Superintendent's Message

January 2019

It is with great pleasure that I write to you on behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and administration of the Barre Unified Union School District.

It’s been a year of challenge and change, to be sure, but I am pleased with the progress we are making, and excited about the direction in which we are going.

On the challenge and change side, We successfully merged into a single unified school district, to be known as the Barre Unified Union School District (BUUSD). We completed our transition to a proficiency-based model of learning, assessment, and graduation. We are successfully implementing a new and exciting early education program. We continue to focus on enhancing the safety of our facilities and school communities. And we continue to find creative and effective ways to deal with the increasing social service-related pressures that arise on an almost daily basis.

In addition to those successes, it is also my privilege to report that the 2018-19 school year was one of growth, innovation, celebration, and success. We continued to provide our students with outstanding academic, athletic, social, and extra-curricular opportunities. We congratulated our students as they learned of their admission to some of the country’s most prestigious colleges and universities. We continued to place graduates into solid, well-paying careers – many of them right here in Central Vermont. And I am proud to say that did all that at one of the lowest per-pupil costs in the state.

We have so much to be proud of here in the Barre schools, and it all starts with a passionate and professional group of people – faculty, staff, administrators, coaches, and community volunteers who come here every day, ready and excited to continue this good work.

It's true - Act 46 may have stolen a lot of headlines and time over the past year, but it did nothing to dampen the commitment of our faculty and staff; the enthusiasm of our volunteers; and the dedication of our administrators. Without reservation I can tell you that each of your schools are unique, innovative and caring places of learning (and they will remain so); and your students are challenged academically, intellectually, and socially as they prepare for the next stages of their lives.

While you're here, I hope you'll take a few minutes to look through our website. I am confident that you'll discover - and agree - that our curriculum, philosophy, athletic programs, student clubs and committees, and cultural initiatives are the reason your students are becoming engaged, articulate, empathetic, and successful members of the workforce and community. 

When it comes to building strong communities, attracting new families and businesses to our area, and keeping our children safe, town and city boundaries tend to become less important and less visible. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in the coming years, and I am grateful for the encouragement and support you have provided to us in the past. Together, we are making great things happen.  

Professionally yours

John Pandolfo 
Superintendent, Barre Unified Union School District