President requires vaccines for 100M American workers

President Joe Biden announced new vaccine mandates for as many as 100 million American workers, two-thirds of the nation’s workforce, on Thursday. 

Under the new rules, companies with over 100 workers must require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly tests — that’s estimated to affect about 80 million people. Full vaccination is also required for workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid, as well as federal executive branch employees and contractors that work for the U.S. government, according to The Associated Press. 

These new requirements are part of a national plan by the Biden administration to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases and increase vaccination rates. The mandate already faces stern criticism from some lawmakers and union leaders, while others praised the move Thursday night. Biden’s order for executive branch employees and contractors has exceptions for those seeking religious or medical exemptions, the AP reported. 

More than 177 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but confirmed cases recently rose to an average of about 140,000 per day with on average about 1,000 deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The federal change came just a day after a new vaccine rule was announced for Vermont state employees. Effective Sept. 15, all state of Vermont executive branch employees will be required to attest they are vaccinated, or be subject to at least weekly testing and mandatory masking at work, as announced at a Wednesday press conference. This comes after a vaccine requirement went into place on Sept. 1 for state employees working in prisons and other state-run residential facilities. 

Currently, Vermont’s state government employs over 8,000 people. Leadership of the Vermont State Employees Association says most of the workers they represent approve of the Scott administration’s new requirement, the AP reported, though the union and state have some details to work out. 

Vermont adjusts masking guidance for schools

This week, Vermont also updated its public health advisory for schools, which almost all local school districts have followed since the school year began recently. 

Originally, the state recommended that masks be required for all students for the first 10 days of school, allowing that masking rules can be lifted when 80% of a school’s students age 12 and over have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. On Wednesday, state officials asked that school masking requirements stay in place until October 4, regardless of the school’s vaccination rate.  

“We hope by then the Delta wave that has impacted the entire country — though fortunately not anywhere near as severely in Vermont — will have begun to subside,” Scott told the media Wednesday. 

In recent weeks, some have urged the governor to reinstall a state of emergency and bring back a statewide mask mandate. Scott has said there isn’t a need to do so currently, and in his Wednesday remarks, he noted that all schools except for one have implemented masking requirements. The Canaan School Board voted 5-0 last month to not require masks. 

“By encouraging schools to implement the state’s recommendations, we’ve essentially achieved a universal masking requirement in schools, without a state of emergency (order),” Scott said.

Under the state’s recommendations, it’s asking that all students under 12 continue to wear masks at school until they become eligible for the vaccine. A COVID-19 vaccine for children under age 12 is expected to receive federal emergency use authorization later in October, experts say. The approvals could come in waves for smaller groups within that age range, NBC5 reported.

According to Vermont Public Radio, state officials want to understand more about how the virus is circulating through communities before they encourage schools to lift mask mandates. In Vermont, more than 1,000 tested positive for COVID in the past week, VPR reported. However, state officials are encouraged that cases in Chittenden County have trended downward in the past seven days, as reported at Wednesday’s press conference.

In a bid to increase vaccination, the Vermont Agency of Education is reserving $2 million in grant dollars for schools who receive high vaccination rates. The Scott administration is still finalizing details for the school vaccine incentive program.

The state is continuing to offer school-based vaccination clinics throughout Vermont in collaboration with local district officials.

Statewide, the rate of eligible Vermonters with at least one dose of the vaccine is 86.7% as of Thursday.

— Gareth Henderson

Governor shares vaccine news, reiterates school guidance

The flag at Woodstock Union High School & Middle School campus. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

With the new school year starting this month, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott shared some vaccine news and repeated the state’s recommendations for schools. 

Coming from a weekly governors’ call with the White House, Scott learned that clinical trials are going well for the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 2-11. He said Pfizer will be able to submit their application for emergency use authorization as soon as early or mid-September. 

He also noted the recent news that Pfizer just received full federal approval for its current vaccine. The full approval applies to those age 16 and older, though the Pfizer vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization for individuals 12 through 15 years of age (read more details here).

Scott said many who haven’t been vaccinated have expressed concern that the vaccine was approved only under emergency authorization. The governor hoped the new Pfizer status might make a difference. 

“So, if you’ve been on the fence, I hope this news will help inspire you to join well over 400,000 of your fellow Vermonters and get vaccinated,” Scott said at a Tuesday press briefing. 

To date, 85.6% of eligible Vermonters have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 76.4% are fully vaccinated. 

Scott reiterated the state’s health guidance for schools, that masks be required for all students of all ages at the start of the year. For students under 12, the state is asking all school districts to mandate masking for them until vaccines are available and they’re fully vaccinated. These are recommendations, as the state can’t mandate masking requirements without implementing a state of emergency. It removed all state restrictions and the state of emergency in mid-June. 

Scott noted how important it is for kids to return to a five-day, in-person learning schedule, as they’re about to do. He said the state released its health recommendations weeks ago to give schools time to plan at the local level. 

“We believe this common-sense approach will allow our kids to get back on track and make up some of the lost ground in a safe and productive way,” Scott said.  

Officials said the health department will support schools with contact tracing services if needed, just like they did during the prior school year. Heather Boucher, the state’s deputy secretary of education, said Vermont is “starting from a good place” thanks to everyone’s efforts over the past year, including people getting vaccinated. As both an educator and a parent, Boucher said she appreciated the great value in in-person school for students’ educational development, and so the kids can see their friends. 

“We’re hearing from educators, parents and community members that students are excited to return to school with less worry and restrictions than there were last year, and I just want to say, I’m profoundly grateful to everyone who worked so hard to make this possible,” Boucher said. 

— Gareth Henderson

Governor clarifies school masking recommendation

A scene along Route 12 in Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Vermont’s governor has clarified recent public health guidance for schools regarding masking. 

On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott said he wanted to “clear up some misinformation” around the state's new guidance, and he emphasized that masks are included.

“When schools open, we’re asking all students, all teachers, and all school employees to wear masks for the first two to three weeks of school,” Scott said at a press conference. “They should stay required for all those not yet eligible for the vaccine; that means kids under 12.” 

The state recommends lifting this masking requirement only when 80% of a school’s eligible population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The mask rule should remain in place for unvaccinated people, the governor added, and federal law requires everyone to wear a mask when riding a school bus. 

The state’s top recommendation is for more people to get vaccinated, and the state continues to announce a number of school-based vaccination clinics throughout Vermont. To date, over 85% of vaccine-eligible Vermonters have received their first dose, and the state has the lowest COVID hospitalization rate in the country.

Scott said anyone who has concerns about the vaccine should “talk to a trusted medical professional, not Facebook.” 

“I’m confident we can keep moving forward, but we need everyone pulling in the same direction, and we’re not going to do it blindly,” Scott said. “We’ve always watched the data, and we’ve done what’s best for Vermonters.”

Cases are growing nationally and regionally, however the rate of growth has been steadily declining in the past three weeks, according to Michael Pieciak, Vermont’s commissioner of financial regulation, who tracks COVID data for the state. He said this hopeful trend is occurring in Vermont as well. Though Vermont’s cases climbed by 41% this week, the case growth was about half of what it was last week, Pieciak noted. 

“We anticipate that cases will continue to slow and eventually decrease in the coming weeks,” he said.

— Gareth Henderson

Vt. announces new public health advisory for schools

The U.S. and Vermont flags fly in the breeze outside the town office in Bridgewater, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

With families in full preparation mode for the new school year, public health officials in multiple states have issued new recommendations for local districts in this latest phase of the pandemic. This comes after the CDC issued updated recommendations in response to the impact of the delta variant of COVID-19, especially on case growth in parts of the south and west.

Vermont officials have said the state has still been able to limit case increases and keep hospitalizations low, owing to its nation-leading vaccination rate — which is at 84.1% for its vaccine-eligible population. Speaking at a Tuesday press conference, Education Secretary Dan French said that was a major factor in Vermont’s new recommendations. 

“I’m pleased to say today, we will be able to start the school year as predicted, with full in-person instruction and nominal mitigation recommendations,” French said. He added, “As we did last year, we will need to leverage local and state partnerships to keep our communities and our schools safe from COVID-19.”

The state’s new advisory for schools includes the following: 

• For the first few weeks of school, it is recommended that districts require all students and staff to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status. 

• After the first few weeks of school, it is recommended that schools require masks only until 80% of students have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The state will advise schools on how to determine their vaccination rates). 

• Once at least 80% of students in a school have received their first dose, it is recommended the school require masks only for unvaccinated students and staff.

• Masks may be removed for instructional or operational considerations, but masks are required for all passengers on school buses, per CDC regulations.

• Stay home when you’re sick.

Other mitigation strategies include voluntary COVID-19 testing and a contact tracing program, French said. The complete advisory for schools will be published online this week, with most schools opening later this month. 

To assist with the vaccination targets in the new guidance, the state will offer school-based vaccine clinics throughout Vermont. Though the focus will be on 12-18-year-olds, those clinics will be open to the public, officials said Tuesday. More details are expected next week.

— Gareth Henderson

A community celebrates graduation in 2021

WUHS graduates toss their caps into the air at the end of Friday evening’s ceremony. Below the story, see our editorial and more photos. (Gareth Henderson Photos)

From re-starting annual events, to the easing of mask mandates, we are progressing to more familiar ground. That light is shining brightly. 

But that sense of momentum and progress takes on a special meaning when people experience it together, and that’s what graduation at Woodstock Union High School felt like on Friday evening. The graduates persevered through the challenges and limitations of 2020, and that night, their hard work met with great reward: that next step forward. 

But for the class of 2021, the path to get wasn’t all about them, but stayed true to a commitment to service. From a winter coat drive, to setting up the first-ever health screening for a community in Panama, this class distinguished itself by helping others, as senior class advisors Jody and Sarina Henderson noted in their remarks. These graduates were also open to questioning the norms, and trying new things. 

“They’ve been a class who’s grown as a result of the question, ‘What if?’” Jody said. The class gift, Sarina announced, was to establish a class legacy fund to help future students have some of the same opportunities they’ve had, starting with $2,000 the graduates raised themselves. 

As salutatorian Lea Sperber said, a key part of the graduates’ growth — especially over the past year — has been the ability to trust others during the darkest times. She said you don’t need a perfect past to move forward, “if you can trust in the present moment and have faith in the people around you.”

“I hope each of the graduates take that faith with them, and find it again wherever they go,” Sperber said. 

The pride of accomplishment — for the class and the community — was profound and tangible throughout the evening, after the year that was. But expressions of joy and gladness also blended with stark reality: Graduating speakers shone the spotlight on issues of racial and economic inequity, which were further exposed in the pandemic and still need to be addressed. Amid all the talk about getting back to normal, the WUHS Speakchorus performance offered the words of Ed Yong, from The Atlantic, who wrote we “must grapple with all the ways normal failed us”. 

Co-valedictorian Noah Anderson quoted the great T.S. Eliot, who wrote, “This is how the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.” 

“We’re whimpering right now … but we have the time to see what’s wrong and change it,” Anderson said. 

Isabelle Hiller, co-valedictorian and senior class president, recited a poem and highlighted some lessons from the vastness of nature. She read, in part, “the sun is not concerned if someone has to squint their eyes. It will shine, and it will not apologize for its light. And like the trees teach us, it’s OK to lose our leaves as seasons change, and then come back to life.”

Life is what the class of 2021 has ahead of them, in abundance. Like many of us, they’re looking forward to a different kind of year, as graduate Wilbur Abrams III said minutes after the class threw their caps into the air. Abrams is working in Boston this summer, as an intern for the Spartan Races, and then it’s off to the University of Vermont, where he plans to major in English. 

“I’m looking forward to going places and being where people are, without having all sorts of things in between, kind of a return to normal,” he said. 

WUHS graduate Molly Maxham is going to St. Lawrence University in New York, where she is majoring in anthropology. But she gets to start her college journey abroad, spending the fall semester in London. For Maxham, it’s about moving forward. 

“It’s been a great last few years, with a lot of great people,” she said. “But I think it’s going to be a great next few years, too.”

Paul Bremel, a math teacher who also coaches track for WUHS, was impressed at how the graduating class worked as a group to get through this past year, and do so with great success.

“The resilience of this group, the way they hung together, was just tremendous,” he said.

WUHS Principal Garon Smail remembered that some people had questioned the move to go to four days a week of in-person learning after spring break for the whole school — would it be worth it, so close to the end of the school year? A resounding “yes” was the answer, he said, capped by a special graduation evening.

“Any time together, it’s all so precious,” Smail said.

Editorial

Progress, shared

In a year like this, one can’t overstate the value of the shared experience that took place in Woodstock on Friday night, and how special it was. The graduates reached that uniquely special milestone in their lives, but the community, in a way, is doing the same. Everyone is emerging from that long year, in a their own way. The graduates’ triumph, was the community’s triumph.

As was the case since early 2020 — and perhaps, always — it was the little things that stood out. "Congrats, grad" balloons adorned several cars, families grinned and laughed at the more humorous parts of speeches, and older siblings of graduates proudly saw their brothers and sisters step onto the same stage they did, not too long ago. Teachers, families and peers joined the graduating class in this unforgettable moment, in the school’s natural amphitheater out back, where many classes have graduated before them. It was a joy to see.  

One of the major statements of the night stuck with me, that we “must grapple with all the ways normal failed us”. We’re eager to move on, but it’s important to remember, there’s much grappling left to do, and we’ve only just begun that work as a nation. We can’t leave what we’ve learned to history, we have to use it to make a better future.

But after witnessing Friday evening, we can be glad that the WUHS graduates of 2021 are going into the world with a keen awareness of the issues we face, and a willingness to take action. These graduates have volunteered, protested, and given back to the community, and brought an overall focus on service that inspired the teachers who led them. Celebrating this tremendous step forward is not only progress for these graduates, but it’s a clear benefit to the world that awaits them. We can’t wait to see the great things they do.

— Gareth Henderson

Isabelle Hiller, co-valedictorian and senior class president.

Noah Anderson, co-valedictorian.

Lea Sperber, salutatorian.

Wilbur Abrams III, wowing the crowd with a stirring recitation of “Alma Mater”.

Jody and Sarina Henderson, senior class advisors.

The graduating class marches forward to “Pomp and Circumstance”, as family members capture the moment with their iPhones.

State: In-person learning on the rise in Vt. schools

The American flag flies at Woodstock Union High School & Middle School last summer. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)

Citing another positive impact from declining COVID-19 case totals in Vermont, state officials are seeing more and more schools getting back to in-person instruction.

Last month, Woodstock Union High School increased its in-person instruction to four days a week, and this trend has continued statewide, according to Education Secretary Dan French. He hears “almost daily” from schools moving in that direction, the secretary said at a Friday press briefing. 

“I’m very pleased with the results we’ve seen so far, and now with the case counts coming down, I expect even more districts will be expanding their in-person opportunities,” French said. “I’m confident that we’ll end the year with more in-person than when we started.” 

Also this week, the Agency of Education clarified its spring sports guidance regarding masks being worn outside. For sports with low- to no-contact, such as tennis, track and field, baseball and softball, masks do not have to be worn outside if six-foot distancing can be maintained. For moderate- to close-contact sports, like lacrosse and ultimate frisbee, players must continue to wear masks at all times during practice and games.

As for the state’s vaccination efforts, nearly two-thirds of Vermonters over age 16 have now received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. Next week, the state hopes the CDC will grant emergency use approval for Pfizer doses to be given to children ages 12-15. Once approved, Vermonters in this age group will be able to go to any Pfizer vaccination site, and school-based sites will be set up for students. All those sites will also be open to the wider public.

On Friday, Gov. Phil Scott urged anyone who hasn’t signed up for vaccination, to do so — most notably those ages 18-30. If the state continues to hit its vaccination targets in the coming weeks, the goal of lifting all statewide restrictions by July 4 remains within reach, according to officials.

“Vaccines are our ticket out of this pandemic, but it’s going to take everyone’s buy-in, especially younger Vermonters,” Scott said. 

Vermont’s COVID caseload is still trending well under 100 cases per day, and its 7-day case rate remains lower than the national average. The statewide positivity rate is 1.2%.

— Gareth Henderson

To view the status of public school reopenings statewide, check out this map.

New funding aims to provide healthy food for students

A school bus heads through Woodstock Village in Vermont recently. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

A new program is being launched to ensure students continue to have access to healthy meals during the pandemic. 

The federal government recently allowed 34 states, including Vermont and Massachusetts, to provide a temporary food benefit to pre-K-12 students who would normally receive free and reduced-price meals at school. This new Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefit is meant to replace the value of school meals that children would have received earlier in the year, had they been at school.

In Vermont, households eligible for this funding should receive it by April 29. At the state’s press briefing on Friday, Education Secretary Dan French thanked the many people who helped get this program off the ground.

“This has been a very complex program to implement, and I want to thank the many school staff around the state who worked quickly to collect the required data from households and submit it up to the state level,” French said. “This quick work on their part made it possible for us to turn this program around fairly quickly and get the benefits deployed, and we really appreciate their efforts.”

The amount of the P-EBT benefit is based on the student’s mode of learning in the months covered. For example, the amount is $119.35 per student for a remote learning month, $70.61 per student for a hybrid learning month, and no benefit for an in-person learning month. The money is provided through an electronic benefit card to be used for food purchases at participating grocery stores, convenience stores, online retailers and farmers markets. This program has no impact on eligibility for the free meals currently available through schools. 

“Families are encouraged to use both resources to make sure students have access to healthy meals,” French said. 

About $14.7 million in P-EBT benefits will soon be issued to 21,844 Vermont households for the time period of September 2020 through February 2021. That impacts about 33,000 students, nearly 42% of the state’s public school population. Vermont had 78,928 students in pre-K-12 as of February.

Another P-EBT benefit will be provided in July, to cover the months of March through June 2021.

— Gareth Henderson

WUHS to expand in-person instruction soon

The main entrance of Woodstock Union High School & Middle School in Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

When they return from April break, Woodstock Union High School students will return to more in-person learning. 

The administration is implementing four days of in-person instruction at WUHS, effective April 19. This change is made possible by the state’s updated guidance that calls for three-foot physical distancing in school, rather than the previous rule of six-foot distancing, according to WUHSMS Principal Garon Smail. In changing that rule, Smail said, state education officials cited research from other states and Europe, saying there was no significant difference between the impact of the two distances in schools during the pandemic.

The in-person instruction will be on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will remain a day when most students are off-campus, and the morning remote class schedule on that day will be replaced with teacher office hours. The remote clubs and activities will continue on Wednesday afternoon, as well as driver’s education. 

The middle school has already switched to the four-day in-person format — the 7th grade on Feb. 1, and the 8th grade on March 18. High school students had still been operating under a hybrid learning model, a blend of in-person and remote instruction.

When this change occurs for the high school, students will follow their established in-person schedules, masks will still be required, and no congregating will be allowed in the hallways, which is the case now. Strict cleaning protocols remain throughout the day. 

“I believe we have the systems and routines in place to take on this capacity,” Smail said, in making this announcement at a recent school district board meeting.

In a Friday interview, Smail said he’s heard from parents who are happy with making this change at WUHS, and a few were concerned. He noted that this recent announcement was made the same week as the state’s new phased reopening plan, which aims to lift all state pandemic restrictions by July 4. 

“The governor releasing his return-to-normal plan on the heels of this, puts this (announcement) in the context of the state moving in this direction, and it feels right that way,” Smail said. 

He also noted that the increase in in-person learning does not mean a doubling of the student workload. He echoed the sentiment of a teacher, who recently told him, “We’re doubling the amount of connection.” 

“That’s kind of the focus,” Smail said. 

Smail pointed out that the in-person format provides more access to teachers and will add more student interactions with other students, a clear improvement, he added, over the remote days that used to take up some of the week. 

“It’s just not really how we operate as people, to be that isolated,” Smail said.  

He said the change will also allow teachers to plan for just one type of class, rather than having to make plans for remote and in-person instruction. 

At the recent school district board meeting, in which this change was announced, one question was raised about what accommodation could be made for a family uncomfortable sending their student to four days of in-person instruction.

“We do work with individual cases the best we can, to be supportive of people,” Smail said. 

Another question concerned whether it was wise to move back to a heavier in-person schedule this close to the end of the school year, which might not work for some students.  

Superintendent Sherry Sousa noted research showing that “re-establishing what is normal” is key for students’ mental health. 

This change is part of making sure WUHSMS is ready for five days a week by August, Smail added.

Additionally, the school has done $320,000 worth of HVAC work to improve air flow. Outside spaces will be available to use for classes and lunch.

— Gareth Henderson

Vt. bill eyes growing school construction needs

The American flag moves in a summer breeze at Woodstock Union High School & Middle School. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)

School construction needs in Vermont are adding up fast, and a current bill moving through the Legislature seeks to assess the situation. 

The Vermont House of Representatives has passed a $2.5 million bill that calls for a statewide assessment of public education facilities, and this legislation is now in the Senate. The point is to get a full understanding of the condition of these buildings and determine which projects are most urgent, according to State Rep. Charlie Kimbell, representing Woodstock, Reading and Plymouth. 

A state program used to be in place to help fund school construction projects, but that ended in 2007. Statewide, school districts have identified $560 million worth of needed building projects, involving either new buildings or major renovations, Kimbell said. Eventually, the hope is to prioritize those projects and figure out how to fund them. State-based funding methods for school building projects vary, like in Massachusetts, which Kimbell said uses a “straight allocation of its sales tax,” while other states take the money right out of their General Fund.

“We’re going to have to figure out what the right mechanism is, because it’s a lot of money,” Kimbell said.

However, the first step is the assessment, which is the main function of the bill the House just passed, bill H. 426. Specifically, the bill allocates the $2.5 million and authorizes the state to put out a request for proposals for the assessment. The bill also directs the Agency of Education to update school construction facility standards, and requires each school have a school facilities manager.

Many of the Vermont school building projects being considered today involve schools originally built in the 1950s and 60s. One of those projects is a proposed $73.3 million project for a new Woodstock Union High School & Middle School building. Federal, state, local and private sources will be explored to raise some of the funding for the project, and a Fundraising Working Group is currently being formed. A bond vote is targeted at some point within the time range of 2022-2024.

It’s unclear whether the Woodstock project would be able to use whatever funding mechanism the state may eventually implement. If the bill gets final legislative approval, the state is expecting a January 2023 report that will include a recommendation on funding, Kimbell said.

Once completed, the Senate version of the bill H. 426 is likely to come back to the House for amendments.

— Gareth Henderson

WUHS alumni weigh in on facility naming, board responds

The main entrance at Woodstock Union High School & Middle School last summer. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)

A facility naming policy is one idea on the table connected to raising funds for the proposed new Woodstock Union High School & Middle School building. But some have raised concerns about the idea, since a petition to maintain legacy names on facilities quickly gained well over 750 signatures after starting last week. 

Though the idea has been discussed at the committee level, the policy has not been finalized, district board leaders have said. It will come before the board’s Policy Committee on April 19, followed by a first reading before the full board next month. Another important element is the Fundraising Working Group, which the board is currently forming. 

A group of WUHS alumni circulated a petition on Facebook late last week, after a presenter at a March 29 district board Zoom meeting about the project mentioned the football field. The main concern for petitioners was keeping longstanding, legacy names of buildings and fields intact.

“We have started a petition in an effort to show the board that legacy naming, including that of the Yoh Theater and James T. McLaughlin field, to just name two, should not, now or ever, be part of the naming options,” the petition read. “Our beloved teachers and coaches and librarians have dedicated decades to growing and educating the children of this community and they deserve their names to be known for future generations to learn about the foundation on which this school has stood.” 

On Saturday, Windsor Central Unified Union School District board leadership responded to clarify the situation, in a message on the Woodstock listserv from Chair Bryce Sammel and Vice Chair Keri Bristow. They wrote that the presenter at the March 29 meeting was merely giving an example, and the board has made no decisions about re-naming any of the facilities mentioned in the petition. Furthermore, Sammel and Bristow noted “‘naming’ is a common mechanism to raise private funds which are critical for the new school to come to fruition.” 

“We are confident that we can use such a program to help secure our school's future while still honoring the past,” they wrote. “Please be reassured that the goal will be to preserve past dedications to beloved coaches, teachers, and community members.”

The board is aiming to have a mix of fundraising sources, including federal, state, local and private funds, for the proposed $73.3 million project. It’s been widely acknowledged that a new school is needed. The current school building was built in 1957, with a 1960s addition, and with a “functional lifespan of perhaps 30-40 years,” as the school website states. There is also emphasis on having a building which serves the educational needs of today’s students. The $73.3 million number includes about $2 million in contingency costs and is adjusted up for inflation over the next two years, Sammel noted.

At an district board meeting Monday on Zoom, Sammel, a fourth-generation Vermonter, encouraged everyone to avoid an “us vs. them” approach. 

“I don’t want this board to be ‘them’, because we’re all in this together, we’re all part of the same community,” he said. 

Sammel also said the strength of the 18-member district board “comes from its diversity”, and everyone brings something different to the table. 

“I would ask everyone to consider this and to try to assume best intentions of our board members, but please, please ask tough questions and hold us accountable,” he said. “I would ask our board members to not take these questions or comments personally, but to recognize that they’re usually coming from a place of trying to preserve a certain set of values. Values we probably all share and hold dear.”

On Monday night, several alumni spoke. Maura McLaughlin Tynes is a 1994 graduate of WUHS and a district-level school administrator in Newton, Massachusetts, who has been involved with five school building projects. The WUHS athletic field bears the name of her father, longtime football coach James McLaughlin, and her sisters, Meg McLaughlin Roylance and Abby McLaughlin Kachura, graduated from WUHS. Tynes was particularly concerned that the concept of renaming was mentioned in March 15 Policy Committee minutes and the March 29 board meeting on Zoom.

“I must say that I find it particularly offensive that the board would come close to entertaining this — especially when two of these individuals live right down the street, both of which had successful coaching careers. And if you are not familiar with them you can go into Dailey Gym to see a fair share of field hockey and football banners,” Tynes said, referring to her father and Yvonne Frates, longtime WUHS field hockey coach. “They and their families are still right here in the community.”

Tynes and WUHS alum Dean Corkum both acknowledged the significant need for a school upgrade, but urged the board to preserve prior dedications. Corkum, who spearheaded the petition, noted these names as ones which should remain intact on school fields and facilities: coaches McLaughlin, Frates, and Robert Dailey; theater director Robert Yoh; librarian Rhoda Teagle; and horticulture teacher Arnie Howe.

“We’d like to have the new proposal be written so these names will not be changed,” Corkum said.

On Monday night, the board was originally going to hold the first reading of the facility naming policy, but the matter was sent back to the Policy Committee to allow this group time to gather feedback from the community. The next discussion about the policy will be at the committee’s next meeting on April 19. The full board meets May 3.

In a Tuesday interview, Sammel said he was confident any differences about the issue could be resolved. 

“I have no concerns that we're going to be able to come up with a solution that satisfies both sides,” he said. 

He also noted that a policy can always be changed by the board in the future, adding he would be concerned about a policy saying a particular change can “never” occur. 

“I'd rather have something that embraces both sides and has a proper mechanism in place to make change, or not make change, so that it holds up” over the long term, Sammel said. 

Perrin Worrell, a WUHS alumni and former district board member, said she, too, supports the board’s efforts on the project and the fundraising, and said a new school is greatly needed. 

“I don't think people object to using naming rights as a fundraising effort," Worrell said. “We know that fundraising is necessary for any of this to work." 

At the same time, she said, “You have to have the buy-in of the alumni, and you're going to ostracize the alumni if you don't protect the legacy naming.”

Multiple people at Monday’s meeting said they were encouraged by the level of participation in the petition, and that it bodes well for the overall project. Anyone wishing to share feedback is encouraged to email Policy Committee Chair Lou Piconi, Sammel, or Bristow, or attend the April 19 Policy Committee meeting.

— Gareth Henderson

Go to these links for further information about the WUHS/MS new school project design and background.

The Windsor Central Unified Union School District includes the towns of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading and Woodstock.

Vt. eyes ‘more normal’ summer, focuses on helping youth

Summer skies from 2020 as seen from Pomfret, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson File Photo)

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said a plan to more greatly ease statewide pandemic restrictions in the coming weeks is on its way. At a Friday press conference, Scott said he expected July 4th will mark a new phase, "a time when things will look and feel more normal."

"In the next 10 days, we'll detail the path ahead and show you a blueprint of how we expect to ease restrictions based on the level of vaccinated Vermonters," he said. The approach will remain strategic and closely tied to the advice of health experts, the governor added.

As that plan is finalized, another statewide initiative focuses on the needs of youth. Efforts are underway to organize a statewide program to provide wider access to 2021 summer programs for Vermont students, to help them recover from the impact of the pandemic. The announcement comes at a time when COVID-19 vaccinations are steadily increasing and restrictions are gradually being eased, opening up possibilities for in-person activities this summer.

With the start of spring, there has been a greater emphasis nationwide on the return to in-person learning and the importance of summer programming for K-12 students. Students are eager to reconnect on an in-person level with their friends and school communities, after what has been a year of remote and hybrid learning for many. In the latest U.S. COVID relief package, increased federal funding for youth summer programs is coming to states.

Speaking to the media Friday, State Education Secretary Dan French said planning for the statewide effort is well underway, and it's a high priority for the Vermont Agency of Education.

"In conjunction with the governor's office, we're working with a variety of stakeholders, programs and service providers to design a statewide summer initiative that expands capacity for these programs and extends their availability for all families to participate," French said. "Our hope is to provide a fun, engaging experience open to all students, regardless of ability or economic circumstance."

Currently, the state is working out the details on funding, resources and how to integrate the initiative with what schools are planning. The public can expect more details from French in the coming weeks as plans and partnerships develop.

— Gareth Henderson

Governor loosens rules, responds to Biden deadline

A view from the Ottauquechee River Trail in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

As promised, the state of Vermont made further changes to public health guidance on Friday, as the number of vaccinated Vermonters steadily increases. The state reached a new milestone in that process: 1 in 4 Vermonters have now received at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Gov. Phil Scott also said the state could exceed President Joe Biden’s new directive that states make all adults vaccine-eligible by May 1. But first, the state needs to know how much Johnson & Johnson vaccine it will get, and he was confident that update would be forthcoming.

At a Friday press briefing, Gov. Phil Scott announced immediate changes to rules on small multi-household gatherings and table seating at restaurants. The changes allow two unvaccinated households to gather at a time, and restaurants can seat multiple households together, but no more than six people can be seated at the same table. Masking, distancing, capacity limits, and other guidelines remain in place.

At a press briefing, Scott acknowledged Vermont continues to take one of the most cautious approaches to reopening, and this has caused some frustration. 

"I hear from people every day who think we should be moving faster to reopen like some other states have," Scott said. "But there's a reason we have the lowest number of (COVID-related) deaths in the country, and the lowest death rate in the continental U.S. If our death rate was as high as some of our neighbors, like New York, we wouldn't be talking about 212 lives lost. We'd be talking about 1,500 or more."  

Scott said he'd continue to take a "methodical and strategic approach", guided by the health experts. He also noted that, as more people get vaccinated, Vermonters can expect the loosening of public health restrictions to be more frequent than last spring, when the vaccine was not available.

Speaking of vaccinations, the governor responded to questions his office received following President Joe Biden's televised speech on Thursday night, during which he directed states to expand vaccine eligibility to all adults by May 1. 

Scott said he thought Vermont could exceed that target, but the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine is the key to meeting it. He said the state is waiting for federal confirmation on what its Johnson & Johnson allotment will look like. 

"Following President Biden's remarks, I'm assuming a clear supply picture will be made available to the states as soon as possible, so we can confirm the schedule of our remaining age bands and share it with you next week," Scott said. "But again, I want Vermonters to know, if the federal government delivers the supply, we'll more than deliver on the president's eligibility goal." 

Sanders: Rapid relief a key point of $1.9 trillion bill

For U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the direct stimulus checks going out now to about 90% of Americans are a key feature of the COVID-19 relief bill President Joe Biden signed into law Thursday.

On Friday, Sanders emphasized that rapid economic relief is what many Vermonters and people across the country badly need. For those with direct deposit, those $1,400 relief payments should show up in bank accounts in the next few days, he added.

"I have believed for a very long time, that in a moment when half of the people in our country are living paycheck to paycheck, probably the most important thing that we could do at this moment is just get cash into the hands of struggling families," Sanders said at Friday's state press conference.

The bill also has provisions meant to address child poverty, including increasing the federal child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,600 for families with kids under age 6. In fact, Sanders said, estimates project the legislation will cut child poverty by up to 50%.

"This bill, in a very aggressive way, addresses that crisis," Sanders said.

The senator said he'll never forget seeing the long lines of cars lining up all over the state for emergency food packages last year.

"People are hurting, and they need help," Sanders said.

From the new relief package, Vermont will see $1.3 billion. Within that, the state gets $152 million for rent and utility relief and $50 million for mortgage assistance.

Sanders also shared important news for the many Vermonters who filed for unemployment in 2020. The relief bill adds a tax deduction for the first $10,000 in unemployment benefits an individual received in 2020.

With the bill's passage, enhanced federal unemployment benefits of $300 per week are extended into early September. It also provides more funding for vaccination efforts, aid for school reopenings and assistance for businesses.

Noting the great need to help children during the recovery, Sanders said the bill nearly triples federal funding for summer and after-school programs. It also supplies an additional $391 million in federal funding for child care.

"The bottom line is, this is an enormously comprehensive piece of legislation. It will impact, I suspect, almost every family in the state of Vermont," Sanders said. "The goal here is to do everything that we can to help people who are struggling right now, to rebuild our economy, to open up our businesses, to get our children back to school, and to crush this pandemic as quickly as we can."

In the coming weeks, he said, people can expect Congress to take on big issues like infrastructure, energy systems and climate change, noting each of those areas can create jobs as the country moves forward.

State provides update on school staff vaccinations

The state of Vermont's efforts to roll out vaccinations for school employees has gone well for the most part, though with a few "bumps in the road", according to state education officials.

On Monday, the state began vaccine eligibility for teachers, school staff and child care providers. This included school-based clinics offered around the state.

At Friday's press briefing, Education Secretary Dan French said there were some issues regarding the location of vaccination appointments, as some appointment slots filled up more quickly than others.

“I just wanted to assure people that new clinics will be implemented as the supply increases, so school staff should not worry about being able to get an appointment if they weren't able to get one this week," French said.

Additionally, school staff in Vermont can also get vaccinated through the federal pharmacy program, which includes over 20 Walgreens locations throughout the state. French encouraged school staff to check on Walgreens appointment slots for availability as well, at walgreens.com.

Also on Friday, French shared a note of progress for the return to in-person learning. In February, Vermont schools saw slight increases of in-person learning across all grade levels.

"As the weather gets warmer and vaccination expands, we can expect to see the amount of in-person continue to increase in the coming weeks," French said.

As of Friday, over 11,000 educators, school staff, and child care providers have made appointments.

Also this week, vaccine registration opened for all Vermonters over age 16 with certain high-risk health conditions, and 21,700 people in that group of about 75,000 have signed up.

For appointments and eligibility details, visit healthvermont.gov/myvaccine or call 855-722-7878.

— Gareth Henderson

Welch: Stimulus bill key for fully reopening schools

A sunny afternoon view of Wyman Lane in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Vermont's governor wants schools fully open by the middle of April, and the federal COVID-19 relief bill is designed to help schools as they transition back to in-person learning, according to U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont.

The $1.9 trillion bill being taken up in the U.S. Senate has $170 billion going to schools. On VPR's Vermont Edition on Monday, Welch recalled when he visited the Winooski school district earlier during the pandemic, and observed all the changes they had to make to run their schools during the pandemic, which cost them about $2 million.

"This (stimulus) money is a recognition by the federal government that opening schools is easier said than done, and it requires resources and the spending of money in order to do it safely for our kids and for our teachers," Welch told VPR.

He said this federal relief could help schools hire extra personnel as they go back to in-person learning, which may include more nurses to take temperatures, for example. The funding could also help reconfigure classrooms for social distancing. Overall, Welch said any use of the federal aid must have a "COVID-related nexus", but it is less restrictive than prior aid packages. That means these new funds could be used on expenditures which could also have long-term benefits, such as improving school ventilation. The greater flexibility was something requested by the governor previously, Welch said during the VPR interview.

Currently, about 30% of Vermont schools have full-time, in-person instruction, 50% are hybrid, and 20% are fully remote. On Friday, the Scott administration announced its statewide effort to get schools back to full-time, in-person learning by year's end, and hopefully by mid-April. Education Secretary Dan French expects to give more details about that plan this week.

The topic has been one of intense debate nationally. On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a school reopening deal with lawmakers, and on Friday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a school reopening bill that he said was a threat to public health.

There seems to be broad agreement that getting students back to full-time, in-person learning is crucial, although some are concerned about the idea of reopening when not all teachers are fully vaccinated. Vermont is taking that into account as the next steps on its vaccination plan are considered. On Monday, the state opened up vaccination appointments to Vermonters age 65 and over.

Last Friday, Gov. Scott said the main reason to push for a full school reopening is "to reverse the negative impact of the pandemic on our kids."

"We have to start assessing the educational, social and emotional impact the pandemic and remote learning has had on our kids," Scott said. "Then we have to work together to reverse those impacts, as quickly as we possibly can. And that means, in this case, in-person instruction.”

A Senate vote on the federal aid package is anticipated in the next two weeks, since extended federal unemployment benefits expire on March 14.

— Gareth Henderson 

Vermont officials talk education recovery

Kedron Brook in Woodstock Village. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The Vermont education system is aiming to implement a statewide effort to get kids back to full-time, in-person learning by the end of the school year, perhaps in April. 

On Friday, the state Agency of Education released guidance for the first phase of its recovery plan, which is the assessment of current school conditions. That will be followed by planning, and finally implementation. School districts will partner with state support teams on recovery efforts, according to Vermont Education Secretary Dan French. At a press briefing, French and other officials spoke of the need to return to in-person instruction, emphasizing that the pandemic and months of online education are taking their toll on students. 

“It is our hope that by working together through a focused recovery process, we will demonstrate that the Vermont education system has managed both the safety and educational needs of our students better than any education system in the world,” French said. 

He said it’s important to move ahead on this work now, because of the impact of increased isolation over the past year. 

“The pandemic has been the cause of heightened anxiety and depression among many students,” he said.  

State Mental Health Commissioner Sarah Squirrell and Holly Morehouse, executive director of Vermont Afterschool, also addressed the media at the briefing. Squirrell noted that pediatricians across the state reported increased mental health needs in their patients in 2020. There were also more incidents of young people going to the emergency room for mental health reasons.

Morehouse pointed out that going through a full year like this past one, means something very different to a teenager than to an adult. For a young student, she noted, the past year would have normally been full of milestones achieved, as well as social interactions with friends. 

“At this critical moment in time, young people need to feel safe and supported to re-engage in learning and recover from this period of loss and isolation,” Morehouse said. “They need not only academic support, but social and emotional support.” 

Currently, about 30% of Vermont schools have full-time, in-person instruction, 50% are hybrid, and 20% are fully remote.

French said the timing of the education recovery work coincides with school districts’ normal timing for grant planning. This also takes into account that recovery efforts will continue into the next school year. 

“As we build momentum towards full in-person (instruction) this spring, our goal will be to have districts have their priorities identified and plans established prior to June 1,” French said.

He added, “We want districts to be able to focus their grants and spending strategies on the recovery work, and to think about how they might leverage summer activities in particular, to meet the needs of students … I suspect that many districts will utilize summer programming to address non-academic priorities, such as student engagement and social/emotional supports.”

French acknowledged that school employees are “extremely fatigued” and dealing with great stress amid the pandemic. 

“Nevertheless, we must find the energy and inspiration to get our kids back full-time, and begin the end of the pandemic,” he said. 

Also at Friday’s briefing, Gov. Phil Scott reiterated the goal laid out in his inaugural address last month: returning kids to full-time, in-person instruction by the end of the year, and hopefully by April. 

“We have to start assessing the educational, social and emotional impact the pandemic and remote learning has had on our kids,” Scott said. “Then we have to work together to reverse those impacts, as quickly as we possibly can. And that means, in this case, in-person instruction.” 

This news comes as Vermont’s vaccination efforts continue to make progress. States have come under some pressure to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to school teachers and staff as a group. In Vermont, officials are keeping options open, in large part because vaccine supply has steadily increased this month, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may get its emergency use authorization this weekend. 

So far, Vermont has managed vaccination eligibility by age. Starting Monday, Vermonters age 65 and older can register for their COVID-19 vaccine shot. 

State officials recently put out a survey to educators and school staff to gauge the group’s demand for vaccination. The survey is open until Monday. 

“It’s going to provide critical information for us to inform the next steps in our vaccination planning,” French said.

— Gareth Henderson

Car racing adds some humor on heavy news day

A brilliant sunset illuminates the clouds in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

When the Daytona 500 kicks off on Sunday, we’ll already have some indication who the governor of Vermont will be cheering for. 

That’s because car racing briefly came up during Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s press briefing on Friday. But perhaps it wasn’t too surprising. After all, Scott is a longtime stock-car racer and began racing at Thunder Road in his hometown of Barre, Vermont, in the early 1990s. 

The conversation turned to sports on Friday, after a reporter asked about a proposal in the Legislature that would extend sports betting to Vermont. It’s an effort Scott supported, given that it could bring much-needed revenue to the state.

“Where (the money) goes will be determined, but we have a lot of need, and in some respects, getting this on the table is good news,” Scott said. 

The next question for the governor was, “Who are you betting on for the Daytona 500?” Scott said he wasn’t betting as that’s not permitted in the state at this point. 

“But I have my favorites,” Scott said with a grin. When pressed, he humorously replied, “A lot of different drivers.” 

The real favorite might be one car in particular — like #42, a Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain. 

“We have a lot of different connections, in terms of Vermonters being part of NASCAR teams,” Scott said. “In fact, my godson is a crew chief on the 42 car, so that will be on the top of the list for me.” 

That provided a light moment during a day that was heavy with news for the Green Mountain State, particularly for vaccination and schools. 

On the school side, Education Secretary Dan French unveiled new guidance that will soon allow for music rehearsals and performances in schools, albeit with restrictions. Full details will be published online next week.

As Vermont moves further into the recovery phase, restoring activities like music will “go a long way toward restoring a sense of normalcy” in students’ lives, French said. 

Some of the restrictions school music programs will have to follow include: 

• All performers will be required to have a 6-by-6-foot distance around them when performing (for trombones, the distance required is 6-by-9 feet). 

• Students playing woodwind and brass instruments will be required to wear masks with slits in them while performing.

• The air in rehearsal spaces will need to have three complete exchanges per hour. 

• Rehearsals are limited to 30 minutes each. 

• No audiences are allowed during performances. 

French said other areas in the education arts will be looked at as well. 

“Music is essential to the well-being and academic success of our students,” French said. “In the coming weeks, we’ll look at other areas of our guidance, such as the performing arts and theater, and do a similar evaluation.”

Progress was also announced on COVID-19 vaccination efforts. As of Tuesday, Vermonters age 70 and older will be able to register online for their vaccine appointments, as announced by Scott at the press briefing. That’s the next part of Phase 2 of the state’s vaccination process. For the past several weeks, vaccination sign-ups have been limited to the 75+ age group (or “age band”, as the state puts it). Eligible Vermonters can register at healthvermont.gov/myvaccine or call 855-722-7878.

On Friday, Scott said the progress has been faster than anticipated, with over 85% of the 75+ group having been scheduled for, or already received, their vaccinations.

“Opening to the next age band is an important step, especially with hope on the horizon for increased supply and approval of new vaccines,” Scott said.

— Gareth Henderson

Citing data, Vt. eases several school restrictions

The American flag is shown at Woodstock High School & Middle School in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Starting Saturday, public K-12 schools in Vermont will be able to hold sports competitions, use certain communal spaces, and have greater flexibility in how they group students in their buildings.

These new allowances result from an updated "step level" under statewide guidance amid the pandemic, according to Education Secretary Dan French, who made the announcement Tuesday at a press conference. That guidance includes two levels of virus mitigation strategy. As of Saturday, all public schools in Vermont can move from "Step 2" — where they started the year Sept. 8 — to the less restrictive "Step 3." 

French said the decision comes after a review of the COVID-19 health conditions throughout Vermont and the schools' ability to implement statewide guidance. He said the few COVID-19 cases in schools so far resulted from the virus being brought into school, not transmitted in the building — also a key factor leading to Tuesday’s announcement.

"To date, we have not seen transmission of the virus in schools," French said.

He emphasized that health precautions meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 are still the same.

"All the basic mitigation strategies, such as staying home when you're sick, completing the daily health check, wearing a facial covering, social distancing and washing your hands remain in place and must be followed," he said.    

The new step level means that, as of Saturday, interscholastic sports competitions can start. The timing of the change was meant to give sports teams a full weekend to resume games, French noted.

Additionally, spaces like cafeterias and gymnasiums can resume their traditional uses, though of course with restrictions. 

"(Those spaces) can return to their regular uses, but under smaller group sizes, staggering the use of the space, and doing the required cleaning between uses," French said. 

The change also gives schools more flexibility in grouping students, he said. Though the student "pods" required in Step 2 can still play an important role, they are not required under Step 3. 

"This will provide a greater flexibility for grouping students by subject, which is particularly important for high schools," French said. 

He noted this does not alter any guidance regarding in-person instruction; the decision on whether to offer in-person learning or not still resides with local school districts. But Step 3 will give schools more flexibility in how they offer those learning opportunities. 

"We know ... that in-person instruction is very important for the healthy development and academic success of our students, particularly for our younger students," French said. "So, we believe it is critical to continue to work towards more in-person instruction while the conditions are optimal to do so."

French also thanked Vermonters for their adherence to public health measures, which has limited the spread of COVID-19. State officials have said the low prevalence of the virus in Vermont was an important factor that allowed schools to reopen, though with restrictions, this fall. Vermont has the lowest COVID-19 test positivity rate of any state in the nation.

"If we want to keep schools open and do what is best for our kids, we have to continue to work together," French said. 

— Gareth Henderson

Momentous weeks on the horizon

The mountains are painted with light and shadow in this view from Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The next couple of weeks will be important ones for many states, especially with the reopening of schools. But many other factors are in the mix as well. 

In Vermont, we have the return of the Legislature on Tuesday, and then schools reopen on Sept. 8. All this comes amid a swirling national political environment, stoked by the concerns around the USPS and the run-up to the November general election. Even so, the local scene here in the Green Mountains keeps moving forward. 

On the good news front: Vermont continues to have the lowest COVID-19 positivity rate in the country, which is one of the reasons the state proceeded steadily this summer on school reopening guidance. Most school districts in Vermont are implementing hybrid plans that blend remote and in-person learning, but the details vary district to district. So far, COVID-19 data, coupled with the state's testing and contact tracing capabilities, still shows it's safe to return to some level of in-person learning, state officials say.

By now, the Legislature, the schools, towns and all organizations know that plans can change quickly these days. And so, one has to be nimble, monitor the situation on the ground closely and prepare to make quick changes if needed. Working together, our Vermont schools and communities can meet this challenging time and keep moving forward, so that fall 2020 will be remembered as a time of great accomplishment. We have the ability to find — and hold onto — that success as a statewide community working toward a common purpose. We’ve come this far, and even amid adversity, we’ve paved the way together for more progress.

— Gareth Henderson

Child care concern spurs state action

A scenic view from North Bridgewater Road in Bridgewater, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Vermont is moving to increase child care capacity in anticipation of great need for those services once schools reopen Sept. 8.

In remarks to the media on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott acknowledged the challenges faced by parents having to grapple with different school schedules. Most schools are implementing hybrid plans for remote and in-person learning amid the pandemic. A key concern: child care for young school-aged children on remote-learning days.

“We know we need more child care capacity, and we need it quickly,” Scott said. 

With an executive order Tuesday, the governor allowed home-based providers to be reimbursed by the state for more than 4 hours of care per day for school-aged children (that is usually capped at 4 hours). Scott said that rule change is expected to add more than 3,000 child care slots in Vermont. Officials also announced a new effort to create 73 local child care hubs for school-aged children during remote-learning days. That effort is expected to add up to 7,000 slots.

Over the next month, the Department for Children and Families (DCF) will work with community partners to create those child care hubs. Pending legislative approval, the state is allocating $12 million in federal relief money to expand child care options, with $7 million of that total going to the hubs.

Child care hub locations have not been determined. Scott said the state and its partners will consider “appropriate business and municipal spaces” for those new sites, which will follow the existing COVID guidance required of summer camps. The state is also taking steps to expedite the application process to create the hubs, while making sure all health and safety requirements are followed, according to Mike Smith, the state’s secretary of human services.

This was a crucial development for Vermont, as concerns have been building quickly over child-care needs throughout the state. At Tuesday’s presser, Smith unveiled an alarming statistic based on a recent analysis by DCF: If 25 percent of K-6 students require child care during remote learning days, that is the equivalent to 10,300 new child care slots. That number clearly shows it was time to take action.

As with all plans during the pandemic, this one will require constant review and attention to ensure the best outcomes, and more support will likely be needed. But the child care sector is critical for the sustainability of our communities and the economy, and Tuesday’s announcement was an important step forward. 

— Gareth Henderson

VINS works to meet educational needs

Shown here is part of the Forest Canopy Walk at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee, Vermont. (Photo Provided)

The education sector is looking to the outdoors for solutions, and the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee, Vermont, is working on ways to help.

Teaching kids about the natural world is central to the VINS mission, and as the start of school nears on Sept. 8, the organization is in full planning mode. The adaptable nature of VINS’ educational programming has it well-suited for a time when flexibility is key, according to Hannah Gelroth, VINS’ director of school programs and teacher professional development. 

“It’s built on the idea of meeting the teachers where they are and what their needs are,” Gelroth said. 

While many schools are planning to use hybrid models of in-person and virtual education, VINS is considering how to combine outside and virtual modes within its lessons offered online. The organization added a host of at-home education resources on its website after schools shuttered in March. VINS is also thinking about how best to offer resources for schools and other experiences.

“We’re also looking at expanding our homeschooling offerings,” Gelroth said. “That’s another way we can be a resource. Some of our lessons will be virtual, and we can expand that as well.”

VINS offers programs for students of all grade levels, highlighting creative design, observation and writing about the environment they’re observing. Experiences for preschool groups are also available. 

One of the online offerings for grades K-5, is titled, “Building a Beaver Dam — Can you build a beaver dam that can stop the flow of water?,” gives a material list, prompt questions and a link to the VINS education department for assistance. It encourages children to go outside and have a hands-on experience, while also using the features of an online platform.

A new partnership will be a major factor as these plans coalesce. After March when schools closed, FourScienceVT was formed — that’s a partnership between VINS, the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, the Montshire Museum in Norwich and ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington. Together, these four organizations plan to help develop innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) experiences for Vermonters in a variety of formats. At VINS, Gelroth and her team of educators are part of a committee working on that effort.

“They’re involved in a discussion really to reimagine what additional things VINS will be able to offer, both to schools and also to homeschooling,” said Charlie Rattigan, VINS’ executive director. 

VINS’ annual Science Symposium offers another big opportunity for this important time in education, though planning for the next event is not yet complete. Rattigan sees a chance to “broaden the audience” and include homeschoolers, since the symposium can possibly blend virtual and at-home experiences.

For the week-long symposium, VINS educators “work with community schools to identify a local environmental problem, then use science and research to solve it,” as the online description says. 

“Each day has a keynote speaker, a scientist doing real world work,” Rattigan noted. 

In 2019, over 12 schools and 450 kids from elementary and middle schools took part in the symposium, where they presented solutions to real-life environmental issues. This year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19, but the symposium presents an opportunity which is part of ongoing discussions. 

As for schools, VINS plans to make its campus available, including its outdoor classroom and meeting spaces where a class or pod can hold a lesson. 

“Teachers can run it, but also a VINS educator,” said Rattigan, adding the team is considering how to best promote those resources now.

VINS is also weighing how to use its Forest Canopy Walk amid its offerings in the coming weeks, and virtual field trips may also be part of the future. One school is looking for grant funding to have the VINS educators work with their teachers on best practices for outdoor education. 

“That may be a model for us to offer other schools and teachers as well for a professional development component,” Gelroth said. 

As planning efforts continue, the organization is supported by donors who have given generously during this time of need. Rattigan said a number of foundations have stepped up to give more than their usual grant request. 

“We’re encouraged that people recognize VINS is delivering valuable stuff, and they want to support it and make sure it weathers this storm,” he said. 

Some of those supporters have been with VINS for many years, and they’ve helped the organization close in on another milestone. VINS turns 50 in 2022, as Assistant Executive Director Mary Davidson Graham pointed out.

“It says a lot about our programs and how valuable we are to the community,” she said. 

— Gareth Henderson

The VINS Nature Center in Quechee is now open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Face coverings and social distancing are required. Visit the website for more details on programming.

Vermonters craft school reopening plans

The entryway to Woodstock Union High School & Middle School in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The wheels continue to turn on the various school reopening plans in districts throughout New England and beyond, as administrators, teachers and students eye an upcoming year like no other. 

At the same time, it's being viewed by some as a chance to innovate and welcome broad, community ideas into the wider educational umbrella, during this all-hands-on-deck moment in history.

In Vermont, districts released plans last week for reopening, in accordance with state guidelines aiming to move education forward this fall during the pandemic. This week, Gov. Phil Scott signed an executive order making Sept. 8 the official start date for all schools in Vermont, thereby giving districts more time to prepare. Masks will be required in accordance with a statewide mandate. Also, everyone entering school buildings will need a temperature check, as will all students getting on buses. Schools have also gauged how to accommodate the required social distancing.

As for the reopening plans, most Vermont districts are offering hybrid models of on-campus and distance learning, while providing options for those parents preferring to keep their children off-campus during the ongoing health crisis. A major reason education officials are moving forward is because of Vermont's very low caseload for COVID-19, though there still are concerns about controlling the coronavirus amid an increase in visitor traffic this fall.

The Windsor Central Supervisory Union recently presented its tentative plan for the school year in its district serving Woodstock, Barnard, Pomfret, Reading, Bridgwater and Killington. The WCSU is now hashing out the details of that framework, according to Superintendent Sherry Sousa. That proposed framework is based on the work of a local collaboration team, including representatives from Mount Ascutney Hospital, parents, students and Windsor Central Unified Union School District board members. The framework aims to be "as nimble as possible" given the pandemic, and the plan will evolve over time, Sousa explained.  

"We'll continue to build it; we have 11 different work groups" figuring out the details, she said. The details range from adapting the academic programming to implementing required state health measures. As for student numbers, Sousa estimated the district has a total of 75 new students enrolled this year. 

“Many are the result of people moving to Vermont for a healthier environment for their children,” she said. 

Sousa said the district’s hybrid plan aims to provide the best educational opportunities possible (on-campus and off-campus), while providing some flexibility for parents and also complying with state regulations. 

“We’re going to focus on literacy and math when students are in school,” Sousa said. “Off campus, we’ll be reinforcing those ideas using projects and other ideas.”

The plan has full remote-learning options for students whose parents who expressed in a district-wide survey they didn’t want them going back to in-person learning. As of Wednesday, with surveys collected from 75 percent of the district’s parents, Sousa said 8 to 9 percent chose full remote learning.

In the words of the proposed plan, it recommends: 

• An alternating day model where most students will have two days of in-person instruction in our schools and three days of remote learning. The in-school days will attend to that learning that is best provided with a teacher and student present, prepare for individual/remote work, and support the child/student emotionally. The three days of remote learning will encourage independent work, review of in-class materials, provide opportunities that are age appropriate, and reinforce in class concepts and ideas.  

• Teachers will have students four days a week, as each class will be divided in half. This will allow half of the group to receive in-class instruction on one day, and the other half will attend the following day allowing for social distancing and best health/safety practices.  

• Students in the primary grades, K - 2, require intensive literacy and mathematics instruction to provide the critical foundations for later learning. For those reasons, all elementary schools will provide in-school instruction for four days per week for grades kindergarten through second. At Barnard Academy and Reading Elementary, grades 2 and 3 are combined and will therefore offer in-school instruction for grades kindergarten through third grade.  

• Elementary students who participate in music, art and Spanish will be able to participate in these classes during remote learning days. Physical education will occur through activity-based scheduled recess breaks.

Amid the district’s ongoing communications efforts, Sousa said there will be more opportunities for parents and community members to offer feedback. Outdoor learning opportunities are being considered, as well as ways to use different spaces. To cite one idea: The high school gymnasium — which will not be in use — may become a space for one-on-one learning. 

Sousa noted district leaders have also been gathering a number of ideas from the community to help the schools, and the board plans to formalize a group to field and consider those ideas. Sousa said that group will be one of the items discussed at the board’s next meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday via Zoom.

— Gareth Henderson