Towns vote on Act 46 divorces

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A number of towns across the state Tuesday rejected Act 46 “divorces” on Town Meeting Day, with the exception of neighboring towns supporting Ripton’s effort to leave a unified district.

ACT 46, approved in 2015, required many schools to merge into other districts in an attempt to save money and improve offerings at smaller schools, but it hasn’t worked out for everyone.

TOWNS VOTE TO REMAIN IN WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT

Voters in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, and Putney voted not to disband the Windham Southeast School District.

Brattleboro 1551 to 226

Dummerston 409 to 102

Putney 461 to 198

Guilford 388 to 41

MORETOWN VOTERS REJECT LEAVING HUUSD

In central Vermont, Moretown voters rejected Article 35, an attempt to withdraw from the Harwood Unified Union School District by a vote of 360 to 201.

ADDISON COUNTY TOWNS SUPPORT RIPTON ACT 46 DIVORCE

And in Addison County, towns in the Addison Central School District voted to allow Ripton to leave the district. Ripton residents already voted in January to leave but the town needed approval from the other communities to leave.

Bridport 189 to 58

Cornwall 425 to 67

Middlebury 1,180 to 312

Salisbury 174 to 45

Shoreham 210 to 32

Weybridge 217 to 40

Act 46 ‘divorces’ on the ballot in several communities