001[clears throat] All right. >> Thank you. >> Yep. All right. We all We all good. We all hearing each other. >> Excellent. All right. I would like to call to order this special meeting of the Madison County School District Board on this Thursday. >> I can't hear anybody. Uh >> oh. >> So, let me >> Yeah, we'll make sure you can hear us before we run with this. >> Elizabeth, can you hear me? >> Yes. >> I can't hear you. Let me uh let's see here. There. >> You hear us? >> Yes. >> Excellent. Okay. All right. We're all We're all connected now. Excellent. >> Sorry. >> All good. All right. We're going to get rolling. Uh all right. I would like to call to order this special meeting of the Mount Scottney School Board
002School District Board uh at on this Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 7:33 p.m. Um so we are going to move immediately on to item two, items for discussion followed by motions if needed and there will be a discussion and a motion and uh item 2 A is small schools advocacy letter. Um, so I will I think the way we'll do this is I will read the letter and then I'll I will look for a motion, a second, we can discuss, we can vote, and that's that's it. Sound good? >> Would one of you mind uh sharing it on the screen? >> Uh, yeah. I think Christine can can share it. So, we'll make sure it gets up there and then I'll read it once we're all seeing it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yep. Huh.
003All right, everyone seeing that? Okay. >> Yes. >> Fantastic. All right. So, I will read this out to you all. We, the undersigned, represent the board of education of the Mount of Scotney School District of Windsor and West Windsor. Our district compromises Windsor School, a K12 school located in Windsor, and Albert Ridge School, a K6 school located in West Windsor. Albert Bridge Albert Bridge School's doors opened in 1957 and since that year has enjoyed a very stable student enrollment of approx approximately 50 to 65 students with a few outlying years. Albert Bridge School's smallness has always been considered an asset just as until recently all small schools in Vermont were considered assets to our towns, families, and state most particularly those which serve our youngest learners. We write today to vocalize support of our own
004small school and all Vermont small schools that provide unique and quality opportunities, activities, and the basis for democracy. Small schools are where community members focus on our collective future and our biggest investments. It is in that precious vision and the protection of our most important asset, our children, that communities learn to galvanize around a greater good and find collective problem solving that leads to increased access to public and civic engagement. We as a board engaged in these very activities and as Vermonters more broadly wish to celebrate and protect all of these aspects of Vermont life. To quote Carla Fontaine in her article, democracy, schools and communities, the historic role of the small school in the rural society, the relationship of the schools to the natural community and the closeness of the [clears throat] school to
005the people are of first rate educational significance and are not to be sacrificed in the interest of efficiency. It is if such a sacrifice is made, we will find a generation that something of deep significance which money cannot buy has been destroyed. Sincerely, the Mount of Scotney School Board Davis McGra chair Elizabeth Burroughs we'll say vice chair there to talk more about that later. All right, I will uh accept and I guess the language on this would be are we signing off on this? Are we >> Well, I I think we should There's a couple of questions actually, Davis. One is do we want to talk about um how we want to sign first? Like do we want to s say Moscott new school board? Do we want to say we specifically the undersigned? >>
006Um >> so what I was think what I was thinking the simplest way to do it um and yeah I guess we can talk about this before we put a motion out. Um if we just put vice chair after that that way it's Niskani school board which is the weight of the board because we have a quorum that is voting to adopt this functionally and then the two head officers chair and vice chair and also we wrote it so that you know nons that a little bit >> and but the other thing is that the um so this would be going to the the the small schools committee um to to shorten its title uh that is meeting on tomorrow afternoon uh does not have a way to accept public comment. So I would be
007sending this to members of the state board of education in actually you should send this to the state board of education. Um so it comes from you uh but it should go to um all of the members of the state board of education. >> Okay. I I think that what and let me know if this sounds okay. I think we can just adopt this as an official statement that we've signed off on. We I don't think we need to designate an audience for that. I think we can just say, "Hey, we all agree on this and then we can send it out as a board thing because we're all in line with it to whatever whoever needs to see it." >> Good. >> Does that sound good? >> Yep. >> Okay. All right. Uh so
008I will take a motion to adopt the small schools advocacy letter um as an official an official statement of the mouse school district board. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Uh any further discussion? So we have all we're all cool with just adding comma vice chair to after Elizabeth's name. >> Sure. >> Well, do we want to talk about the content? Is is is everybody okay with the content? >> I am. I think it's wonderful. >> Well written. >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I'll acknowledge in this recorded meeting that Elizabeth did write the vast majority of that. I added a few a few words in there for for specificity in a couple spots. But yeah, really great letter, Elizabeth, and I appreciate you taking the time to write that. >> Yeah, of course. I
009I just think in the uh this is just tiny third paragraph we comma as a board >> just that's >> good grammar. >> Okay. >> Well, it depends on what the meaning is because we as a board engaged in these activities. Please you could put a com after we and after >> the question is whether no the question is whether >> a board gau whether engaged in these activities describes the board or whether we want to say this is what we did >> I don't see the difference um we as a board >> we as a board like we as a board engaged in these very activities is say um it could be offset by commas uh if we are reporting that we engaged in these very activities. But if on the other hand we
010want to say >> we as a board that is that's what our board is this we as a board which is engaged in these activi in these various activities um is descriptive of our role as a board. So you really feel you really feel that the commas changed the meaning? >> I do. I do. >> Yeah. >> Okay. It's all right. It's just it's so okay. >> I don't care. >> You can put a comment on your we. >> Yeah. I think that's what we're looking for here is just a we as a board engage in these var activities and as verers more broad. Yeah. That's what we're looking for. So comma after we. >> Yeah. Okay. and we'll add comma vice chair after Elizabeth Burroughs. Any any other um changes or edits to this?
011>> No. >> All right. So, hearing none, uh I would like to call a roll call vote to adopt. >> Wait, wait. Basis is that's misspelled. >> It's not. It's not basis. more than one basis which is bases. >> Really? >> Yeah. >> Oh, okay. >> That I did not know. Okay. >> All right. >> I'm sorry. >> That's okay. >> No, totally. You I hadn't hadn't made full call yet. So, all right. Any more discussion? >> All right. Hearing none. Uh and with those changes that we have discussed and agreed upon, I would like to call a roll call vote to adopt this uh letter for a board to adopt this letter. Uh I will start with folks on the screen. So Elizabeth, how do you vote? >> I >> Nancy >> I. >>
012Bill >> I and I'm an I as well. Uh so with a quorum we have adopted this letter as an official statement of our board. Thanks so much for uh for taking the time to be at the special meeting. That brings us to item three, the big one, adjournment. >> Wait, wait. >> So >> I have a I have a request. Um Christine Christine, can you make those changes and then make sure that it gets posted to the um the website of our board? >> Yes, I can do that. >> I think I can edit it. Let me see. >> I gave you editing permission. >> I can. I can. Yep. >> Awesome. >> You got it. >> Yep. Thanks for thinking of that, Elizabeth. Um, all right. So, we're on item three and I
013will take a motion to adjourn. So, >> move second. >> All right. Any discussion. [laughter] All right. Uh, hearing none, I will ask for a voice vote to adjurnn at this time. So, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> All right. And that is unanimous. So we will adjourn this special meeting of the Madoscottney School District Board at 7:44 on Thursday, November 6, 2025. Thanks everyone for being here. This is, you know, I know it's one item, but it's important work. And uh you all have a good night. >> Thank you. >> Bye for now. >> Thank you. Is