Full statement by Keith Pillsbury on decision to step down from the Burlington Board of School Commissioners:

Reasons for stepping down: I appreciate the trust that my constituents have given me to serve them as their school commissioner. As a former Chairman of Finance, I pushed, as did others, to identify budget deficit trends and to train personnel at the program level to understand and manage their budgets. The current knowledge of our financial situation is the result of the work of the School Administration with the support of the Finance Committee. I agree with the current work of the Boards Finance Committee. The special audit findings confirmed the work of the Director of Finance, who is really due the credit for all the work that he has done so far to identify our financial situation. His work is beginning to restore my confidence that we are on the way to excellent financial management and accountability. I disagree with the Boards recent strategy of holding budget-decision making meetings without the presence/benefit of the expertise of the Director of Finance and the Superintendent. I did not agree with silencing the superintendent with the press Experience tells me that the budget should be put forward with confidence and a touch of humility, knowing that the numbers are the Boards best plan. Blaming without knowing the past context and work completed along with making statements that the FY15 budget will avoid a deficit are not appropriate.

Position on the FY 15 Budget: After 23 years of advocating for and supporting school budgets and after much forethought, I will not be voting in support of the FY15 budget. We need to be frugal in our spending this year and deal with the projected 2.7 million deficit in FY 14 that will have to be paid off in the FY16 budget. We also have extensive renovation needs at our high school and Edmunds complex to improve accessibility, security, energy efficiency, and space for learning. I believe a trimmed FY 15 budget will have minimal impact on the childrens learning in our comprehensive educational program preK through high school. I believe that voters should be respected for their choice on March 4th. Our city charter allows the school district a default budget if no budget is accepted by the voters. The default budget is $66,653,306: $762,000 less than the budget being proposed. The default budget will be a 7 cent increase on residences if the legislature increases the base tax rate by 4 cents. Since 2009 that amounts to a 35 cent school tax increase or 28.7% increase in our school taxes. That is a generous level of support for improving our schools that we can all be proud. The Burlington School Board needs reform for better governance and financial management. I support:

1. A school budget vote in early May for an improved budget development process with more time for annual data trends 2. A smaller board with one commissioner per ward 3. A three year term with staggered terms 4. Mandatory board member training and continuous professional development 5. A restructuring of the administrative team for better integration of curriculum and technology, and financial and human resources data 6. A consolidation of school department space for efficiency and reduction of capital improvement expenses

With nearly a quarter centurys service perspective, I am proud to have played a part in expanding services for early education and preschool students, lengthening kindergarten to full day, changing junior highs to 6-8 middle schools, offering alternative programs for high school students at risk, decreasing our high school dropout rate from 10% to less than 3%, improving teacher instruction through professional learning communities and the use of data, improving the socioeconomic integration of our schools, offering magnet school choices with curricula that helps children thrive, and implementing a strategic plan for equity and inclusion.