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Teacher-focused cost savings groups
Teachers are closest to daily school operations and may have insight into specific savings opportunities - changing vendors for regularly ordered supplies, cafeteria items, yearly replacement supplies. Small savings can compound significantly. A teacher-focused working group could surface ideas that aren't visible from the top down.
Administration
Central office and administration
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Move the central office out of rented space and into an existing school building
MAUSD pays approximately $86,000 per year to rent office space at BristolWorks in Bristol. Space exists within the district's own school buildings. The board voted April 30, 2026 to study this option — a sign that community pressure on this question is working. We want to see it followed through.
Details to consider: The actual cost of relocating depends on which school building is used, what renovations or modifications are required, and whether existing staff space needs can be met. The board voted April 30 to study this — we expect full cost figures to be presented publicly before any decision is made.
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Share the central office with Addison Northwest School District
Combining superintendent, business office, HR, technology, and transportation coordination with ANWSD as a supervisory union could save approximately $780,000 per year. The 2022 study identifies this as the approach that "best meets the evaluation criteria" of any component studied. It has not been formally pursued.
Details to consider: A shared central office arrangement with ANWSD would require negotiation between both boards and careful structuring to ensure MAUSD retains independent governance. As with any consolidation arrangement, the impact on the Articles of Agreement — which protect each town's right to vote on school closure — must be explicitly addressed before moving forward.
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Reduce administrative layers — have existing leaders take on broader roles over time
The district employs curriculum directors, coordinators, and specialists between the superintendent and school principals. Streamlining these layers through natural attrition — not layoffs — could save approximately $535,000 per year. No one loses their job; roles simply consolidate as people retire or move on.
Details to consider: The 2022 study is explicit that this works through natural attrition only — no one loses their job. Savings would be realized over several years as positions are not backfilled when people retire or move on. This is not a short-term savings measure.
Growing enrollment
Growing enrollment — the most sustainable cost fix
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Add school-based childcare at community schools
The 2022 study identifies this as the single community school idea proven to attract new families and grow enrollment. More students means more state funding and a lower cost per pupil. Several Vermont communities have done this at relatively low cost. Growing enrollment is the most sustainable way to reduce per-pupil costs — without closing anything.
Details to consider: School-based childcare programs require state licensing, qualified childcare staff, liability coverage, and potentially facility modifications to meet childcare regulations. Several Vermont districts have navigated this successfully, but it requires upfront investment and planning before savings from enrollment growth are realized.
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Open school buildings to community services during non-school hours
Bringing medical, dental, or mental health services into school buildings during hours when space sits empty can generate modest rental income and make the community more attractive to families — supporting enrollment growth over time.
Details to consider: Hosting outside services in school buildings requires careful attention to liability, insurance, and scheduling to ensure school operations are never disrupted. Formal use agreements with service providers would be needed.
Making schools efficient
Making our existing schools work more efficiently
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Give each school a budget based on how many students it has
A weighted student funding model gives each school a transparent, enrollment-based budget and lets principals decide how to allocate it. When enrollment changes, the budget adjusts automatically. The district already does this for teachers — extending it to whole-school budgets builds in cost discipline without requiring any closures.
Details to consider: Implementing weighted student funding requires a board policy change and a transition period to avoid budget disruption at individual schools. The report recommends phasing this in over two to three years.
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Share some administrative roles across nearby schools
Each school currently has a full-time principal regardless of size. Pairing nearby schools to share leadership — or share an assistant principal — could reduce overhead without removing leadership from any community.
Details to consider: Principal roles are governed by administrator contracts which vary in term and structure. Sharing a principal across two schools would require board policy changes and potentially contract renegotiation. Community members should also consider that principals are often central figures in school culture — any sharing arrangement should preserve meaningful leadership presence in each building.
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Apply a smarter, evidence-based approach to how instructional coaches work
Every school has instructional coaches who support teachers. The 2022 study found the current approach over-provisions coaching relative to what research supports as effective. A more targeted model — focused where it produces the most benefit — could save significantly while actually improving student outcomes.
Details to consider: Coaching positions may be governed by collective bargaining agreements that affect how roles can be restructured. Changes would likely need to be phased in over time through attrition and contract negotiation rather than immediate restructuring.
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Match support staff numbers to how many students are actually enrolled
Right now each school employs custodians and food service workers at roughly the same levels regardless of school size. Sizing these roles to actual enrollment — the way teaching positions already are — would save money without changing how students are taught.
Details to consider: Paraprofessional staffing levels are often legally mandated by individual student IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) — these cannot be reduced regardless of enrollment. The savings opportunity here applies primarily to custodial and food service roles, not to special education paraprofessionals. Any staffing changes would also need to be consistent with existing union contracts and collective bargaining agreements.
Regional & state
Regional collaboration and state-level approaches
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Join a Cooperative Education Service Agency (CESA) with neighboring districts
A CESA is a shared services organization that neighboring school districts form together to pool resources — HR, payroll, special education compliance, technology, data management, professional development. Vermont's only existing CESA has already demonstrated up to 42% savings on professional development alone.
Where things stand: State Rep. Rebecca Holcombe presented on CESAs at the Finance & Facilities Committee meeting on May 4, 2026. The committee received it well. Her key advice: wait until the current legislative session closes before moving too far, as the state may require CESA membership for all districts and provide startup funding. The legislation has passed the House and is before the Senate. Addison Northwest School District — which already shares some services with MAUSD — would likely be in the same regional CESA. The board should be ready to move quickly once the legislature acts.
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Advocate at the state level for school employee health benefits reform
Health insurance costs — not teacher salaries — are the primary driver of rising school budgets in Vermont, up over 110% since 2018. For the first time in years that trend is reversing: the state cut $88 million from hospital budgets and capped specialty drug pricing, saving the school employee health trust an estimated $24 million. Our board should be actively pushing for more of this in Montpelier.
Secondary school
Secondary school structure
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Move 6th grade from elementary schools to Mt. Abraham
Moving 6th graders to the middle school creates staffing efficiencies at both the elementary and secondary levels. The 2022 study calls this "consistent with all the evaluation criteria." It does not require closing any school — just changing which building 6th graders attend.
Details to consider: Moving 6th grade to the middle school is a significant change for families and students. It would require adequate space at Mt. Abraham, transportation adjustments, and a thoughtful transition plan. Community input from affected families should be part of any study of this option.
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Share Mt. Abraham with Addison Northwest School District through a supervisory union
The largest non-closure saving identified in any study — approximately $2.5 million per year. Sharing Mt. Abraham's middle and high school with ANWSD as a supervisory union — not a full district merger — could save significantly while preserving local governance. The 2022 study identifies this as meeting its own evaluation criteria. It has not been formally pursued.
Details to consider: The 2022 study clarifies this can be structured as a supervisory union rather than a full district merger — which in theory preserves local governance. However, any consolidation arrangement with ANWSD would require renegotiating the Articles of Agreement for both districts. Those Articles are what give each town the right to vote on whether its school closes — that right is what gives communities real leverage. It is worth noting that Starksboro has already held a town vote and voted down school closure. Any renegotiation of the Articles of Agreement puts that leverage at risk. Before pursuing this option, the community would need explicit, ironclad assurance that town-level voting rights on school closure are preserved and cannot be removed without each town's separate approval.