Lawmakers talk education funding at Bristol Legislative Breakfast

BRISTOL — Efforts to streamline Vermont's public education system, a potential loss of federal funding for state programs and the ongoing, unbridled rise in health insurance premiums dominated discussion at Monday's legislative breakfast hosted by Bristol American Legion Post 19.

The event — sponsored by the Addison County Farm Bureau and the Bridport Grange — drew a crowd of around 50 people, including five members of the county's legislative delegation. Attendance — both by lawmakers and constituents — has been on the rise this year, a reflection of the interest and angst generated by recent state and national events.

Here in the Green Mountain State, Gov. Phil Scott is pitching what he's calling his "Education Transformation Plan," which calls for, among other things, grouping the state's 287 schools into five regional districts, each led by a superintendent and school board. Addison County would be blended with Chittenden and Franklin counties into a "Champlain Valley Region" serving 34,105 students.

Public education would be funded through a new, to-be-devised foundation formula that would need to meet the equal-access-to-education standards of the Vermont Supreme Court's 1997 Brigham decision.

The governor is hoping for a single statewide education property tax rate, with a rebate for income-eligible households. Communities could choose to raise "limited additional funds," with the "state guarantee" that each district "could raise similar revenue for each cent on their local tax rate," according to Scott's draft plan.

The proposal calls for major funding and policy decisions to be made at the Vermont Agency of Education and regional board levels. But the proposal also recommends a "school advisory council" for each public school, made up of school educators, staff, students and caregivers to influence school improvement plans, budgeting and the district's strategic plan.

Education Secretary Zoie Saunders has said the plan would also allow school choice, and with it funding for charter or private schools.

Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, said on Monday that lawmakers had only received "broad outlines" of the governor's plan. He added the General Assembly expected this week to receive a 170-page public-education reform bill "that will outline more of the details."

Conlon, who chairs the House Education Committee, said he supports some of the broad concepts of Scott's plan.

"For example, I think almost everyone in Vermont agrees that 53 superintendencies for a state our size, with the number of students we have, is probably too many," he said.

That said, Conlon isn't a big fan of winnowing the state's school districts down to five.

"It's probably a number that's a little challenging," he said.

Rep. Herb Olson, D-Starksboro, said he, too, doesn't favor the idea of paring school districts down to five, though he said "an Addison County (school) district might make some sense," citing potential administrative cost savings.

"I think there's a misconception out there that simply by consolidating districts, you're going to reduce costs, and therefore reduce taxes," Olson said, "but we do have to figure out a way to reduce school taxes."

Olson has filed a bill (H.180) that would regulate the potential closing of elementary schools.

"(H.180) asks that each school be taken on its own individual circumstances, both financial and educational, instead of a broad-brush approach of, 'Every (school) under X-threshold has got to merge or close," he said.

Rep. Rob North, R-Ferrisburgh, said he believes Scott's education plan "is on the right track."

He applauded Scott's efforts to restructure the state's education funding formula, one he believes should be predicated on establishing spending constraints upfront, as opposed to the current method through which towns vote school budgets that are then submitted to the Legislature for funding.

North commended Scott's effort to reduce the number of school districts.

"The governor's plan is a really good start," he said.

SCHOOL CHOICE

Lawmakers at Monday's breakfast were asked if they'd endorse school choice as part of a system revamp.

Conlon reported several school-choice bills have been introduced into his committee, including one that would simply give parents a voucher to send their child to their school of choice.

"I would say that would create a radical change in our state," he said of a full voucher system. "It might be fine for those who can drive their kids to whatever school they want to go to, and who can afford the additional tuition it would cost, but for those who can't, it leaves them with a system of decimated public schools."

Sen. Steve Heffernan, R-Bristol, said he's receptive to Scott's education reform plan and the notion of expanding school choice.

"I'm still in the learning process, so the voucher process is still new to me," said Heffernan, a freshman lawmaker who sits on the Senate Education Committee. But he said his research indicates the vast majority of Vermont students — he used the figure of 85% — "stick to whatever the closest school is, regardless if they have a voucher system or not."

He said he believes Addison County's school system is well-positioned to survive expansion of school choice, and said some towns in more remote areas of the state depend on such a system.

"In the Northeast Kingdom… there are 10 towns that have no school system whatsoever and rely strictly on a voucher system to get their children educated. It's a very vital part of Vermont and shouldn't go away," he said.

Some of the breakfast attendees pressed lawmakers on how the governor's plan would affect Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Vermont.

"I fear that's one of the big gaps we have currently in the information we have received," Conlon said. "We haven't yet heard from the governor how exactly his delivery of CTE centers — like the Hannaford Career Center (in Middlebury) — would operate."

Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Middlebury, is a member of the Senate Finance Committee. She said the latest draft she's seen of Scott's education plan doesn't refer to how CTE would be delivered and funded.

"To be determined, I guess," she said of the administration's timetable.

Olson sits on the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee, which he said is scheduled to receive a CTE presentation next week.

But Hannaford Career Center Superintendent Nicole MacTavish earlier this month gave the Addison Central School District board some insights into the governor's plans for CTE, based on her own research. She said current plans call for all the state's CTE centers and programming to be overseen by a single, statewide CTE Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

FEDERAL DECISIONS

Bristol resident Dave Rosen cautioned that Vermont's education makeover could become even more challenging based on school-related decisions at the federal level.

President Donald Trump recently signed an education-related executive order that calls for, among other things:

* The U.S. secretary of education to prioritize school choice programs in the department's discretionary grant programs.

* The Department of Health & Human Services to "issue guidance on how states receiving block grants for children and families can use those funds to support educational alternatives, including private and faith-based options."

Trump has called for shutting down the Education Department, while his nominee for education secretary — former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon — has stated in Congressional confirmation hearings she'd like to "reorient" the department. She's promised to cut off funding for schools that run afoul of Trump's orders against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to the Associated Press.

"I don't think we should expect to get anything from Washington," Rosen said. "I think a lot of what we're talking about… is going to be 100% from our pockets. The idea of lower taxes? I think we're fooling ourselves."

Conlon acknowledged Vermont is "highly dependent" on federal funding. He specifically cited Medicaid and special education funding for schools, which amount to "hundreds of millions" of dollars.

"If the federal government decides it no longer has an obligation to the state under federal laws, then it would be a terrible burden to the taxpayers of the state," Conlon said.

Hardy noted the federal government's largest financial commitment to Vermont is for health care.

"Our healthcare system is already financially strapped and struggling. If we lose federal funding for health care — which is largely through Medicaid and Medicare — it will be devastating to our health care system," she said.

She noted the House Appropriation Committee — chaired by Rep. Robin Scheu, D-Middlebury — is trying to solidify the state's reserve funds to help blunt a potential reduction in federal funds.

CLIMATE ET ALIA

Other discussion at Monday's breakfast touched on:

* Scott's proposed Climate Omnibus Bill, which, among other things recommends that the state eliminate its current emission-reduction deadlines (currently set for 2030 and 2050), and that it not allow the state to be sued for missing those deadlines.

* The status of Education Secretary Saunders, a Scott nominee the state Senate rejected last April, by a 19-9 vote. Scott subsequently appointed her anyway. The Vermont Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging Saunders's appointment (because he had made it outside of the legislative session), but acknowledged the Senate's Constitutional right to weigh in on the appointment. Hardy anticipates another vote on Saunders this session.

* Rising health care expenses, which lawmakers ascribed to stranded costs, prescription drug pricing and costs associated with the state's largest health care hub: University of Vermont Medical Center.

Hardy chastised the UVM Health Network for awarding bonuses to its top administrators. VTDigger recently reported that UVMHN rewarded "19 top executives" with a combined $3 million in "variable pay" for their performance last year and that came "amid a series of service cuts across the network."

Cheryl Mitchell of New Haven encouraged people to check out an organization called "Vermont Healthcare 911 (VHC911)," which is "dedicated to maintaining a broad coalition where business owners, non-profit leaders, educators, union workers, doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and political leaders unite to demand relief in healthcare costs."

Former Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas is on VHC911's leadership council.

Editor's note: Sen. Heffernan is the brother-in-law of reporter John Flowers.

John Flowers is at [email protected].

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