What would it take?

The following charts were presented at a recent meeting.

Education property tax is largely defined by total spending divided by number of pupils.

For the school, we can address the problem in several ways:

1)  Decrease the budget (short term solution)

2)  Increase the number of students (long term solution)

Spending cuts required to reach given estimated property tax changes

It is arguable that we cannot continue to cut our way to lower taxes.  We have reached diminishing returns as classes are full and staffing is reaching the minimum required to comply with student need and Vermont State Education Quality Standards.  Another drop in pupils next year will see the process repeat itself. 

 

Increase in student enrollment ("equalized pupils" in Vermont tax terms) to reach given estimated property tax changes

Stopping the drop in pupils has a much greater effect on tax rates.  The school has the capacity to accept more students without change in staffing.  As a town, have we been encouraging the type of growth, housing, and services that are required to attract families with young children? 

It may be unrealistic to believe that we can make changes to attract enough students in the short term to make a difference for tax rates.  It must, however, be integrated into Westford's long term development plans.

This analysis forms the basis for our board's decision to enter into a unification study with Essex Junction and Essex Town.  The larger pool of students could absorb our student decreases, and the property tax incentives for residents are an option that could not be ignored.  It presents a potential course to ride out the final years of decreasing enrollment before we start to see student population growth again.  The board is approaching the study without a predetermined outcome--the burden is on the data to prove out the findings.