South Burlington school board candidates tackle issues

South Burlington voters next week will vote on three school director positions during Town Meeting Day March 7.

Dr. Travia Childs, chair of the district’s board of school directors, is running for a two-year term, but is facing a challenge from Bryan Companion. Alex McHenry, another incumbent, is running for reelection to a three-year term and is facing a challenge from Lisa Hickey.

Meanwhile, Laura Williams is running unopposed to serve the remaining two years on a three-year term.

The candidates responded to a list of questions from The Other Paper in the run up to the election. Some answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Please list three immediate priorities you have and, if elected, how you would implement those.

Travia Childs: Capacity — ZEMs to address overcrowding at Orchard and Rick Marcotte Elementary schools and for facilities needs in all schools. Equity and inclusion: As a person of color, one of my characteristics is ensuring that all students are treated with respect and kindness. Re-building community trust: We will ensure that we operate using transparency.

Bryan Companion: Student’s academic performance: The primary role of our schools is to educate. Math and English test scores have declined since the pandemic. These test measure proficiency in problem solving, critical thinking and analytical writing. Issues that affect student performance, include staffing shortages, school overcrowding and emotional/social issues. Staffing: Schools are struggling to fill necessary positions. Unfilled positions mean that important services may not be provided at intended levels. Student emotional and social issues: These issues will take longer to resolve, but any improvement will positively impact learning and student outcomes.

Lisa Hickey: My first priority is to listen and learn. I will give you a list of three things that I would like to see happen on the board, but it is critically important that my first steps as a new school board member are to listen, ask questions and learn. I would like to see the school board improve its communication with the community and increase transparency about how it works. Transparency creates trust and can increase buy-in from the community about decisions the school board makes. Board efficiency could be improved with the creation of procedural checklists for tasks that are repeated on a regular, or semi-regular basis.

I have a particular interest in literacy, which I feel is an equity issue. The ability to read is the foundation upon which all other education is based. I would like the board to engage with the new (executive director) of learning to learn more about the recommendations made in the 2020 literacy audit, and the timeframe for putting them into place.

Alex McHenry: Guide the administration toward learning and pandemic recovery. Our kids’ learning was badly affected by the pandemic, and recovery will be harder in upcoming years because federal pandemic money is being discontinued. Reduce income inequality among staff. Administrators and veteran teachers are paid competitively, but we have trouble hiring less-experienced teachers and support staff because those salaries are less competitive. Doing this will make hiring easier and our schools more cost-effective. Last, effective policy monitoring and implementation will ensure the superintendent is planning and communicating how the board’s goals will be met.

Laura Williams: Equity in education. I believe all children deserve the best education we can offer, which includes supporting each and every child’s social emotional, career or college readiness and academic development. The mental health of students. I will support the superintendent in hiring a social emotional learning coach who will work with the district as a whole. Third, the abysmal state of our infrastructure. I will work to create a long range and financially responsible plan to build better and greener schools.

What are your thoughts on racial justice and equity in the city’s school system? Is the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion policy up to date and effectively communicated between board members, the district’s educators and staff and community members at large?

Williams: I believe all children deserve the best education we can offer, which includes ensuring that we are supporting every child in their academic, social emotional and college/career ready development. We still have work to do, however, to improve equity for all students. In terms of the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion, I believe we need an audit immediately to form an accurate and up to date policy. Once the audit is done, it should be shared with educators and at a school board meeting that is open to the public.

Childs: Since COVID-19, marginalized students continue having social and emotional issues. I am committed to supporting students’ academic, social, emotional and academic learning by looking at data and adjusting programming accordingly. We are relatively a new board, and we are working on communication with the staff, support staff, educators, and the community. Like other districts with the majority of Caucasian students, we have a long journey ahead of us.

Companion: The equity policy was approved in January 2022 and executive director Deatrice Lofton-Davis was hired to lead the program. Everyone’s support will be essential to the program’s success. Training has been delivered throughout the district. The board has received quarterly monitoring reports. The community can listen to these reports and comment. The implementation of this policy is in its infancy, and it will continue to evolve.

Hickey: It is important that South Burlington has adopted an equity policy and hired an equity director, but I see that there is still very much work to do for our schools to address racial justice and equity issues. This is an area where I feel that I would benefit most from listening and learning, but one area that needs more communication is how the schools are adopting the practices of restorative justice required by the equity policy.

McHenry: I have strongly supported our schools’ work in diversity, equity and inclusion since I was elected in 2017. Our work is evolving and our policies need to evolve, too. I believe that when all people are accepted as they are, and all are treated respectfully, everyone benefits. I also believe that this is the kind of environment that maximizes learning, which benefits all students.

How do you plan on addressing the district’s school capacity issues? What long-term plans should be made?

McHenry: We have an immediate need for more classrooms in two of our elementary schools and if the bond that’s on the ballot passes, we will have time to plan for more increased enrollment. I’m aware that the community rejected the large bond for a new high school and middle school campus three years ago, and I want people to know that I’m sensitive to taxpayers’ limitations. I hope we can plan for the next phase of growth that will make our schools even better.

Williams: We need a long-range plan that is financially responsible to build better and greener schools that allows us to respond to increasing populations rather than react to it. It is my hope to begin this work on day one with all stakeholders, including the city council, so that we all work together to create greener and more energy efficient schools.

Childs: We are going out for bonds for ZEMs to address overcrowding at Orchard and Rick Marcotte Elementary schools and for facilities needs in all schools. The temporary classrooms would house the middle school, while the middle school is being rebuilt. The middle school would take over the current high school. The middle school could house third, fourth and fifth graders. My solution (without funding issues) would be to rebuild all the schools one at a time.

Companion: A long-range plan must be developed to address required maintenance and future enrollment. A key issue here will be what school(s) the fifth graders will attend. The plan needs to be built around existing schools. We should determine each school’s needs, repurpose existing space and add new facilities as needed. The plan needs to be communicated in detail, with the defined level of support that will be required. South Burlington has a history of supporting education and by playing the role of a good steward of public funds that support will continue to be earned.

Hickey: It seems clear that there is a need for a long-term strategic plan to address the districts schools’ capacity issues. I hope that the school board will begin to instigate such a plan. Whichever direction is eventually recommended, there are a few key steps that are important to take in the present. Obtain the results of PCB testing in the Rick Marcotte Central School; these results will inform what decisions need to be made in the long term. The board must communicate clearly how it is going to begin to make decisions about this long-term plan. The South Burlington school board can work with legislators to create a coalition of Vermont schools to advocate for the reinstating of state funds to assist with school construction needs.

What personal and professional experience do you bring that would make you an effective school board director?

Companion: I have lived in South Burlington for over 40 years and was a risk manager for the PC Construction Company for 30 years. I learned at PC that people define an organization and any organization’s success is dependent on its people. The PC experience has given me a strong background in construction, business, finance, safety and budgeting. My construction experience would be beneficial as the district addresses aging infrastructure and building improvement projects. I believe I bring a different approach and perspective to the school board.

Hickey: My professional background is in program management, and I am a clear and effective communicator. My organizational and analytical skills and communication abilities would bring structure and direction to the school board as it fulfills its responsibilities in maintaining excellent schools for our community. Personally, I am also the parent of three children who attend the South Burlington schools, two of whom have learning disabilities. I have learned to become a strong advocate for them; the skills required for successful advocacy will make me an effective school board director.

McHenry: I work full-time at Vermont Medicaid as a data analyst to detect and stop fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicaid program. I love my job, and I love that my work makes a difference to the people who need quality health care. I take that work ethic with me when I’m serving on the school board. My career has taught me so much about how the world works and how to make it better, and I’m grateful that I’m able to solve complex problems and that it makes a difference in people’s lives. I’m a typical middle-class person, so I have to budget my time and money wisely. I use that sense of budgeting from my personal life with school board work, too. I believe that a school board member should listen to the community to help deliver the schools that we want and can afford and make good decisions on the community’s behalf.

Williams: To begin, I have been serving on the South Burlington school board since August 2022, so I already have six months of experience. In addition, I have been a Chittenden County educator since 2010 and I have been in the classroom for over 21 years. I will be able to speak to the challenges facing schools from an educator viewpoint. Last, I am a taxpayer and parent of two children who graduated in 2017 and 2019 from South Burlington High School. If elected, I will be honored to serve the district of South Burlington and I will appreciate the opportunity to give back to this district that did so much for my two children.

Childs: Currently, I hold a seat on the board. I’m an experienced college educator, nonprofit founder and teen mentor experienced in ensuring quality and inclusivity. I’m the South Burlington High School club advisor for Infinitely Pick-A-Project, executive director of the Infinite Youth Center, a community leader, retired U.S. Navy lieutenant.

I also hold a doctorate in global operations and supply chain management. Most of all, I love the students in the South Burlington School District.

How should the school district address staffing issues, teacher burnout and staff retention? Are educators and support staff paid enough? And how do you balance these issues — salaries, benefits and other things — with other budget items?

Hickey: Teacher burnout and staff retention are currently national issues and are not unique to South Burlington. The staffing areas where the district is having the greatest difficulty in attracting and retaining staff are in support positions. I know that in this round of bargaining the board has been taking steps to decrease the pay discrepancy between teachers and support staff, and hopefully this will reduce the staffing issues in those areas.

McHenry: We do a good job of retaining administrators and teachers, and I admire the work they do. But we have a problem retaining support staff unit, including bus drivers. I want to develop new contracts that will allow us to retain support staff at a cost we can afford, and I have been involved in that very recently. Burnout is also a problem, and many people are exhausted from getting through the pandemic. I believe that the board and administration will be very busy this year crafting ways to help our people recover from the pandemic.

Williams: As an educator myself, I see firsthand the burnout that exists among staff in school and I have some ideas. One, educators need the support and trust of the community at large, that they are trained to implement the district’s curriculum. Two, we need to invest in infrastructure so that teachers are not managing curriculum implementation while simultaneously working through physical obstacles such as overcrowding, leaking roofs, and more. Three, teachers and support staff deserve higher compensation as their job has become increasingly more difficult.

Childs: Given all the challenges educators face today, which are significant and only made greater by the pandemic, we have an incredible and committed staff. I support changes to increase morale that matter such as programming to support Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and little things like bringing treats to bus drivers and saying thank you all the time. We are incredibly fortunate in our staff retention rates. The Vermont Superintendents Association completed a staff survey in the fall, and we were one of the best-staffed districts in the state. Excellent pay and benefits, as well as a culture of care and a tradition of excellence, with a supportive community, are some of the reasons why. Not to mention our exceptional sports teams. The human resources department, superintendent and principals are also working to recruit and maintain staff. We are implementing new programs and training to assist support staff in addressing many of the social and emotional learning challenges we are seeing in students from the pandemic.

Companion: Education staffing is a national issue and recruitment has taken on greater importance. Staffing shortages are an issue as evidenced by 20-30 continually open positions. The district needs to examine its reputation as an employer for staff positions. This would include comparing wages and the total compensation package with other employers. Adjustments may have to be made based on findings. I believe teachers view South Burlington as a desirable place to work. The community’s historical support, district’s culture and salary schedule are reasons teacher recruitment and retention are not a problem. Mental health and employee well-being is a national issue. We need to start by making sure that programs and help are available for anyone experiencing these issues. I believe that mental health and job satisfaction are closely tied. The addressing of staffing issues and student’s emotional issues will improve job satisfaction. Employee salaries and benefits are 78 percent of the proposed budget, and it has a reduction of 23 positions. Staffing levels must always be considered when developing a budget the community will support.