LINCOLN DEMOCRAT JEANNE Albert is a longtime educator and Lincoln School District leader who hopes to become one of two legislators representing Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton and Starksboro in the Vermont House.

The following five questions, along with a requested word limit, were asked of each local candidate in a competitive race for the Vermont House or Senate.

The questions are not repeated in the context of each candidate’s response, but are recalled by subject at the beginning of each answer.

Primary Election Day is Aug. 13.

1) PERSONAL BACKGROUND: I’ve called Vermont home for nearly 40 years, the last seven in beautiful Lincoln. I’m currently Chair of the Lincoln School District Board, and recently served on the tri-partisan Legislative Apportionment Board, which redrew Vermont’s House and Senate districts, following the 2020 Census. I’ve been teaching college math for over 30 years, after earning my PhD from Dartmouth.

I want to make a positive difference for my community and I enjoy collaborating with people who bring a diverse set of perspectives to the conversation. I’m ready to bring my strengths to Montpelier to tackle our state’s tough challenges.

2) THREE ISSUES: (1) The future of public education in Vermont, with particular focus on finance, governance, and infrastructure.

Following an unprecedented increase in statewide education spending, and the failure at Town Meeting of one-third of district budgets, the Legislature established the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont. The Commission’s charge is exceptionally broad, and includes examining nearly every element of our system of public education. Its final report is due Dec. 1, 2025, with a preliminary report– including short-term cost-containment options– required by December 15, 2024.

(2) Support for working families, through a range of interconnected programs and initiatives.

We must sustain thriving communities where all Vermonters can afford to live and work. This essential goal incorporates many interconnected issues, including affordable housing; workforce development; accessible, quality childcare; paid family and medical leave; saving for retirement; and health services.

While we’ve made notable progress in several areas– such as availability of high-quality, affordable childcare; the Vermont Saves retirement plan; increasing support for community mental health and substance use services; and positive steps toward addressing the statewide housing crisis– we must build and expand on this progress.

(3) Setting a course for the transition to clean renewable energy and transportation systems for all, while strengthening climate resilience.

As many families in our district and across the state tragically experienced, Vermont’s shifting climate means we now regularly experience what used to be “extreme” events, that destroy homes and businesses, devastate farms, and critically disturb natural ecosystems.

Along with ensuring that we meet our emissions reduction goals, during the next legislative session there will be significant focus on expanding improvements we’ve made in flood recovery and resilience. We also must continue our transition to clean renewable energy and transportation systems in a manner that is affordable and equitable for all.

3) PAYING FOR SCHOOLS: The foundation of democratic society is universally accessible, high-quality public education. Vermont’s system for funding education is commendable for its commitment to equity.

However, the extreme complexity of education financing is undermining faith in the system overall. In particular, the connection between voted budgets and education tax rates is so obscured that a sense of local control has been eroded, generating mistrust.

Meanwhile, extreme pressures from the Covid pandemic continue to affect district budgets: federal support has ended, but the needs of students and staff have not. The pandemic also drove up property values, which led to spikes in education taxes, and the pause in state funding for facilities has taken a toll on both school buildings and budgets. This “milestone” structure is important, so that we can understand if we are on track to meet our goals, or if we are falling short and must take corrective action.

Reforming this complex system will be an enormous and challenging task. Legislation passed this Spring establishing the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont indicates as much. Here are some ideas I hope will be examined.

• Using income as the basis for education taxes– instead of property plus income-based credits– would be more equitable, transparent, simpler to implement, and potentially save money overall.
• Moving expenditures that aren’t directly related to education out of the Education Fund– especially rapidly increasing costs that school districts don’t control, such as mental health services and employee health benefits– would make district budgeting more predictable at the local level and more manageable at the state level.
• Expanding implementation of the community-schools model, which creates a coordinated hub of support for families, would increase community connectedness and ultimately reduce the costs of social services.

Working together, we can design public education governance structures that prioritize thriving community schools, within a sustainable, financial funding model that is affordable for taxpayers and preserves local decision making.

4) HOUSING: All Vermonters should have a safe and affordable place to live. A dire shortage in affordable housing causes instability and hardship for families and communities, and exacerbates labor challenges for Vermont businesses.

Lack of affordable housing connects to other critical challenges, as well. For example, increasing housing in Vermont’s downtowns and rural communities means increased opportunities for young families to live close to an elementary school. These schools are the heart and soul of our communities and provide the best foundation for young learners. Increasing affordable housing strengthens our public schools, which then strengthens the vitality of our communities and encourages more families to stay in—or come to—Vermont.

Housing connects to climate and the environment, too, as catastrophic flooding has become more and more common in Vermont. Having a stable and safe place to live is also a critical element of health and well-being– for children, especially– and is closely linked to social and emotional health.

I am encouraged by recent reforms to Act 250 that will help increase the availability of affordable housing in downtowns and village centers. Another promising initiative comes from the office of the Vermont Treasurer, through its Local Investment Initiative. This program prioritizes increasing housing supply and affordability as well as removing barriers to equal opportunity.

Balancing the protection of Vermont’s natural beauty and landscapes with the need for more affordable housing requires thoughtful planning and listening to a range of views. We need to ensure that we strike the right balance and that all communities have the opportunity to thrive.

5) CLIMATE: I support Vermont’s Climate Action Plan. We must make the transition to clean renewable energy, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions according to regular milestones is a necessary first step.

Under the plan, by 2050 we are committed to reducing emissions by at least 80% below 1990 levels, and must be at least halfway to that goal by 2030. Also, by 2025, emissions must be 26% below 2005 levels. This milestone structure is important, so that we’ll understand if we are on track to meet our goals, or if we are falling short and must take corrective action.

I also strongly support other elements of the plan, such as the commitment to a just transition: one where all regions of Vermont see benefits, especially our most vulnerable communities and individuals. In addition, the Plan envisions critically important investments in climate resiliency across the state.

In order to fulfill the promise of the Plan, we must accurately measure emissions and track trends. I am concerned that there are insufficient safeguards to ensure that emissions data used are reliable. Another improvement: I would like to see evidence of how we plan to hold ourselves to the commitment to a just transition.

Read more Addison Independent coverage of Jeanne Albert here.

Find our Q&As with the rest of the Vermont Senate and House candidates here.