2006 Adoption Note.
2003 St. Albans City and St. Albans Town School Districts voted yes to the following article and final report:
Shall the legal voters of the St. Albans City School District/St. Albans Town School District approve that the St. Albans City School District/ St. Albans Town School District, which the State Board of Education has found necessary to include in the proposed Union High School District, join with the St. Albans Town School District/St. Albans City School District, which the State Board of Education has found necessary to include in the proposed Union High School District, for the purpose of forming a Union High School District to make Bellows Free Academy a Union Public High School as provided in Title 16, Vermont Statutes Annotated, upon the following conditions and agreements.
(a) Class of schools. The Union High School District shall operate and manage a Union High School offering instruction in grades 9 through 12.
(b) Board of School Directors. There will be three school board members from St. Albans City and two school board members from St. Albans Town serving on the Union High School District Board.
(c) Apportionment of Expenses. The allocation of allowable capital and operating expenses of the Union High School District will be based on the proportionate average daily membership (ADM), as defined by Vermont State Statutes, for the preceding years in grades 9 through 12 for St. Albans City and St. Albans Town.
(d) Assumption of debts and ownership of school property. The Union High School District shall assume the indebtedness of Bellows Free Academy, acquire the school properties of Bellows Free Academy, and pay for them, all as specified in the final report.
(e) Final Report. The provisions of the final report approved by the State Board of Education on the 16th day of December 2003, which is on file in the City Clerk's office, shall govern the Union High School District.
Final Report
1. The School Districts of St. Albans City and St. Albans Town are necessary to the establishment of the Bellows Free Academy Union High School District.
2. Many surrounding School Districts were contacted and considered for possible inclusion in the Union High School District. No additional school districts beyond St. Albans City and St. Albans Town are being recommended at this time as advisable to be included.
3. The Union High School will offer education to students in grades 9 through 12.
4. There are no new facilities necessary for the formation of this proposed Union High School District. If approved, the Union High School District will utilize the existing BFA facilities for the purpose of educating students in grades 9 through 12. During the period of transition, any renovations or maintenance needs will be addressed by the Bellows Free Academy Board of Trustees and will be up to the discretion of that same board of trustees and subject to available financial resources.
5.a. During the first year of operations the proposed Union School will provide transportation to only those students with special needs who otherwise would not be able to travel to and from school. No additional transportation will be provided during this first year to students from either St. Albans City or St. Albans Town. Beyond the first year, decisions regarding transportation of students will be left to the discretion of the Union High School Board.
b. The Union High School District will honor all master contracts that are in place at BFA on June 30, 2005. These master agreements will continue until their specified termination date. Subsequent master contracts will be subject to legal and agreed upon bargaining procedures.
c. All administrators, teachers and staff, employed by the current private school at the time of the formation of this Union High School will continue in their employment during the first year of operating the proposed Union High School District. Executing subsequent personnel contracts will be the decision of the Union High School Board. All personnel hired by the Union High School District must meet State of Vermont education licensing requirements.
d. The curriculum and education programs currently being offered to students at BFA are considered adequate and desirable. Therefore, the proposed Union School District will, for the first year of operations, offer the curriculum and education programs that are in place on June 30, 2005. The curriculum and programs offered in the new Union High School District will meet all State and Federal legal requirements.
6. The Union High School District will assume a current total debt of $5,221,726.00 specific to existing properties of the Bellows Free Academy. The breakdown of debt for the combined principal and interest is as follows:
• ADA Project (Elevator) = Total $337,983.00
• Hospital Conversion = Total $2,764,965.00
• Collins-Perley Sports Center = $411,289.00
• BFA North Project, Windows & Roof = $1,707,489.00
• The Union High School District will assume any additional debt accumulated during the 2004 and 2005 fiscal years that is necessary to maintain the school and its facilities at its current level as of October 2003.
7. Following approval by the Franklin Superior Court, the Trustees of Bellows Free Academy will convey to the Union High School District, subject to all encumbrances of record, all of the real estate and personal property utilized by Bellows Free Academy, including all land and buildings of Bellows Free Academy and the Collins Perley Center.
8. The allocation of allowable capital and operating expenses of the Union High School District will be based on the proportionate average daily membership (ADM), as defined by Vermont State Statutes, for the preceding year in grades 9 through 12 for St. Albans City and St. Albans Town.
9. Membership on the Union High School Board will be apportioned based on the combined population of both St. Albans City and St. Albans Town as determined by the most recent United States Census. However, at no time will a member school district have less than one board member on the Union High School Board. Each member school district will be entitled to one school board member for each one-fifth, or the greater portion thereof, of said combined population.
Initially there will be three school board members from St. Albans City and two school board members from St. Albans Town serving on the Union High School Board.
10. School Board Members will be elected for three-year terms except those initially elected at the time of the formation of the Union High School District. In the initial election, there will be one member from St. Albans City elected for a three-year term and one member from St. Albans Town elected for a three-year term. In the initial election, there will be one member from St. Albans City elected for a two-year term and one member from St. Albans Town elected for a two-year term. In the initial election, St. Albans City will have one member elected for a term of one year.
11. The proposal for forming a Union High School District will be presented to the voters of each community on March 2, 2004 at which time school board members will be elected. The Union High School District will commence educational operations on July 1, 2005 in order to provide a transition time for properly engaging in necessary legal proceedings and to enable the school board to enact policies and other matters necessary for operating the new Union High School District.
12.a. On July 1, 2005, following approval by the Franklin Superior Court, the elected School Board members of the Union High School District will assume the duties and responsibilities as Trustees of the Bellows Free Academy Trust, under the terms and conditions of said "approval ".
b. If the Franklin Superior Court does not approve the assumption of duties of the Trustees of Bellows Free Academy by the elected Union High School Board members, then the Bellows Free Academy Trust will continue to be maintained by the established Board of Trustees for the benefit of the Union High School.