Cavendish Update 2/20/26: SB Mtgs/Education/Police/News/Events
/
LINKS TO CAVENDISH CONNECTS: Facebook Blue Sky or Website
WINTER STORM WARNING: 10 AM TODAY TO 10 AM SATURDAY Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 6 and 9 inches. Snow will be initially wet, and snowfall rates will likely exceed 1 inch per hour Friday evening. Snow will trend lighter and become increasingly dry Friday night into Saturday. Isolated power outages could occur due to the weight of the snow. Travel will be very difficult. The hazardous conditions will impact the Friday evening commute.
2025 ANNUAL TOWN REPORT: Cavendish’s Town Report is now available at the town’s website, in your mailbox or at the Town Office.
CTES 6TH GRADERS FUNDRAISER: The students are raising money for their week at Keewaydin Environmental Education Center. Have you purchased your March Madness tickets yet? A different drawing every day for the month of March. Tickets are $10 a piece and can be purchased from a 6th grader or through the school
2/20/26
1. Cavendish Select Board Meeting 2/12/26 & 1/29/26
2. Education Reforms Must Start Where Costs are Growing
3. Joint special meeting of Cavendish, Reading, Weathersfield-Mt. Ascutney Regional Police Force
4. Cavendish Related News
5. Events Calendar
1. CAVENDISH SELECT BOARD MEETINGS 2/12/26 & 1/29: The video of the February Cavendish Select Board (SB) meeting is available at the Okemo Valley TV Website. Unapproved minutes are available at the Town’s website.
Approved/Action Taken
• Signed New Garage Note Previously Voted On-change from an adjustable to a 15-year fixed note.
• Appointed Abraham (Abe) Gross Cemetery Sexton
• Approved Tax Map Maintenance Contract-Cost is $1,350 for the year
• Approved Annual Certificate of Highway Mileage
• Approved Town manager to sign Green Mountain Power Easement for power pole at the town office, which will allow the pole to be upgraded for services needed at the Academy building.
• Approved town office stormwater project-will add two rain garden/retention ponds at the town office.
Discussed
• Pledge of Allegiance: Kem Phillips, who posted his views in a Chester Telegraph Letter to the Editor, took exception to the saying of the Pledge Allegiance at the start of SB meetings because of the phrase, “under God.” This was added to the pledge in 1954, during the cold war era.
• Town Water Update: Water usage down to more normal levels. In January, the town produced 3.3 million gallons of water , which is more than 1.2 million over normal levels. This has resulted in the need for an emergency switch out of filters. Water is now going back to normal but it does take time. Water leaks are being checked but nothing has been detected so far.
• Open Town Positions: Town report goes out next week. Lots of open positions. There is still time for people to announce they are write-in candidates. Note that Michael Murphy is running as a write in for Town Clerk/Town Treasurer.
• Salt: Town is running low on salt and will have to adjust salting the roads based on supply.
• Town Meeting: An informational meeting only, the town meeting will take place on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 10 am at the Cavendish Town Elementary School multi purpose room. Voting is by Australian Ballot on Tuesday, March 3, 10-7 at the Proctorsville Fire Dept. A copy of the Town Report is available at the Town’s Website.
SB MEETING 1/29/26: This meeting was to finalize the selectmen’s budget. The board approved a budget of $2,724,654 with $41,921 for the recreation department, $5,000 to the community enrichment fund and the rest of the FY 2025 budget surplus going to the capital equipment fund. Minutes for this meeting are available at the Town’s website.
2. EDUCATION REFORMS MUST START WHERE COSTS ARE GROWING: According to a new article in Seven Days, “Over the past two decades, public schools have lost more than a quarter of their K-12 students, going from around 98,000 students in fiscal year 2005 to 73,000 in 2025, according to state education data — the result of factors that include falling birth rates and a relatively low flow of immigrants to fill the gap. The state as a whole, meanwhile, added 20,000 people overall during the same period. The demographic drop-off in public schools has led to a steep rise in the per-pupil cost of educating Vermont’s children and, in turn, to higher property taxes, prompting state leaders to push for major education reform. After months of debate last year, the General Assembly passed Act 73 as the vehicle for enacting those changes. But the reform plan is currently stalled in the Statehouse amid a fresh argument over whether the school district consolidation and funding changes it envisions are the best path forward.
The following comments are from Denise Hughes, a Cavendish resident, parent of four children, and a former CTES board member. “In the Two-Rivers Supervisory Union, recent budget data across multiple fiscal years tells a consistent story: school-level budgets have remained relatively constrained, while overall education costs have risen sharply. The primary driver is not classrooms or instructional programs, but central office and district-level costs that are not directly voted on by local communities.
From FY23 to FY26, GMUSD and LMHUSD budgets rose over 30%, while non-tax revenues fell 36%, widening the taxpayer gap. FY26 shows the sharpest budget hike and revenue drop.
At the school level, spending patterns are mixed but largely explainable, reflecting enrollment changes, special education needs, and staffing realities. Central Office costs dominate. In GMUSD, they equal half of school spending; in LMHUSD it’s 1.6 times school operating costs…. Act 73 is often framed as a mandate to close or merge schools. But focusing reform solely on school buildings risks missing the core objectives of the reform intent. Focusing on the closing of a school does not automatically reduce superintendent costs, business office expenses, special education coordination, compliance staffing, or governance overhead. Those costs tend to persist, being absorbed and redistributed across the districts and with possibly fewer students. Concentrating on school closures won’t deliver savings, yet this is the Superintendent’s approach, consuming public meetings without clear outcomes. Without corresponding reductions in central administration, closures can increase per-pupil costs while eroding trust and destabilizing our communities. To read Hughes full letter, click here.
3. SELECTBOARD: JOINT SPECIAL MEETING OF CAVENDISH, READING AND WEATHERSFIELD/REGIONAL POLICE FORCE: On Thursday, Feb. 26, the Selectboard representatives from the Towns of Cavendish, Reading, and Weathersfield will convene at 6:30 pm at Martin Memorial Hall ( 5259 US Route 5 in Ascutney) for the purpose of discussing the proposed formation of a regional police department-Mount Ascutney Regional Police Department (MARPD). The agenda will be as follows:
1. Overview of Proposed Regional Partnership
o Conceptual framework for collaboration among Weathersfield, Reading & Cavendish
o Discussion of potential future expansion to additional municipalities
2. Service Coverage Needs Assessment
o Current contracted service levels
o Call volume data and anticipated regional coverage model
3. Proposed Cost Allocation Methodology
o Basis for proportional cost sharing
o Consideration of contracted hours and service demand
4. Draft FY27 Budget Overview
o Staffing model
o Major expense categories
o Outstanding cost variables (dispatch, benefits, facility, etc.)
5. Preliminary Implementation Timeline
o 120-day transition period
o Key milestones and operational readiness targets
6. Draft Intermunicipal Agreement Framework
o Governance structure
o Financial administration
o Terms of participation and withdrawal
Zoom attendance is available at
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5425954364?pwd=RlNJQm9ubkpjSkxta2VoR3RnYmRTdz09&omn=
83977015383. Meeting ID: 542 595 4364 / Passcode: 8021
4. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
• Respiratory Weekly Report: The health department’s Respiratory Illness Activity in Vermont reports Covid as “low” and flu “very low” concentrations in Ludlow waste water, for the week of 2/8/26-2/14/26. Statewide Covid is rated as “low” and flu A “moderate.” Masks and hand sanitizer are available at the Cavendish Cares closet next to the Museum steps.
• Upcoming CCCA Events: Cavendish Community Conservation Association (CCCA) is planning the following events: March 13 is Wild Hope: Building for Birds and Puffling Patrol with the Cavendish Library. Cavendish Gorge walk with Cheryl Cox is May 16 with May 17 as a rain date, 10am meet up at the Power station in Cavendish. Audubon Bird Walk is May 9 with time and place coming soon.
• Congratulations to Proctorsville’s Wendi Dowst-McNaughton: Vermont Humanities recently presented the 2025 Victor R. Swenson Humanities Educator Award to West Rutland teacher and longtime Humanities Camp director Wendi Dowst-McNaughton at an all-school ceremony. The award honors an outstanding humanities educator in grades 6-12, and is named for the first director of Vermont Humanities. The award comes with a $1000 gift to use in any manner the recipient chooses.
5. EVENTS
FEBRUARY 26 (THURSDAY): Special Joint meeting of Select Board representatives from Cavendish, Weathersfield and Reading to discuss the formation of the Mt Ascutney Regional Police Dept. 6:30 pm Zoom option available. See Item 3 above.
FEBRUARY 28 (SATURDAY): CHS Workshop: In keeping with Black History Month, this workshop will include screening portions of Ken Burns’ American Revolution series on the role of black patriots, the Ethiopian Army, and two Cavendish patriots-Peter Tumbo and Prince Robinson-who had been enslaved and made their way to Cavendish after the war. 1-2:30 pm at the Cavendish Library. Recommended for those 12 and up.
- Town Meeting Day (Informational Meeting) 10 am at Cavendish Town Elementary School. All articles are now voted on by Australian Ballot. A copy of the Town Report is available at the Town’s Website.
MARCH (TUESDAY): VOTE on town and school budgets as well as elected Cavendish positions. Proctorsville Fire Dept., 10-7
MARCH 13 (FRIDAY): CCCA Wild Hope: Building for Birds and Puffing Patrol at the Cavendish Library, 6 pm.
MARCH 14 (SATURDAY): CHS Workshop- Celebrating Women’s History month, this workshop will discuss the role of women in the American Revolution and will include screening segments of the American Revolution series. This workshop will include a “taste of history,” where “Liberty Tea” will be served. 1:30 pm at the Cavendish Library.