Original Research by School Decision on Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85
Northern Mountain Valley Unified Union School District #85 covers a cluster of rural communities in Franklin County, Vermont, including Bakersfield, Fairfield, Enosburg, Franklin, Montgomery, Richford, Sheldon, and Waterville. The district operates four schools, all of them elementary: Bakersfield School, Berkshire Elementary, Montgomery Elementary, and Sheldon Elementary. Despite listing grades PK through 12 in its official grade span, the enrollment tells a different story. The overwhelming majority of students attend prekindergarten through eighth grade, with only a scattering of students in the upper high school grades. This pattern is common in Vermont, where smaller towns often tuition their high school students to neighboring districts rather than operating their own secondary programs. A parent looking at this district should understand that the academic pathway here runs through middle school, and secondary education likely involves placement elsewhere.
The district serves a modest total enrollment spread across its four schools. Its student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of students identifying as Hispanic, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and Asian. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so the economic picture of the student population cannot be characterized from what was provided. Special education and English learner counts were also missing.
State assessment results were not available for this district, so there is no proficiency picture to relay. A parent wanting to understand academic performance would need to contact the district directly or look at individual school report cards. The same is true for graduation rate, which is not reported here, likely because the district does not operate a full high school program serving a graduating class of meaningful size.
What the data does provide is a chronic absenteeism rate that sits above the midpoint among Franklin County's districts, in a county cohort where rates range widely. Lower absenteeism generally signals stronger daily engagement, and this district's position is favorable on that measure. Per-pupil current spending falls in the middle to upper range of the county's districts, suggesting the district invests at a moderate level relative to its neighbors.
Housing across the district's communities is affordable compared with both state and national benchmarks. The weighted typical home value sits well below the Vermont state benchmark and modestly below the national figure. Among the towns, Fairfield and Bakersfield carry the highest home values, while Richford sits at the lower end and has seen slight year-over-year declines. Enosburg, which carries the largest weight in the district's housing index, saw modest appreciation. The estimated monthly mortgage payment under current rates is manageable relative to national median household income, and the price-to-income ratio is favorable. Rent data was not available.
We searched for recent parent-relevant changes in the district, such as program additions, closures, governance shifts, or curriculum updates, and found none reported in available sources. The search returned only directory and demographic information. This means a parent should not assume stagnation, but there is nothing in the public record reviewed here to characterize recent direction.
The district has no reported data on course access, staffing ratios, discipline, or attendance beyond the absenteeism figure. Civil rights data was not provided. Program offerings, such as AP courses, dual credit, career pathways, or specialized instruction, were not listed and likely do not apply at the elementary level these schools serve.
What emerges is a picture of a small rural district anchored in elementary education across several Franklin County towns, with affordable housing, low chronic absenteeism relative to its county peers, and a student body that is largely white. The absence of assessment data, graduation data, and economic indicators means much of the academic and equity picture is missing from public sources. A parent considering this district would want to ask directly about how students transition to high school, what the tuition or school-choice arrangements are for secondary grades, and how each of the four elementary schools performs on state testing and local benchmarks.
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