Articles of note: Voters in the four towns served by the Rivendell Interstate School District will decide whether to permanently move their annual meeting day from the evening of the third Thursday in March to the third Saturday in March. The article was introduced by the School Board following discussions about making the meeting as accessible as possible to voters in the district towns of Orford, Fairlee, West Fairlee and Vershire.

Contested races: Monica Austin and Rebekah Cadwell are vying for a three-year term as West Fairlee’s representative to the School Board. In Orford, incumbent Vanessa Alonso DeSimone faces challenger Charles Newton for a three-year term on the board. 

Budget and spending articles: The proposed school operating budget is $15.71 million, up from $14.75 million last year. The proposed contingency reserve fund appropriation is $50,000, which is the same amount as last year. An additional $60,000 is proposed for the repair of the Rivendell Academy elevator. An article proposes a $40,000 appropriation for ongoing safety and security measures. A proposed $20,000 appropriation would go towards upgrading the Academy’s paging system. Voters will be asked to apply $500,000 from the unassigned fund balance to the budget to offset tax rates. 

When, where and how to vote: Ballot voting for officers will be held at Rivendell Academy in Orford on Saturday, April 13 from 9:30 a.m. until 30 minutes after the completion of floor voting. Floor voting will commence at 10 a.m.