Board accepts counselor resignation, approves replacements and reviews staffing gaps

The Missisquoi Valley School District board accepted the resignation of Charles O’Brien, a school counselor in Swanton, and approved two professional hires to replace departing staff.

Superintendent Julie told the board that O’Brien was allowed to resign with administrative approval and that the district had other strong candidates available. The board voted to accept his resignation.

The board approved the superintendent’s recommended hires: Eric Fortune as a special educator assigned to Highgate, and Eliza Middl as a school counselor who will replace the Swanton counselor position. Both were presented as qualified candidates and the motions to approve new professional hires carried by voice vote.

Administration also briefed the board on open positions across the district. Current vacancies include three preschool openings, one special educator, one speech-language pathologist (SLP), and an English-language-learner teacher. At MVU, the district is still recruiting a health teacher, an English teacher and a family-and-consumer-science teacher. Swanton continues to seek multiple classroom teachers, a music teacher and two special-education teachers.

District leaders said some positions are particularly difficult to fill—SLPs and specialized special-education roles among them—and that the district is exploring associate roles, staffing agencies and other recruitment strategies. The superintendent noted hiring is proceeding despite the budget limbo; some applicants asked about the district’s budget status but most continued through the hiring process.

The board recorded the hires and directed administration to provide an updated vacancy list and recruitment plan at the next meeting.