Students Will Express Ideas Accurately, Creatively and Effectively to a Variety of Audiences

Students Will Express Ideas Accurately, Creatively and Effectively to a Variety of Audiences

Education 2012

The Morristown School District The Morristown School District (MSD) overseesthe pre-K-12 public school system and is guided by a phrase from the mission statement, “…a community of learners with the courage to grow” and a regionally shared curricular focus:

Students … will use core knowledge toconstruct, express,andactupon learning.

Students … will construct meanings and respond to complex situations using sound reasoning and creative thinking.

Students … will express ideas accurately, creatively and effectively to a variety of audiences.

Students …. will act upon their rights and obligations as informed, respectful individuals and citizens of a democratic and interdependent society.

MSD students attend classes in schools within the jurisdiction of the Morristown School District. The district is governed by an elected, five member board of directors. All of Morristown’s public school facilities are owned by the school district, except for the Green Mountain Technology andCareer Center in Hyde Park. The Morristown School District is located within the Lamoille South Supervisory Union. The Supervisory Union provides educational leadership, administrative, financial, data management, early childhood and special education services to the member school districts of Elmore, Morristown and Stowe. The Superintendent of Lamoille South Supervisory Union oversees all public schools within the Morristown Town School District.

The Morristown School District is made up of three separate school facilities. These are the Graded Building, Morristown Elementary School and Peoples Academy, which houses both the middle level and the high school.

With the support of grant funds, The Morristown School District offers extended day and summer learning opportunities, and its well-regardedUnBound program. UnBound extends the school day for Peoples Academy and Peoples Academy Middle Level students with fun activities that promote friendship, the arts, wellness, and achievement in learning and life.

Preschool and Childcare

High quality early childcare and preschool education provide many long-term benefits to the children, parents, and the community. In Vermont, preschool is defined as 10 hours per week of high-quality instruction aligned with Vermont Early Learning Standards and taught by a licensed, highly qualified teacher during the academic year. National research indicates that well implemented preschool programs result in significant immediate gains in social skills, school engagement, and literacy which are linked to positive outcomes later on. A number of studies estimate the return on investment is at least $7 for every $1 invested in preschool education (lower special education and criminal justice costs, lower grade repetition, higher school completion rates, better job preparedness and ability to meet future labor force demands, higher incomes). For these reasons, and many more, we need to support high quality early care and education efforts in our community.

Through the Lamoille South Supervisory Union, the Morristown School Districtprovides high quality preschool learning opportunities for resident 3 to 5-year-old children in school and community settings. Preschool classrooms, Essential Early Education, Head Start, and Families Learning Together are housed in the Graded Building. Several local childcare providers also provide high quality pre-school in community based settings in partnership with the Morristown School District.

The Lamoille Family Center also offers family oriented programs that serve pre-school aged students. A further discussion of the importance of childcare is found in the economic development chapter.

The Bishop John A. Marshall School

The Bishop John A. Marshall School, an independent Catholic school, offers an alternative education choice for children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school has an enrollment of about 125, with approximately onequarter coming from Morristown. The school accepts students regardless of religious affiliation and provides tuition assistance for those in need. As the school continues to grow there is already discussion of possible expansion in coming years. The current facilities were designed to accommodate 180 students and there is potential to expand on the current 50-acre site located off Route 100 just south of the village line.

Learning Together

The Lamoille Family Center’s Learning Together program is a Vermont Recognized Independent School for adolescent girls who are pregnant, parenting or are at-risk for becoming pregnant. Students pursue their high school diploma or GED in a supportive environment geared toward meeting the unique needs of learners with complex challenges and responsibilities. Services include individual and group instruction, case management, volunteer job placement, and therapeutic counseling. Learning Together is located in Morristown School District’s Graded Building and serves students from throughout the Lamoille region.

Green Mountain Technology Career Center

Green Mountain Technology and Career Center, located in Hyde Park, Vermont, provides technical education to area high school students and adults. GMTCC offers technical programs in 16 different areas to students and many of these programs have articulated agreements with colleges and universities that allow students to earn college credit. GMTCC students are able to participate in activities at their home high school including athletics, extracurricular events, and other school events. Students earn high school credits, college credits, and industry certifications. Academic course work is also available to all students during the regular day. College preparatory classes are offered in addition to classes that support students planning to enter the workforce immediately after high school graduation.

Technical Programs Currently Offered include: Automotive Technology, Business Administration, Computer Networking Technology, Construction Technology, Culinary Arts, Electrical Technology, Forestry/Land Management, Health and Human Services, Cooperative Education, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Multimedia and Design,Power Sports Technology,Pre-Technology, and Pre-Engineering.

Adult students may enroll in day programs and are tuition free if they have not graduated from high school and have not earned a GED. Through planning with partners in the region and through other agencies, GMTCC is involved in workforce development for training and retraining to meet the demands of the changing local and state economy.

Currently the Chairperson for the Regional Advisory Board is the Superintendent of the Lamoille South Supervisory Union.

Adult Education, College and Postsecondary Education

Adult Basic Education is available free of charge out of offices located in Morrisville. College courses are offered in Morrisville by Community College of Vermont (CCV). The Green Mountain Technology and Career Center offers its scheduled day program to adults. In addition the Center offers an evening program of specific business skills and interest classes for adults.

As one of the Community College of Vermont’s 12 locations, CCV-Morrisville offers access to 20 degree and six certificate programs, workforce, secondary and continuing education opportunities, and academic and veterans support services. The Morrisville academic center offers an average of 30 classes in the spring and fall semesters and expands its course selection through extensive online learning options.

CCV-Morrisville has enjoyed steady enrollment numbers over the last five years, with 265 students attending the fall ’12 semester. The average age of attendees is 28.Twenty-one percent (21%) of students are from Morrisville;other towns heavily represented at CCV-Morrisville include Johnson, Hyde Park, Stowe, Hardwick, Jeffersonville,and Wolcott.

By working with employers, CCV has adjusted course offerings to meet the needs of an expanding workforce. The facilities are currently adequate to meet the needs of the college into the future. The amount of space, parking, access, and good information technology infrastructure all contribute to a positive location for the college.

Johnson State College

Located fewer than 10 miles away, Johnson State College (JSC) is one of the five institutions in the Vermont State College system. JSC offers 30 undergraduate majors, three graduate programs (in counseling, education and studio arts), and the statewide External Degree Program (EDP) that enables people with at least 60 college credits to complete their bachelor’s degree by taking online courses and/or weekend classes in Montpelier, Rutland, St. Albans and Winooski. Over the years, its growing emphasis on faculty-mentored student research and experiential learning through internships, field work and local service have made it an increasingly popular option for students as well as a key resource for local businesses and organizations.

A broad range of recreational facilities at JSC is available to the community. These include the SHAPE Center, which offers a state-of-the art fitness center, weight room, indoor swimming pool, exercise rooms, racquetball court and an indoor climbing wall. There also are four outdoor tennis courts; a network of hiking, biking and running trails; and a disc golf course. Free campus maps can be picked up at the Admissions Office or may be downloaded from the JSC website.

Throughout the year, the College hosts performances, guest speakers and countless other events at Dibden Center for the Arts and other campus venues. Virtually all of these events are open to the public – many of them free; others for a nominal fee (typically $5). A list of upcoming events is available online at

In addition, all home varsity games are open to the public and free of charge. JSC competes in NAC Division III and fields 12 athletics teams, including soccer, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse. Area residents also enjoy free access to the Willey Library & Learning Center.

The College welcomes and encourages community members to take advantage of the many programs and resources on campus. For more information, visit or call 635-2356.

PUBLIC EDUCATION GOVERNANCE

The Morristown School Board is responsible for developing the budget and overseeing the administration of the local schools. The Board of Directors has 5 seats, three with three year terms, and two with two year terms which are elected on Town Meeting Day. The School Board oversees the Morristown Elementary School, Peoples Academy Middle Level and Peoples Academy High School.

Lamoille South Supervisory Union (LSSU) has the administrative responsibility for the town school districts of Elmore, Morristown, and Stowe. General oversight of the Supervisory Union falls to the Superintendent, who is appointed by the supervisory union board. The LSSU board is made up of 3 board members from each school district board.

LSSU, through the local school boards, has adopted an Action Plan which includes five areas of focus for a four year period. Each school develops and implements plans to address each focus area. These focus areas are:

  • Facilitate student engagement and empower student voice.
  • Build a safe and healthy school culture.
  • Build positive family – school – community connections.
  • Analyze student outcomes, for both individual students and groups of students, to guide future learning, ensuring high expectations and progress for all.
  • Develop curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices collaboratively across the supervisory union.

The Districts of Lamoille South Supervisory Union, including the Morristown School District have been engaged in deep study of school governance options for several years in an effort to be well informed and well positioned to capitalize on opportunities to sustain and grow quality education systems in our communities. It is recommended that Morristown continue to stay informed, engaged in state wide discussions, and positioned to capitalize on opportunities to enhance the current high quality system when changes in the statewide context allow.

SCHOOL FACILITES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

The Graded Building

The Graded Building is located on one acre of land at the foot of Copley Avenue. It is a three-story, wood framed structure that was constructed in 1899 and was substantially enlarged in 1917. A 1998 construction project renovated the Graded Building by updating the electrical, plumbing, and ventilation systems. A fully automated sprinkler system was installed throughout the building and a number ofother safety issues were addressed in order to bring this facility into compliance with all State of Vermont safety codes.

The Graded Building currently houses LSSU Central Offices, preschool classrooms, Head Start, Even Startthe Lamoille Family Center’s Learning Together and Families Learning Together programs. These programs were relocated into the Graded Building in 2010 when the K and 1st grade were moved to the Morristown Elementary School building.

The summer of 2004 saw the installation of a new, attractive and handicap inclusive,community playground at the Graded Building that is used extensively by the greater Morristown community. The summer of 2011, saw improvements to the park, and the installation of aVeteran’s Memorialby a dedicated group of community volunteers.

In the near future, the Graded Building may need updates to improve energy efficiency, maintenance of this aging historic building, and repairs and maintenance to the surrounding grounds to ensure safety, accessibility and an attractive appearance for this highly visible village landmark.

Morristown Elementary School

Morristown Elementary is located on Route 15A and shares over 56 acres of land with Peoples Academy. MorristownElementary School houses students in grades K through 4. It was built in 1972 and was designed without interior walls. A 1998 renovation project significantly improved the learning environment throughout the facility by providing defined classroom spaces, improved ventilation, additional classrooms and an expanded multi-purpose room that serves as the school's cafeteria, gymnasium and auditorium.

Future needs include updates to improve energy efficiency, on-going maintenance and updates and maintenance to infrastructure to ensure reasonable access to information technology tools and the web. Any significant increases in student’s enrollment will require the need for additional instructional space for K-4 students.

Peoples Academy Middle Level and High School

Peoples Academy is located at the head of Copley Avenue overlooking the Village of Morrisville. The original three-story brick structure was erected in 1927, as a gift to the Morristown community by Alexander Hamilton Copley. The addition of the Alexander Hamilton Copley Memorial Community Auditorium occurred in1952, with funds dedicated by Mr. Copley for this purpose before his death. Single story classroom additionswere added in the mid to late 1950's. A cafeteria, music room, industrial arts space, living arts space and several additional classrooms were addedin the 1960s. A renovation and additional classrooms during 1998-1999 provided new science laboratories, library and additional classrooms as well as creating facilities specifically designed to create a distinct area for the Peoples Academy Middle Level now serving students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Heating system upgrades, energy efficiency improvements and maintenance and replacement of aging facilities and components that were not addressed in the 1998-1999 renovations are needed in future years.

In the summer of 2012, with significant grant funding support and though partnerships within LSSU, the Morristown School District was able to update internet connectivity to fiber. The installation of this infrastructure into the village of Morrisville increases the possibility that businesses and organizations proximal to the new lines may be able to access top of the line, high-speed internet services in the future. The Morristown School District, to meet the growing need of integration of technology and student access to information, collaboration, and creative tools will need to update infrastructure for internet accesswithin school buildings. This level of access promotes high levels of student engagement and enables learning opportunities not otherwise available to students, and it is increasingly required by new assessment requirements and expectations from state and federal organizations. Plans to ensure ongoing maintenance of the internet infrastructure and maintenance and replacement of learning-enhancing devices are currently being reviewed and revised.

The Morristown School District, through careful study and with community input, has identified the need for a second gymnasiumat PA/PAML as an instructional priority. Adequate indoor space for physical education is essential to provide for the needs of both middle and high school students as well as a regulation sized gym for extracurricular programs. Current draft plans propose a field house design that could serve as a hub for both indoor and outdoor instructional and community activities as well as smaller learning spaces that could serve functions such as that of a workout studio and weight room. The current gym space will also need maintenance and repairs in the near future, for example replacement of the bleachers. Given the extremely high levels of use of the existing facility, it is likely that additional space will be fully utilized on a regular basis year round and may serve to strengthen not only the educational programs but community recreation and wellness as a whole.

Outdoor recreation facilities are also in need of attention. The community has approved partial funding to initiate the redesign and necessary replacement of the aging running track. Concurrent with this work and to enable a regulation sized track, it is recommended that the baseball field be repositioned, the tennis courts be replaced, and improvements to the grounds be made to ensure safe accessibility to the upper deck soccer field and improved parking in front of the Elementary School.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

According to the 2010 Census, 91.6% of Morristown residents over the age of 25 are high school graduates and 40.6% have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. These figures represent significant increases since 2000 when 84.9% of Morristown residents over the age of 25 were high school graduates, and almost 24% had a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Countywide, about 92.2% of the population over 25 have high school diplomas, and 34.6% have earned a college degree.