From the desk of Mary Beaudin, Landaff f Select Board:

Landaff School Advisory Committee Minutes. May 20, 2025

The next meeting is June 3, 2025 at 7 pm at Landaff Town Hall

Present: Dale Locke, Brenda Dodge, John Barth, Mary Beaudin, Jamie Jarvis, Sam Natti

Public:  Molly Culver, Matt Culver, Paul Varcek

Meeting called to order at 7:04 pm.

Public Input: 
Paul Varcek asked for clarification on the minutes, which quoted Toni Butterfield stating the numbers represented 51 students.  We will get clarification on that statement at the next meeting from Toni.

Minutes were approved.  Mary asked that committee members respond to receiving the minutes, so she can post them to the public sooner.

Discussion centered on questions that need to be answered regarding options one and two.

John- what happens to our school district if we close the school?  Do we still have a district?  Do we still have a school board?

Brenda, in using Benton as an example, still has a school board even without a school. 

Jamie – that Benton is a school district within SAU 23.

Landaff will still be responsible for all students.

John – Option 1 (keeping things as is) gives the board an opportunity to negotiate with schools for a better tuition cost.  Option 2 (closing the Blue School and tuitioning all students) would cause the board to negotiate for all grades. The board would still have the role of proponent for all students.

Mary listed her pros for option 1:
1. Allows local decisions by our school board
2. Focused solely on Landaff
3. Students have continuity
4. Students have community
5. Keeps costs from fluctuating as much.
6. Helps with early intervention, therefore saving money
7. Preschool is an attractive benefit and makes money or breaks even.
8. Students in higher grades can go where they feel comfortable.
9. Students/parents are in control of going where it meets their needs.
10. Multi-grade interaction is stronger

Cons of Option 2:
1. Lack of continuity
2. Local school board has limited voice
3. Tuition costs go up and down with people moving in or out.
4. Other K-4s are somewhat restricted in their structure.
5. No preschool in town
6. Uncertain costs

Dale – the biggest pro for Option 1 is that it is currently working.  It works with people having choice.  We chose Lisbon to be the school for transportation.  In the current ad hoc situation, Lisbon sets the tuition for the other schools.  Negotiation is another important pro.

Sam – all the townspeople care about is the bottom line, not choice.

Dale questioned whether special education costs would be prohibitive.

Jamie – language would be needed for special education costs.

Molly Culver commented that currently there are two paraprofessionals at the Blue School who may provide services to more than two students.  If those students choose to go to different schools, costs could increase.  Also, the cost of transportation for special education students would increase costs.

The question was asked if we are required to let kids go to St. Johnsbury Academy if that is their choice. There was discussion about restricting which schools students could choose.

Sam reiterated that we are responsible for special education services.

Jamie – in option 2, in closing the Blue School, what would happen with special education, since the SAU has no special education director? Discussion ensued about why there was no director and that it fell to the individual schools to perform the duties of a special education director.

Mary – many districts have competent special education directors. One could be hired.

Jamie listed the items within the school district responsibilities that Molly performs, not just at the Blue School but for all Landaff students: Special education reports and IEPs (individual education plans), state reporting, homeless liaison, foster care liaison, ELL, Home school, preschool early intervention coordination, low income grant acquisition for filling out FRL (free/reduced lunch) forms, 504 management, Medicaid reimbursement coordination.

Dale asked Sam if they did those duties at his school.  The answer was yes. Mary pointed out that those things had to be done at every school. There would be costs associated with adding Landaff students to that.

John – we must list and price out the things that Molly does.

Dale – some time ago, stipends were put in her salary for these duties, implying that we’d have to pull them out to figure how much that cost is.

Jamie – we need to separate what is a district responsibility from what is an SAU responsibility.

Limiting choice versus open choice was discussed.

Sam – we need to build a budget for each choice. 

Dale- Request a detailed budget from Toni.

Homework:  Using the detailed budget provided by Toni Butterfield, try to itemize what costs would be included on Option 2.

Next meeting June 3, 2025

Meeting adjourned at 8:49 pm.