Merged district rewarded with lower homestead tax rate

Rutland Herald | February 22, 2018

By JULIA PURDY
CORRESPONDENT
KILLINGTON — The newly established Windsor Central Modified Unified Union School District has finalized a proposed 2018-19 budget of $17.95 million.
The budget projects $17,455 spending per equalized pupil across the district, just under the $17,816 limit allowed by the state.
The district will hold an informational meeting about the budget on Tuesday at 7 p.m., at the Woodstock Union High School gymnasium in Woodstock.
A budget summary spreadsheet for Killington, prepared by Richard Seaman, director of finance at the Windsor Central Supervisory Union, shows an “estimated actual homestead tax rate, equalized” of $1.6383 per $100 of assessed value.
“Our tax rate is down because we got the 8-cent incentive because we voted to go into the merged district,” said Jim Haff, a Killington resident who sits on the current Windsor Central Supervisory Union finance subcommittee.
“The factors that led into this are: the 8 cent incentive and the town common level of appraisal went from 100.98 percent to 103.37 percent because, while our property values have decreased, our Grand List has not shown the decrease,” he said. “Houses in Killington are selling for almost 4 percent less than the Grand List has them valued at.”
The WCMUUSD Board has notified the town of Killington that local school boards will no longer be presenting at their respective town meetings. WCMUUSD member districts include: Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, Woodstock (all grades PK-12) and Barnard (grades 7-12), according to the WCMUUSD annual meeting warning.

The Killington Elementary School and the Woodstock Union High School boards will continue until June 30, said Haff, and will be replaced entirely by the newly formed WCMUUSD board beginning July 1.
The Killington School District will convene its final annual meeting on Monday, March 5 at 4:30 p.m. at the Killington Elementary School to hear school board directors’ reports and hold a floor vote for a director for the remainder of the Killington Elementary School Board’s existence, from March 7 to June 30.
Laura McKenna, who currently serves as clerk for the Killington School District, is running unopposed for the remaining term.
Two people will represent Killington on the WCMUUSD board, Haff said. They will be Jennifer Iannantuoni for a 3-year term and Haff for a 2-year term. Haff and Iannantuoni also serve on the current Windsor Central Supervisory Union finance subcommittee until June 30 and will transition to the finance subcommittee for WCMUUSD July 1.
On Tuesday, March 6, voting by Australian ballot will be held at the polling places of the member towns for the purpose of voting on the 2018-19 budget. Killington voting will take place at Killington Town Hall, on River Road, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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