March 19, 2025

Education Reform

Obviously education reform and cost containment is a huge—and hugely difficult—problem. It has been so for decades.

It has come to a head again. Even after the last painful consolidation under Act 46 only a few years ago, we still have over 100 school districts and over 50 supervisory unions. We have some 380 school buildings whose average age is 61 years. Property taxes spiked last year, and costs for health insurance, special ed, and mental health supports for our kids continue to spiral. Something's got to give.

Further district consolidation would save some administrative expenses. But requiring a minimum school size or class size, and thereby closing schools, is really the only way to make a substantial dent in costs.

The Governor's plan includes both district and school consolidation, as well as proposing to make independent schools more like public schools if they want to receive public-tuition students.

Yet Vermont has very rural areas, like ours, with very limited options. Closing schools, and even minimum school or class sizes, would be totally unworkable in some of our towns. I could only support the idea of minimum school and class sizes if they are flexible enough to recognize the needs of rural areas.

Even more to the point, we in our area have evolved a combined public and independent school ecosystem that works well, and that families and communities have substantial investment in. While acknowledging the statewide crisis, I cannot imagine supporting changes that would cause schools like Riverside, Stevens, and Burke Mountain Academy to close.

The week before Town Meeting break, the Governor fleshed out his plan in a 194-page bill. But there were—and are—still large gaps that the Legislature has to fill in. And the House Education and Ways & Means committees are hard at work trying to do so.

A few things are becoming clearer.

• This is a multi-year process, perhaps five years or more.

• We must reduce school administrative costs by consolidating districts—likely not down to five, but probably to low double-digits.

• We must move to some form of foundation-formula funding system, where the state sets the budget and districts must live within their allocation.

• As much as we value local control, we should recognize that we really have had a statewide system since the Supreme Court's 1997 Brigham decision.

• If we are going to continue to fund schools in at least a significant way with property taxes, we need a stronger, likely statewide, property appraisal system.

All these changes and more are incredibly complex to implement. Change is inherently disruptive, but we have 83,000 children depending on their schools every day. I am cautiously supportive of these ideas.

A couple final points. The Governor has proposed eliminating universal school meals. Testimony has shown there would be very little dollar savings, while there would be a cost to our kids' well being and to local food producers. I do not support getting rid of universal meals.

Lastly, the Governor has also proposed spending $77 million of General Fund money to buy down property taxes this coming school year. But that just digs a $77 million hole in next year's budget, which will be under nearly all the same pressures of the current system—because the significant changes under consideration cannot be accomplished before then. I am not supportive of buying down taxes this year only to raise them next year.

Last update March 19, 2025
Been busy! Further updates coming…

Education Reform

Vermont’s education system is at a turning point, and as we work to create a sustainable, high-quality future for our schools, your input is essential. Speaker Jill Krowinski’s office has put together a short survey to gather feedback from Vermonters on education reform.

Take a few minutes to share your thoughts on what’s working, what’s not, and what you’d like to see in the future. Your responses will help shape the conversations happening in the State House.

Feel free to share this survey with your friends, neighbors, and community members—every voice matters! If you have any questions or want to connect further, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Join me to discuss the issues!

Saturdays during the remainder of the session:

• Breakfast: March 22 & May 3, 8:30 AM
  Kitchen Counter Cafe, Railroad St, St J

• Lunch: April 12, Noon
  Mooselook Diner, Route 2, Concord

Scenes from St. Johnsbury, March 15, 2025

Among other ongoing work as a legislator, I participate in the Climate Solutions Caucus and the newly formed Flood Recovery & Resilience Caucus. The climate disruption now underway due to human activity is a defining challenge of our time.

My background is building construction, design and energy-savings analysis.

I am not a climate scientist, but I have been keenly aware of the existential challenge facing us for more than 30 years.

Skyler Perkins is a Vermonter, documentary videographer and a member of the next generation, even more aware of this challenge and how we as a society have failed to confront it.

He is in the process of producing a series explaining how climate disruption, pollution, habitat destruction and biodiversity loss is poisoning the planet’s—and humans’—future.

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St. Johnsbury/Concord/Kirby