CHESTER, Vt. – The general decorum during the Wednesday evening, May 31, Green Mountain Union School District’s (GMUSD) Special Meeting was vastly different from the previous week.
Reinstated board members Kate Lamphere and Katie Murphy were both at the meeting in person, seated along with other board members, Superintendent Lauren Fierman, and Board Chair Deb Brown. There were even some smiles and laughs.
GMUSD hosted an open forum the previous night, Tuesday, May 30, to give the community an opportunity to ask questions of the two candidates positioned to take over as principal at Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES) – Amanda Tyrrell and Dale Mann. Tyrrell is a resident of Cavendish, and teaches grades five and six at CTES. Mann spent the past 11 years as principal of the John Eaton Elementary School in Washington, D.C., and previously was principal at Fairfax Villa Elementary School in Fairfax, Va., for six years.
Wednesday’s meeting began with public comments. Several residents who had attended Tuesday’s forum voiced that they would be happy with either candidate.
One parent expressed a desire to hire a principal who will “stick around.”
25 participants were logged into the meeting on Zoom, including Lisa Sanders, who introduced herself as “a parent of two kids at Cavendish Elementary.” Sanders said to the board, “We are ready for some change.”
After hearing public comments, the board went into an executive session to make their final decision. There were 35 attendees online when the meeting reconvened, to witness the board announce its decision to sign a two-year contract with Mann. Then Brown moved to adjourn.
Reaction from the community has been mixed. Kate Hazen, resident of Ludlow, commented on the Cavendish Town Facebook page’s announcement of Mann’s appointment, “This is heartbreaking.”
Chester resident Victoria Noyes wrote, “What?! A TWO year contract for another person who doesn’t even know how Vermont school districts work?! Have they learned nothing?”
Others seem willing to give Mann a chance, and, after the past few tumultuous years the district has experienced, are hoping for the best.
The next GMUSD School Board meeting will be June 15, at 6 p.m.