Target 4 – Engaged Community Partners. FWSU staff and students will collaborate, innovate, create and conceptualize ideas and learning with local, regional, state, and global partners to make a difference in their community, state, and world.

The NFL has its Super Bowl, NASCAR has the Daytona 500, the PGA has the Masters… Vermont Schools have Town Meeting Day!

TMD15_02
Cold start to Town Meeting Day 2015 in Fairfax!

Town Meeting Day is held the first Tuesday of March every year and commemorates the day Vermont was admitted into the union as the 14th State in 1791. History tells us that Town Meeting even predates Vermont entering the United States. The first town meeting was held in Bennington, Vermont, in 1762.

TMD15_01
BFA Fairfax presents the school budget proposal.

 

Town Meetings are places where any issue involving the town is open to debate. Budgets are voted on. And the spirit of community is solidified. In FWSU, we have three different types of Town Meetings.

TMD15_03
BFA Fairfax students attend Fletcher Town Meeting.

 

Fletcher holds a “traditional” meeting on Town Meeting Day where all items related to school and town business are discussed and voted on by community members from the floor. Georgia holds a Town Meeting on Tuesday as well, but votes are cast by secret ballot (Australian ballot) throughout the day. Fairfax holds its annual meeting on the Saturday prior to Town Meeting Day with all votes by Australian ballot on Town Meeting Day.

TMD15_04
Fletcher School Board Chair Todd Baumeister presents the proposed school budget.

The ideals of true democracy are alive and well in FWSU and Vermont! #TMDVT

Leave a comment