, has been selected as one of the Emerging Leader finalists by the VT-NEA. He has been invited to the national Education Support Professional conference in Anaheim, CA, this March!
Champlain Sings to Seniors – In December, Champlain fourth graders had a wonderful time performing for and singing with the seniors living at Burlington’s Grandway Commons. News Channel 5 covered the story (our story starts at the 1:27 minute mark). Not only did we fill the hearts of the seniors, but the experience also filled all of our hearts too! Shout out to Ms. Greene and all of her musical magic to put an event like this together!
