Lake Region Union High School

LR Spring Chorus Concert

Barton, VT - On Wednesday, April 29th at 7:00 PM the Lake Region Union HS Chorus and Select Chorus will present their Spring concert at the Barton United Church. The concert features folk music from Scotland, England, Ireland, England, Corsica, Croatia, Georgia and Spain. The concert concludes with a set of American civil rights songs. Highlights include "El Vito" from Spain, "O Danny Boy" and "Mairi's Wedding" from Ireland, "Arolo" from Georgia and the traditional spiritual, "We Shall Not Be Moved." Accompanist is Mark Violette and the music director is Dr. Sara Doncaster. Admission is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted in support of the Music Activities Fund. For further information, please call Dr. Sara Doncaster at (802) 754 - 2500 x219 or email at sdoncaster@ocsu.org

A reminder that the next OCSU PTCA meeting is March 24, 2026, at 6pm Lake Region Union High School. Here is the full agenda:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zlPETCln_4FNPjnUD79HFaZTD-wXr29qsoWhC-4DOEA/edit?usp=sharing
This meeting is immediately following the Lake Region PTCA meeting at 5pm. People are welcome to attend either or both. We hope to see folks there!

Please join us Friday, March 13th for a Free Community Dinner and Movie Night sponsored by the National Honor Society. The film to be screened is Ratatouille, the story of a plucky young rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a chef and his partnership with a restaurant's garbage boy, Alfredo Linguine. Together they work to prove that "Anyone can cook." Doors open at 5:30. This free dinner will include ratatouille, of course, and quiche--two French classics--and linguine alfredo in honor of Remy's best friend and sidekick. The movie will begin at 6:00. The National Honor Society is also sponsoring a bake sale and concessions stand (popcorn!). Proceeds will benefit the Student Resource Center. Please join us for an evening of fun and bring your family.

The Lake Region Union Elementary Middle School Board would like to make a few announcements.

ANNUAL MEETINGS: The LRUEMSD Annual School Board Meeting will be on March 9th at Lake Region High School at 6 PM. You can grab a school report at your Town Clerk’s office, town library or on Town Meeting Day for more details. A big change this year has been our move to a sister-school model, and the feedback so far on that change has been mostly positive.

The Lake Region Union High School Annual School Board Meeting will be March 18, also at 6 PM at the high school.

SEATS: The Elementary-Middle School Board has eight elementary-middle school seats that will be up for election on March 9th, so if you or anyone that you know might be interested in joining a school board, there are opportunities available. Four of those seats have incumbents still willing to serve, but we've got vacant seats that need to be filled in Albany, Barton, Orleans and Westmore.

If you might be interested in running, come on out to the March 9th meeting - or if you can't make it, you can also try asking someone else to go and nominate you. Serving on this board is a time commitment of approximately two Monday evenings a month, either in-person or virtually, plus homework time and any meetings for committees that you join. If you're considering this and have questions about what it's like, current board members would be happy to chat with you!

PUBLIC MEETINGS: We’d also like to flag up a couple of big decisions that could come before the voters in the next year.

As our school buildings continue to age, we've been talking about going to the voters for a bond vote to finance building a new elementary-middle school building on the Lake Region High School property. You can read more about this in the Long Term Planning Committee report inside your town report! We'll be scheduling meetings to share information and get your feedback soon, so keep your eyes out for those.

We're also exploring merging the high school and elementary-middle school boards into a single board, with a single budget and single annual meeting. This is a decision that can only be made by voters. We'll also be having public forums to get input on this idea in the coming months.

ACT 73: There are also conversations happening in Montpelier about redistricting on a state-wide level, which could really shape the future of our schools. We're doing our best as a board to respond proactively to Act 73. However, like there was with Act 46, there's going to be a lot that we can't control at this level. So if you're interested in education in Vermont, keep following Act 73 and sharing your thoughts with our representatives in Montpelier.

Winter Modern Band Concert

The LR Music Department will present the Winter Modern Band concert on Sunday, January 25th, 3 pm. In the LR Gum. This is a fundraiser for music lessons and workshops. Admission is by donation. We will be having a bake sale and selling refreshments. This show will be a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate our OCSU community. Three of our bands will be presenting music by Chicago, 21 Pilots, Black Sabbath, Duke Ellington, Sublime, Stevie Wonder, Joe Cocker, Goodbye June, Lenny Kravitz, Pat Benetar and more, including three original works by students. For further information please contact Sara Doncaster at (802) 754 - 2500 x219 or email at sdoncaster@ocsu.org

Principal Sharon Gonyaw to Resign

Dear Lake Region Union High School Families,

I am writing to share some important news and to clarify recent reporting about my resignation. After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to resign as Principal of Lake Region Union High School at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 school year. This was a very personal decision and is not connected in any way to district governance matters or the proposed unification study, despite how a recent news article portrayed the situation.

Serving the Lake Region Union community for the past ten years, nine as Assistant Principal and this year as Principal, has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Building strong relationships, fostering connections, and supporting students as whole people has always been at the heart of my work. My time here has been deeply meaningful, and I am grateful for the trust, support, and partnership of our families, faculty, and staff.

I want to reassure you that OCSU is in a strong and stable position. Thoughtful, systematic steps have been taken in response to the Governor’s request to address rising education costs, and the district has worked carefully to share information with the community and prioritize spending that provides our students with the education they deserve. There is no turbulence in our schools, and I am confident in the continued leadership of the district.

My decision to step down is rooted in my personal life. Becoming a grandmother has been a profoundly meaningful experience, and reflecting on the close bond I shared with my own grandmother has reminded me how powerful presence, time, and connection can be. I want to bring that same presence into my granddaughter’s life while still ensuring that Lake Region Union High School has a stable, thoughtful transition in leadership.

The OCSU Board and Superintendent will meet in early January to begin planning the next steps for leadership at Lake Region. They will communicate with our school community following that meeting to share the process for identifying my replacement.

It has been a privilege to serve this community. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and remain fully committed to supporting our students and staff throughout this transition. Thank you for your trust, partnership, and care over these past ten years, it has meant more than words can express.

Warm regards,


Sharon Gonyaw
Principal, Lake Region Union High School