Burlington School District (BSD) leadership will host two virtual town hall meetings this week on July 15 and 16 to discuss school reopening models currently under consideration and results from recent reopening surveys.

The first virtual town hall on Wednesday, July 15 at 7 p.m., will provide families further opportunity to participate in the conversation around reopening schools this fall; families will hear directly from leaders about the family reopening survey and will be able to ask questions. At the second town hall on Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m., BSD leaders will discuss results from the staff reopening survey and staff will be able to share their thoughts and concerns.

“This is a key moment in our planning process. We need to hear from the community in order to finalize our plans and inform our families so they can start planning their lives,” said Superintendent Tom Flanagan. “The bottom line is that the most equitable situation would be for every student to be able to attend school this fall. Knowing that some students and teachers won’t be able to attend school in person for a variety of reasons, we need to be thinking creatively through ways to accommodate all of our families while planning within AOE and CDC guidelines.”

Participants can tune in and pose questions to panelists via Zoom or watch the meeting live on Youtube. BSD Multicultural Liaisons will also be interpreting the meeting live and working directly with district EL families to ensure all BSD families can participate in the reopening process.

Link to join Family Town Hall: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84986190425. Or call: +1 646 558 8656.

Link to join Staff Town Hall: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86987495067 Or call: +1 646 558 8656.

For further questions, please contact Avalon Styles-Ashley.

Family Town Hall Meeting

Staff Town Hall Meeting

August 12, 2020

Update:

Please see the graphic below to see our current distribution of meals.

Update: Wednesday, July 15 will be the last day that meals will be distributed at Champlain Elementary School and North Gate Apartments. All families picking up meals at those sites will be given information on other nearby meal sites that will continue to provide meals throughout the summer.

Beginning Monday, June 22, summer meals will be provided—at no charge—to kids ages 18 and under at a variety of Burlington Schools and other locations. No fees, no registration—just show up! 

A new stop, “Supper in the Park” at Roosevelt Park daily from 5 to 6 p.m., has been added to the schedule. Distribution at South Meadow, Franklin Square, and Riverside has moved up to daily service from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The full summer schedule is listed below.

Summer Meal Distribution Schedule

• North Avenue Alliance Church: Daily Breakfast and Lunch, 9 to 10 a.m.
• Edmunds Elementary School: Daily Breakfast and Lunch, 9 to 10 a.m.
• Sustainability Academy: Daily Breakfast, Lunch, and Supper, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Champlain Elementary: Daily Breakfast and Lunch, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• NEW South Meadow, Franklin Square, and Riverside: Daily Breakfast and Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Northgate, Salmon Run, and Bobbin Mill: M-W-F Breakfast and Lunch, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• Boys and Girls Club: M-W-F Breakfast, Lunch and Supper 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
• NEW “Supper in the Park” at Roosevelt Park: Daily 5 to 6 p.m.

For more information on dates, locations and meal times, visit the Burlington School Food Project website or contact Director Doug Davis at ddavis@bsdvt.org.

The Burlington School Board is reviewing the position of School Resource Officers (SROs) within Burlington’s schools and is seeking the input of students, parents, staff and the community.

As our country and local community deals with the recent events and increasing calls for social justice, there have been proposals to eliminate the SRO positions. The School Board is taking up this matter, with the goal of making a recommendation to Mayor Weinberger and the Burlington City Council on or before June 29th, when the City Council expects to vote on the city budget.

The US Department Of Justice defines School Resource Officers as “sworn law enforcement officers responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools.”  There are currently two SROs that operate within the district. One is dedicated to Burlington High School and the other splits their time between Edmunds Middle School and Hunt Middle School; both occasionally work with the elementary schools. Their responsibilities and duties are governed by a 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Burlington School District and the Burlington Police Department. SROs are currently funded out of the Police Department budget.

The board wants the input of students, families, staff and the entire community to inform our decision-making, and is providing three opportunities for feedback:

• The School Board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee meets via Zoom on Tuesday June 23 at 6:30 p.m. There will be an opportunity to provide public comment, limited to two minutes per person. The agenda and link to attend the meeting via computer or phone can be found at https://bit.ly/37LjUY2.
• The full School Board will meet via Zoom on Thursday June 25 at 6:00 p.m. There will be an opportunity to provide public comment, limited to two minutes per person. Additionally, in order to allow time for the board to deliberate and come to a decision, public comment will be limited to 60 minutes total. Details and the agenda for this meeting are still pending, but when finalized can be found on BoardDocs http://bit.ly/3cVVYU2
• You may also provide written input to the board by filling out a Google survey: https://bit.ly/3ewFt0U This survey will close on Thursday June 25 at 10:00 a.m. in order to give School Board commissioners the time to read all responses in advance of the Board meeting that evening.

The Burlington School Board wants to make an informed decision about this important matter, and your voice is important.

Burlington School Board