Five Vermont towns to decide on merging school districts

From The Burlington Free Press: Voters in five Vermont towns will decide June 7 whether to merge seven school districts, dissolve eight school boards and put nine schools under the authority of a new, 15-member board. The towns--Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond and Underhill--have about 2,600 students. Supporters of the merger say it will equalize disparities across the system in class size, per pupil spending and courses, and save about $315,000 annually in administration costs. Opponents fear consolidation would erode local control and eventually make it easier to close smaller schools.