Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for The Other Paper
As voters filed in and out of the Senior Center at South Burlington City Hall, the proposed school budget was on the minds of many. The issue was a divisive topic, with a few residents pausing outside the building to voice their strong opinions on the proposal.
This year, school officials had the unenviable task of coming up with a budget that would protect key programs while passing muster with voters frustrated with increased taxes.
“There’s a lot of people that are opposed to the budget because it’s too much, and a lot of people who are opposed to the budget because we are cutting too much,” said Tim Jarvis, senior director of operations and finance at South Burlington School District. “It’s impossible to satisfy everybody in the middle, but we hope for the best.”
The proposed budget did not satisfy Craig Monroe, who has a daughter in the school system.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Monroe said. “We’re getting robbed already, so I don’t think they need any other dimes. I voted ‘no’ because money doesn’t grow on trees.”
State Sen. Thomas Chittenden, D-Chittenden Southeast, said he voted yes on the budget. He graduated from South Burlington High School himself in 1995 and has three kids currently in the school district.
“I care a lot about our kids,” Chittenden said. “I’m trusting the school board and the administration to have chosen a budget that makes sense for the voters.”
Courtney Price did not know how he was going to vote when he entered the polling place. The uncertainty around federal support for education funding influenced his final decision.
“As far as funding education, I have no idea. I just threw it up in the air because of federal funding,” Price said. “Who’s going to do it? I guess we’re going to do it.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified the gender of Craig Monroe’s child. We regret the error.
