City Council Welcomes New Fire Chief Libby
City Manager Bill Fraser welcomed newly hired Fire Chief Derek Libby at the Aug. 14 Montpelier city council meeting, on what Fraser said was Libby’s first day on the job. Libby replaced former Fire Chief Robert Gowans, who served out a 45-year career in the Montpelier Fire Department. Libby formerly worked as the Deputy Fire Chief for the city of Burlington, according to WVMTradio.com.
—Carla Occaso
City Honors Sen. Bill Doyle
The city of Montpelier will lower the city flag in front of city hall to half-staff to honor the legacy of Vermont State Sen. William “Bill” Doyle, who passed away on Aug. 15, having served Washington County in the state legislature for 48 years.
“Everyone in Montpelier knew Bill Doyle. This week, I encourage everyone to pause when they see the flag at half-staff and remember Bill’s long life of service to our community,” said Mayor Jack McCullough.
For more information about Sen. Doyle’s lifetime of service, please refer to his official obituary on the Guare & Sons funeral home website.
—press release
AOE Urges Families to ‘Fill the Form’
School is starting back up for Vermont students, and the Agency of Education (AOE) is encouraging all families with school-aged children to “Fill the Form.” By returning the Household Income Form, or School Meals Application, to their child’s school, families can help secure important funding that benefits Vermont students and schools.
The data collected by school districts and reported to the agency are used to draw down the maximum federal funding for the state’s Universal Meals program. This not only reduces the program’s cost to taxpayers, but also helps to secure and equitably distribute tens of millions of dollars in other federal funding to Vermont schools for a broad range of education programs.
“The information collected through these forms is a critical part of how we guarantee a 21st-century education system,” said Interim Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. “Family income data is used by nearly every federal education program to provide the funding that Vermont school districts rely on. That is why we’re asking all families to do their part by returning the form requested by their child’s school.”
Beyond supporting Universal Meals, the data help schools qualify for other funding such as “Title” programs, afterschool and summer programs, broadband access, special education, and more. The information also supports the agency in federal reporting requirements for student performance and helps determine how much funding schools receive from the state’s education funding formula.
The agency is providing training and support materials to school district staff members. Schools have additional resources available to guide families in accessing and completing the form. Families are encouraged to reach out directly to their schools with any questions.
—press release