The School Budget

School Board Statement

Montpelier Roxbury Schools have a moral imperative to ensure that any child who graduates from MRPS has a limitless future. It is our responsibility to build systems where student success is not determined by luck, will power, family dynamics, or any other mitigating factor out of our control. One of the MRPS Board of School Directors primary responsibilities is to ensure enough financial resources to support the systems that equitably provide a high quality education for our students at a reasonable cost to our tax payers. 

Members of our community - students, staff, families, administrators, residents - all play an important role in influencing board decisions. Some in the community will feel passionately about one particular aspect of our schools, while others will feel equally as passionate about a different aspect, and still others will be adamant that cost containment is the highest priority. It is the board’s role to listen to all stakeholders, weigh competing opinions, and come to the best decision for our students on how to spend our resources. For example, the board needs to balance desires for diverse and high quality programming, co-curricular activities, and facilities we’re proud of with limited resources and a community desire for public education to be an affordable investment that supports every student equitably. 

The board’s primary responsibility is to the students of Montpelier and Roxbury, ensuring they have a rigorous education that prepares them for life beyond their years with us. Determining what is best for students is a complex undertaking with no perfect answers, finding a way to balance many worthy interests and needs while keeping the experience of and outcomes for our students at the forefront of our decisions.

click here to enlarge the warning

2026-2027 School Budget Season (FY`27 Budget)

What is happening next:

• School Board meetings:

  • 3/2/26 - Budget Informational Hearing

  • 3/3/26 - Town Meeting Day and Vote

What has happened:

• 1/21/26 - The Final Draft of the Budget was presented and discussed. A budget ($34,754,275) and warning was approved to put forward to the voters of Montpelier and Roxbury.

  • Meeting video

  • Meeting summary

• 1/7/26 - The 3rd Draft of the Budget was presented and discussed at the School Board meeting.

  • Meeting video

  • Meeting summary

• 12/18/25 - Board members tables at the MSMS Winter Concert happening at MHS

• 12/17/25 - The 2nd Draft of the Budget was presented and discussed at the School Board meeting.

  • Meeting video

  • Meeting summary

• 12/17/25 - Superintendent Libby Bonesteel was at Captiol Grounds in Montpelier from 7:45 am - 8:45 am for Coffee & Chat

• 12/13/25 - Board members tabled at the Solidarity Craft Fair

• 12/11-12/13/25 - Board members tabled at the MHS Masque Theatre performance of Legally Blonde the Musical

• 12/10/25 - Board members tabled at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library

• 12/9/25 - Board members presented and spoke with attendees at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center lunch

• 12/6/25 - Board members tabled at the Roxbury Free Library and Montpelier Farmers Market

• 12/4/25 - Board members tabled at the UES 2nd Grade Art and Music Show

• 12/3/25 - The 1st Draft of the Budget was presented and discussed at the School Board meeting.

  • Meeting video

  • Meeting summary

• 11/19/25 - Budget Communications Strategy was presented and discussed at the School Board meeting.

• 11/5/25 - Budget Development Pressures and Priorities were presented and discussed at the School Board meeting.

• 9/17/25 - The FY`27 Budget Timeline was approved by the School Board at their meeting.

Please contact (802)225-8684 or email annahipko@mpsvt.org to request translation or interpretation of budget documents or at meetings and events.