The Otter Valley Unified Union School District (OVUU) Board declined Tuesday night to reverse its earlier decision to relocate the Caverly preschool program to Lothrop Elementary School, despite a majority of board members voting to keep the program at its current Pittsford location and overwhelming public opposition.

Although six board members voted in favor of reinstating Caverly at its existing site and four voted against, the motion failed because board rules require a supermajority — seven affirmative votes — to reverse a prior board decision. Board Chair Laurie Bertrand (Sudbury) did not vote, leaving the motion one vote short of the seven required for passage As a result, the relocation plan remains in place, with Caverly slated to move to Lothrop Elementary in the fall.

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Opening exchange sets tone for the meeting

The meeting opened with a contentious exchange during public comment.

The first speaker was Rep. Alicia Malay (R/D – Rutland-8), who raised concerns that the board’s Jan. 6 decision to relocate the preschool had not been properly warned under Vermont’s Open Meeting Law.

As Malay began to speak, board member Kevin Thornton (Brandon) interrupted her, stating that the board had already determined no Open Meeting Law violation had occurred and objecting to her language. Malay continued, saying she had consulted both the Vermont School Boards Association and the Vermont Secretary of State’s office, and was advised that while the board may have authority to move a program, such action still must be properly warned.

Malay cited specific sections of state law allowing members of the public to enforce Open Meeting Law violations through litigation and warned that the district could be exposed to legal action. She also referenced a 2018 precedent involving Caverly in which a similar decision was not carried out after being found improperly warned.

Founder of Caverly outlines developmentally appropriate model

Public comment that followed was overwhelmingly supportive of keeping Caverly where it is.

Among the speakers was Joanne Pye, who founded the Caverly preschool program in 1989 and served as its teacher-director for 25 years. Pye described the program as a state-recognized, developmentally appropriate model for three- to five-year-old children that has been supported by the district and the Pittsford community for decades.

Pye argued that relocating the program to Lothrop Elementary would undermine its core design. She said young children do not benefit from frequent transitions between rooms, shared spaces governed by regulations for older students, or congested drop-off and pick-up patterns. She emphasized Caverly’s one-room structure, natural surroundings, and protected location as central to its success.

Principles Pye described — including a play-based preschool model, extended outdoor time, and minimizing transitions for young children — are consistent with contemporary early-childhood education standards. National early-learning organizations emphasize that developmentally appropriate practice for three- to five-year-olds prioritizes uninterrupted play, age-specific environments, and daily physical activity, particularly in natural or outdoor settings.

The Caverly preschool program has drawn attention well beyond the region. In a 2010 feature by Voice of America, the Pittsford program was highlighted for dedicating a significant portion of its day to active, outdoor play and its nature-based learning approach, with then-teachers and program leaders describing its emphasis on exploration and physical activity. The article specifically cited the program’s setting and practices as part of broader efforts in Vermont to combat childhood inactivity and obesity.

Other speakers echoed those concerns, raising issues about traffic safety, stress on young children and families, and the lack of demonstrated educational benefit to moving the program.

Petition and public support presented to the board

Speakers repeatedly referenced a petition signed by 388 residents calling for Caverly to remain at its current site. The petition was certified by the Pittsford town clerk and submitted to the district.

In addition to the petition, the Pittsford Selectboard voted unanimously to support keeping Caverly where it is. During its own public meeting, Selectboard members raised concerns about the school board’s process, questioned whether the original decision had been properly warned, and cited the program’s importance to the community.

Several residents told the OVUU board that the combination of certified signatures, sustained public turnout, and formal action by the town’s governing body reflected long-standing community investment in the program and questioned why that opposition had not altered the board’s course.

Board cites inspections, minimizes need for further debate

During board discussion, district administrators reported that state pre-K licensing officials and the fire marshal had inspected the proposed Lothrop classroom earlier in the week and deemed it usable with minor modifications, including the installation of carbon monoxide detectors to meet naptime requirements. Playground fencing and equipment would still need to be installed.

Some board members said they were conflicted, citing the absence of a detailed comparison of costs, logistics, and program impacts between the two sites. Others emphasized that both locations would meet regulatory requirements and said the board’s role was to make decisions for the district as a whole, regardless of public sentiment.

Several members characterized the outcome as acceptable “either way,” a framing that drew criticism from speakers who said the move would fundamentally change the program.

As of the meeting, the district had not publicly released a cost estimate, project scope, or side-by-side cost comparison of relocating Caverly versus maintaining the program at its current site.

Questions linger over original Jan. 6 decision

The relocation decision traces back to the board’s Jan. 6 meeting, when moving preschool programs was introduced and approved without prior public discussion focused specifically on Caverly.

Review of board agendas and meeting records from earlier in the year shows no sustained public deliberation on closing or relocating the program before that meeting. Critics have argued that the move appears to have been driven by a desire for consistency following the decision to close Whiting Preschool, rather than by a documented problem at Caverly itself.

While district officials have since cited access to school-based services at Lothrop as a benefit, opponents argue that this rationale emerged after the initial vote and has not been supported by a detailed financial or educational analysis.

What happens next

With Tuesday’s vote, the relocation will proceed unless further action is taken. Malay and other speakers said they remain concerned that the Open Meeting Law questions surrounding the Jan. 6 decision have not been resolved.

For now, Caverly’s operations remain scheduled to move to Lothrop Elementary in the fall.

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Dave Soulia | FYIVT

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