Springs residents went to the polls on Tuesday night in support of a tax cap-piercing $37,814,314 budget for the 2024-25 school year.
With 463 “yes” and 262 “no” votes, the 63.86 percent is just over the 60 percent supermajority needed to approve the spending plan, a 6.8 percent, or $2,408,181, increase from this current year’s budget.
“I want to thank the community for coming out to vote,” Superintendent Debra Winter said. “I realize this was a ‘big ask,’ but our students deserve to maintain everything they have.”
That’s how Dermot Quinn felt, too. The gardener and property manager was elected to serve on the Board of Education over current board President Barbara Dayton, receiving 457 votes to her 198. He said his two children have been involved in the fourth grade opera, chorus, band and robotics.
“They’ve gotten so much out of the school through extracurriculars,” he said. “If the budget didn’t pass, knowing that other kids might not have the same opportunities as my children would have been a sad feeling, so it’s great to see the community come together.”
Dayton, who has served on the board for nearly a decade, also thanked residents for their support.
“We made it very clear the constraints we were working under with all the mandatory expenses and cost increases, and it’s clear that keeping our programming strong for our kids was everyone’s priority,” she said. “While I would have enjoyed working with the new administration and seeing a few projects through, I know Dermot is very invested in the school community, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”
Quinn said that was clear to see, as Dayton was immediately giving advice and suggesting courses he should take as he begins to learn all that serving on the board will entail.
“It’s a big relief. It’s also very daunting,” he said of being elected. “I’m stepping into massive shoes. Barbara has so much experience, and I’m just a newcomer, but the board is a great team of people and I feel very lucky to be joining them. Straight off the bat, I was given lots of advice, and that was very reassuring. It’s going to be a massive learning experience, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Dayton is not the only one who will be bidding farewell to her post, as she will be joined by Winter, who is retiring at the end of the school year. She said it’s been a great ride.
“I want to thank Barbara Dayton for dedicating so much time to Springs School over the course of nine years,” Winter said. “And it has been my honor to serve this wonderful community.”
Quinn said the same rings true for him, but also asked community members to show up to meetings and voice their concerns while also applauding what teachers and students are doing.
“It’s a nice place to live,” Quinn said. “Thank you to everyone who turned up and voted for the budget and those who put their faith in me. I’m going to do my absolute best to make sure that their faith in me was warranted, and do everything that I can with the other four members of the board to keep Springs School the great little school that it is while trying to make it better.”
