Last weekend, I hosted a public forum with Rep. Peter Conlon and Sen. Steve Heffernan about the major K-12 educational transformation bill, H.454, which has been the primary focus of this legislative session. You can find a recording of that forum on the MCTV YouTube channel. Last Monday, I also recorded an episode of former Rep. Dave Sharpe’s education policy TV show, Sharpe Takes, talking about the details and impetus for H.454 and educational transformation. You can also watch that show on the MCTV YouTube channel.

SEN. RUTH HARDY

Over the past week, however, a lot has changed with H.454. As I noted at the forum and on Sharpe’s show, I had serious concerns with the bill as it passed out of the Senate Education Committee. Unfortunately, the Senate Finance Committee made the bill even worse, and I was one of two members of the Committee to vote against the bill. The bill will be up for a vote on the Senate floor this week. I urge you to reach out to Senator Heffernan, who voted for the Senate Education version, and ask him to also vote against H.454 on the floor.

Here are ten significant problems with the Senate version of H.454:

1) It will not lower property taxes, especially for the people who need it most

2) It will under-fund public schools, especially those in the Addison District

3) It creates a funding formula that is not based on empirical analysis and is possibly unconstitutional

4) It includes a rushed, political process for consolidating school districts

5) It does not address the major cost-drivers in school budgets

6) It maintains private school vouchers and does not sufficiently limit public funding for private schools

7) It imposes an unrealistic timeline for change that will create chaos in our schools

8) It fails to advance needed reforms at the state or local level

9) It eliminates the structure for taxing upscale second homes at a higher rate than primary residences

10) It does not center kids and lacks a clear understanding of how K-12 schools actually work

If you’d like to compare versions of the bill, here are links to several versions of the bill and supporting materials:

1) Governor’s plan outline and bill as introduced in late-February

2) House bill as passed in March, JFO summary, and transformation timeline

3) Senate Education Committee bill passed in late-April, JFO summary, and transformation timeline

4) Senate Finance Committee bill passed last week and JFO summary

The Senate version of the bill is being pushed by Senate leaders of both parties, spearheaded by Pro Tem Phil Baruth and Minority Leader Scott Beck. This bill will not provide property tax relief for most Vermonters and will likely be destructive to our public school system, at a time when public schools are already facing severe pressure and possible funding cuts from the federal government. I will be voting “No” on the bill this week and I hope others will join me.

Finally, I end with a reminder of the great things happening in schools around the Addison District, including an amazing public art project at the Mount Abe School District, innovative hands-on learning at Vergennes Union Middle School, and incredible leadership at the Salisbury Community School. Students are thriving in our local public schools and we owe it to them to make sure we do no harm with educational transformation efforts.