The Town and School District have established ongoing coordination and communication channels to facilitate sound decision making and school strategic planning.
Chapter 5
Education And Childcare
Introduction
In Williston, education has several elements, all of them interrelated. Education is a holistic experience, and as such, many elements are required to create well-rounded kids who are fully functional in society while living their most authentic lives. Williston has two public schools, Allen Brook and Williston Central School, but they do not stand alone. Immediately adjacent to Williston Central School is the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, a close partner of both schools, and Williston Community Park and playground, with its various ball fields, seasonal ice hockey rink, skate park, primitive trails, basketball and volleyball courts, and other amenities. Running immediately behind Allen Brook and Williston Central is the Williston Bike Path, used by students and teachers alike to travel to and from school and to engage kids in physical activities.
Schools are not managed by town government; they have their own elected officials--school boards-- responsible for operations and curricular programming. Williston schools are part of the Champlain Valley School District, which also includes the towns of Hinesburg, St. George, Shelburne and Charlotte. The Allen Brook School and Williston Central School provide grades K-8 education for Williston and St. George children. Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg serves children in grades 9-12 from the five district towns.
At full capacity, Allen Brook and Williston Central School meet the needs of 1,250 students. 1 The official (October 1, 2024) enrollment reported to the Vermont Department of Education for the 2024-2025 school year was 928, including grades K-8, pre-kindergarten, and Early Essential Education (EEE). This represents 74% of the schools' capacity. For the past five school years, school enrollment has been flat or declining.2
Champlain Valley Union High School has a maximum capacity of about 1,410 students.3 The SY 2024-2025 enrollment was 1,266 students, or 90% of the high school's capacity.4 As with most schools, enrollment levels at CVU have fluctuated over time, peaking at 1,418 during the 2009-2010 school year. At this time, no new or expanded facilities are contemplated at CVU.
Munson, Michael. School Impact Fee Analysis. Town of Williston, Vermont. June 1, 2012.
Vermont Education Dashboard: Enrollment. Vermont Agency of Education, Montpelier, Vermont. https://education.vermont.gov/data-and-reporting/vermont-education-dashboard/vermont-education-dashboard-enrollment. Accessed May 29, 2024.
Munson, Michael. School Impact Fee Analysis. Town of Williston, Vermont. June 1, 2012.
Vermont Education Dashboard: Enrollment. Vermont Agency of Education, Montpelier, Vermont. https://education.vermont.gov/data-and-reporting/vermont-education-dashboard/vermont-education-dashboard-enrollment. Accessed May 29, 2024.
Goals: In 2050, Williston is...
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Livable
...because people are attracted to Williston because of the reputation of its schools, and that reputation in turn enhances property values. Schools play a crucial role in promoting the health and well-being of students and their families. They provide access to healthcare services, nutritious meals, and physical activities, which are essential for maintaining good health. Williston provides an abundance of affordable housing, making it possible for its schoolteachers and school staff to live in town. This, in turn, attracts highly competent educators and staff to the Williston schools and encourages them to stay in Williston. Williston has a sufficient number of childcare facilities. Diverse educational opportunities are available both within and outside of the Williston public schools. Students have opportunities to engage in town governance and town projects through volunteer efforts in coordination with town departments. Adult residents have an abundance of continuing education opportunities through the library, the Recreation Department and schools.
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Resilient
...because having good schools builds the town's resilience. Williston's schools serve as community hubs, reflecting the diversity in the community and bringing people of all backgrounds together. The schools foster social cohesion, trust, and mutual support networks among residents. In times of emergency or crisis, these networks are invaluable for sharing information, resources, and emotional support, strengthening the community's ability to withstand and recover from adversity. Williston schools cultivate an environment of innovation and creativity among students and educators. They encourage experimentation, risk-taking, and learning from failures, essential traits for resilience in the face of uncertainty. The town and schools coordinate to provide opportunities for students to engage in community service projects that practice these qualities and further build resiliency. High quality education builds a responsible, engaged citizenry.
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Equitable
...because high-quality childcare and education are available and accessible to all regardless of economic status, physical and/or mental abilities. Educational curricula and after-school enrichment activities are accessible to all and help prepare Williston's youth to engage productively and critically as adults in an increasingly diverse society. Schools provide excellent services to children in need of specialized educational services such as English language learners, children with disabilities; neurodivergent children; and children experiencing housing and food insecurity. The schools take a holistic approach to education with the understanding that every child's situation is unique and meeting each child where they are is essential to their engagement in education.
Three Things to Know
1
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSING GROWTH AND SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS COMPLEX.
Many factors influence school enrollment, and more homes don't necessarily mean more school kids.
2
SCHOOL TAXES ARE INCREASINGLY BURDENSOME
Act 60 fundamentally changed the relationship between schools and municipalities, and increased Williston's proportional school tax burden.
3
WILLISTON'S SCHOOLS ARE DIVERSE
The student body is diverse and so are the educational offerings.
Three Things Public Engagement Told Us
1
WILLISTON'S SCHOOLS ARE A SOURCE OF PRIDE
People consider Williston's schools to be one of its greatest assets. When asked "What do you most value about Williston," several respondents mentioned the great schools.
2
PEOPLE ARE IMPRESSED BY WILLISTON'S SCHOOLS ENERGY INITIATIVES
People value the school district's focus on energy efficiency and electrification, specifically mentioning the electric school buses. WCS students in particular appreciate the electric school buses, which were mentioned during school-focused public outreach and listed on Idea Boards as something they value most about Williston's energy efficiency and conservation efforts.
3
SCHOOL DROP OFF IS A CHALLENGE
School drop-off was noted as one of the biggest transportation challenges in Williston, both for the daily local traffic congestion issues and for the safety concerns. This challenge presents an opportunity to encourage active forms of transportation to and from school. WCS students told us they appreciate the monthly "walk to school days" that were initiated during the 23/24 school year in partnership with Local Motion's Safe Routes to School program.
Relationship between Housing Growth and School Enrollment
FIGURE 1: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSING GROWTH AND SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
Despite steady population and housing growth, Williston and CVU school enrollment has been flat or declining over the past two decades. In 2022, Statistical Forecasting LLC completed a demographic study for the Champlain Valley School District, projecting grade-by-grade enrollments from 2022-23 through 2031-32, a ten-year period. This study sheds light on the complex and often misunderstood relationship between housing growth and school enrollment. The primary finding is that there are many other factors that influence school enrollment such as population age structure (the relative proportions of the population in each age group), birth rates, in-migration rates, length of home ownership and the type of housing being built – apartments yield an average of .105 of a student per unit as compared to .394 student per single family home.5
Mirroring statewide trends, Williston's population is aging, and more people are choosing not to have children or to have children later in life. The size of the average household in Williston is expected to decrease from 2.36 people per household (2022 numbers) to 2.12 by 2050.6 Reflecting this demographic shift, there is increasing demand for smaller homes (1 and 2-bedrooms) and a corresponding increase in construction of smaller homes in multi-unit apartments. All these factors play a role in school enrollment trends.
7
Factors affecting school enrollment are complex and intertwined, and enrollment trends cannot reliably be predicted by any one factor. Policies in previous Town Plans have emphasized the need for the Town to manage growth "in a way that is consistent with the capacity of the schools." Because school enrollment is influenced by a myriad of factors including the growth of new homes, the policy of shaping land use decisions primarily to control school enrollment should be revised. Williston can continue to grow its stock of homes without exceeding the capacity of the schools.
Statistical Forecasting, LLC. Demographic Study for the Champlain Valley School District. March 2022.
New Homes and People: 5-Year Outlook – Predicted Residential and Commercial Growth FY26-30. Memorandum from Williston Planning Staff to Williston Selectboard. November 19, 2024. Accessed 2/28/2025 at Agenda Packet - November 19, 2024 - Selectboard Meetings 2024 - Town of Williston, Vermont
Past school enrollment and future projections derived from Vermont Agency of Education, as cited in previous Town Plans. Number of homes built was derived from Department of Planning and Zoning data (Certificates of Occupancy issued).
School Taxes are Increasingly Burdensome
Despite flat enrollment trends, school tax burdens have increased as a proportion of property tax value. Since the 1997 passage of Act 60, Williston has been challenged to maintain high quality education at a reasonable cost to the town. Williston is classified as a "sharing town," meaning that the amount of school tax revenues generated in Williston exceed the amount of revenues spent on education in Williston. The balance is distributed by the State to towns that have significantly lower tax base resources (the "receiving towns"). This affects affordability for Williston residents, as well as the town government's budget. If people feel overly burdened by the school property tax, they are less willing and able to bear the burden of increased municipal taxes. Pressure to keep municipal taxes level will strain the municipal budget, making it challenging for the Town to make progress on meeting its long-term goals.
Despite the increasing burden of school taxes-- which the Town cannot control-- the Town should continue to invest in good streets, green space, paths and trails, affordable housing and other amenities that make Williston a great place to live, work and recreate.
Williston's Schools are Diverse
Williston's schools are diverse, a quality that brings depth and richness to the educational experience. more than fifty children are multilingual learners; 14.5 percent are ethnically non-white; and 20 percent are economically disadvantaged.
CVSD is working on developing a better understanding of how to meet the needs of its diverse student body, including providing services to unhoused students and their families and to students with special needs. During the 2023-2024 school year, 24 students within the Champlain Valley School District were unhoused, up from 17 the year before. Five of them were enrolled in Williston schools. 3 The cost of meeting the increasing needs of students today is one factor in the disproportionately increased costs of education.
Munson, Michael. School Impact Fee Analysis. Town of Williston, Vermont. June 1, 2012.
Diversity of Educational Institutions and Programs
Of course, education comes in many forms, and Williston offers a broad cross-section of them. ABS and WCS incorporate unique outdoor and life skills education programs such as the Four Winds Program,10 a parent-led program designed to give students an opportunity to study nature both in and around the school, the ABS school garden program, the SPARK After School Enrichment Program,11 and Local Motion's Bike Smart program, which teaches bike safety skills to students five years and up. The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library and Williston Recreation Department offer their own after school and summer programming for school-age children (and adults).
In addition to the public schools (Allen Brook and Williston Central (and by extension, CVU), it is home to a campus of Vermont State University and four private schools serving 200 students including Trinity Baptist School, The Bellwether School, Jean Garvin School and Brownell Mountain School.
Williston Four Winds. https://sites.google.com/cvsdvt.org/willistonfourwinds/home Accessed 5/29/2024.
Williston Schools Points of Pride. Champlain Valley School District 2024-2025 Proposed Budget and Annual Report. Champlain Valley School District. Shelburne, Vermont. Accessed June 7, 2024 at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ms8qVP1n8wcKLLuKfEE9HloOqf20KELbFGJHE9cB924/edit
Childcare Needs
For kids younger than five, Williston has fourteen licensed childcare providers and six registered homes serving a total in-care population of 1,134. Does this meet the needs of Williston's population? Based on reported vacancies, the needs for preschool and school-aged care appear to be adequately met for the current population, while there appears to be a need for expanded infant and toddler care, both of which are addressed in the current town plan.12
The Town of Williston recognizes the importance of childcare in community life and will ensure that its planning and development review process do not place unreasonable burdens on childcare facilities. The Town's bylaws currently allow childcare as a primary use in all zoning districts except Industrial Zoning District East and the Agricultural Residential Zoning District, and allow childcare as an accessory use to commercial, industrial, and institutional uses. At-home childcare businesses are allowed in all zoning districts.
The Town should consider providing childcare at town-sponsored events and town meetings. It should also consider providing childcare stipends for town volunteers, which would provide a more equitable opportunity to serve on Town Boards and Committees.
Vermont Agency of Human Services, Department for Children and Families. Vermont Childcare Provider Data. Accessed 5/6/2025 at https://data.vermont.gov/Education/Vermont-Child-Care-Provider-Data/ctdw-tmfz/about_data?_gl=1*pcpk3k*_ga*MTE0NDM5NjQxOS4xNjU0MTc0MDAx*_ga_V9WQH77KLW*czE3NDY1NDQwNTkkbzE1MSRnMSR0MTc0NjU0NTc4MiRqMCRsMCRoMA.
A Vision of the Future of Education in Williston
> A child without education is like a bird without wings.
> —Tibetan Proverb
Early on a Monday morning, as teachers work bleary-eyed in their classrooms, coffee in hand, preparing for the day ahead, Students converge on their schools. Some are dropped off by parents, and some still arrive aboard the now limited number of electric school buses that serve the more distant parts of Williston. But something is different: the bike path that winds its way throughout the town is buzzing with noisy activity. Large numbers of kids ride their bikes to school, and an equally large number walk in great long trains from neighborhoods in the village, South Ridge and North Ridge, Brennan Woods, the Finney Crossing area at Taft Corners, and all the other nearby neighborhoods, now seamlessly connected by the town's network of bike paths. Adult volunteers amble along the bike trail at intervals, ever watchful, ready to fix a chain that has jumped its sprocket, apply a band-aid to a scraped knee, adjust a bike helmet, or offer a suggestion about a book to read from one of the many tiny libraries that are installed along the route.
This is as much a part of childhood education in Williston as classroom time. Walking or riding to school provides physical exercise, socialization, unstructured fun, and an opportunity to engage with the natural world along the way, something the Williston Bike Path network offers in bucketloads.
The school day is as dynamic and multifaceted as teachers and administrators can make it. Not only do kids spend time in traditional classroom settings as required to achieve their learning objectives, they also take part in regularly scheduled enrichment programs that are the result of a dedicated coordination effort between schoolteachers and administrators, parents, community volunteers, the town, and of course, the students themselves. Fundamental to this rich educational fabric is well-established, regular communications among the various players to ensure that seamless program integration and enrichment takes place.
Education is not limited to young students: equally involved are parents and other adults in the community who take part in educational programs both as participatory learners and presenters.
At any point during the educational day (which for many, may include evenings), children might be in the classroom with a teacher, learning core subject matter, or on a nature walk with a volunteer, learning about the sights and sounds and smells and textures of the natural world and why they are important; or learning outdoor skills like knot-tying, fire building, trail maintenance, navigating with a compass, safe boating, wildlife identification, photography, or a hundred other skills, all offered by a combination of teachers and skilled, experienced volunteers. They might spend a day with people who teach or work in skilled trades, learning about a wide variety of job types. Some might engage in ride-along programs with skilled professionals, sit in on college classes for a day at the local college campus at Taft Corners, engage in conversations with local political leaders, or shadow town officials to learn about the interplay among various town officials and functions.
Meanwhile, Williston's adult community attends programs offered at schools, libraries, and other facilities throughout the week, all part of the strategy to keep as many people as possible engaged in town goings-on to drive community involvement, inclusion, understanding, awareness, and lifelong education. Coordinated by town and library staff members, and based on community input and feedback, participants routinely attend programs about healthcare, planning for retirement, town goings-on, first aid training, and presentations about travel, food, the natural world, and other topics as requested.
At any given time, there are more than 50 unique programs underway in the town, all designed to support Williston's commitment to being an equitable, affordable, and resilient community, a place that celebrates the remarkable "diversity of the diversity" of the Williston community. Education in Williston is seen as much more than traditional classroom time, and it transcends age. The community does not see education as a one-and-done process, but rather as a lifelong pursuit that betters individuals and the town itself. Williston is a model for surrounding communities, because of the way it has woven a tight educational fabric from many disparate threads: physical schools, online learning environments, teachers, administrators, town officials, library programs and staff, parents, skilled community members, and of course, our students.
Objectives, Strategies and Actions
Objectives
5.A
5.B
The Town and School coordinate to ensure that the schools have adequate funding for capital expansions needed to accommodate a growing school population.
5.C
The Town facilitates the permitting process while upholding site design standards for improvements and/or new school facilities.
5.D
The Town leverages the school's role as a community hub to foster social cohesion, trust, and mutual support networks among town residents and to share information and resources, on a continuing basis and especially during times of emergency response and recovery.
5.E
The Town leverages opportunities to engage the local schools in community planning and improvement initiatives, to enhance learning and foster students' sense of themselves as active, responsible citizens contributing to the benefit of the town.
5.F
The Town coordinates with local schools and other partners to provide opportunities for enrichment, hands-on learning and recreation.
5.G
Access to childcare is increased.
Strategies
5.1
The Town and School District will communicate regularly to exchange information regarding growth projections, goals and future facilities planning.
5.1.1
Develop a communication schedule to proactively share data, such as the annual Growth Report [called for in Action 6.6.2] or other reports or studies as applicable, with the CVSD Leadership Team.
5.1.2
Prioritize meeting at least once annually with the CVSD Leadership Team to discuss trends outlined in the Growth Report and the School District's strategic planning in response to those trends, and other areas of concern as needed.
5.2
The Town will collaborate with other towns in the CVSD to understand the need for future expansion projects and to determine whether any such project can be funded with impact fees.
5.2.1
Develop new school impact fees if called for in an updated School Impact Fee Assessment. Impact fees to address district-wide needs related to new growth must be charged equally in all district municipalities.
5.3
The Town will showcase efforts and initiatives of the school and publicize information about school events and educational resources to the community, and about town events to the schools, to foster community cohesion.
5.3.1
Maintain communication between the Town and school administration about Town initiatives, public meetings and events, and request the school administrators to publicize using school media channels and posting physical materials.
5.3.2
Maintain the Town's recognition of worthy school endeavors through Town platforms such as the website, Planners Corner, and the Town Manager's newsletter.
5.4
The Town and School will coordinate shared use of their facilities for the community's benefit.
5.4.1
Maintain coordination with the schools to hold Town events such as the annual Energy Fair on WCS or ABS school grounds.
5.4.2
Maintain the use of the school auditorium for Town Meeting and film screenings throughout the year.
5.4.3
Maintain the Town's publicization of information about Champlain Valley Union adult education courses.
5.4.4
Support the use of Catamount Community Forest and other town-owned natural areas for outdoor education.
5.5
Establish school enrichment programs in coordination with town departments. These can include town planning efforts and community service projects in furtherance of town plan goals.
5.5.1
Support classroom visits by town staff or field trips to municipal facilities, to enhance the students' understanding of town operations and how those affect the community.
5.5.2
Develop engagement with school classes in the development of future Comprehensive Plans by soliciting student input through roundtable exercises and surveys.
5.5.3
Develop engagement plans for community service projects like trail improvements, tree plantings, or other community improvements by students to enhance educational curricula with hands-on experience, foster a strong stewardship ethic and build the town's capacity.
5.6
Continue to offer and subsidize after-school programing.
5.6.1
Maintain the Recreation and Parks Department's offering of the winter Learn to Ski program at Cochran's Ski Area.
5.6.2
Support the Catamount Outdoor Family Center's outdoor educational offerings such as Bike Club and Snow School.
5.7
Collaborate with Vermont State College and other institutions of higher learning to offer opportunities for hands-on learning that also contribute to getting work done to further the town's goals.
5.7.1
Develop policies to support student Internships with the Town.
5.7.2
Maintain the offering of semester-long internships to college students by Town Departments as time and staff resources permit.
5.7.3
Maintain participation of Town departments as Community Partners in the UVM Rubenstein School's courses, as time and staff resources permit.
5.8
The Town will participate in school-led initiatives that are consistent with and further the town's goals.
5.8.1
Maintain participation in Local Motion's Safe Routes to School initiatives like the monthly walk/ride to school days.
5.8.2
Maintain participation in other school- or student-led initiatives as time and resources permit.
5.9
Explore different models of providing childcare beyond the typical 8-5 framework.
5.9.1
Evaluate the feasibility of establishing a 24/7 childcare drop-off service in partnership with State agencies and advocates.
5.9.2
Evaluate on-site childcare or stipend program for Town Board & Committee volunteers to cover childcare during the time when they are volunteering, as well as childcare for attendees of Town events and meetings
5.9.3
Evaluate best practices for achieving the provision of in-house childcare services for large employers.
5.9.4
Support the development of childcare centers along public transit and active transportation routes.
5.9.5
Evaluate possible incentives for gyms, yoga studios, recreation centers, indoor courts/pools/fieldhouses, etc. to have a childcare drop off feature in operation daily.