Shumlin touted a free school lunch program for all students who qualify for reduced lunch prices that was passed by both the House and Senate; $400,000 in grants to help start up publicly funded pre-schools; $2.5 million in financial aid to Vermonters attending UVM, Vermont State Colleges, and for the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation.
He also lauded the so-called flexible pathways legislation, approved by the Senate, which aims to tailor personalized learning plans for each student, and increase technical and hands-on career experience offered to high school students.
Shumlin’s latest thoughts on the Legislature’s rejection of his plan to transfer $17 million in low-income tax credits to a child care subsidy program, however, were harder to gauge. The proposal was a priority laid out in his inaugural speech, which concentrated solely on education issues.
“We went in with a huge education agenda,” Shumlin said. “There isn’t a governor who goes in with as ambitious an agenda as we did and thinks they’re going to get it all done in one session.”
“I think we’re on the right track. If it takes us a year or two to settle every part of it, you know, I’m hoping that Vermonters aren’t going to fire me this week,” the governor said.
The House Appropriations committee approved $3.3 million in additional funding for child care subsidies late last month. Meanwhile, the administration notched back its target for child care subsidies to about $12 million, down $5 million from its January proposal. Senate Appropriations hasn’t yet issued a decision on the matter.
Shumlin continues to insist that the childcare subsidy investment must be made without raising broad-based taxes. “If you’re going to fund early child care education, you have to do it from dollars that we’re currently spending,” he said.
“$12 million is better than $3 million, and $17 million is even better than that,” he told reporters. Though he said he’d be disappointed if legislators stuck with $3 million, he added: “Will I be sorely disappointed, and ranting and raving? No.”
Although Shumlin’s remarks could signal that he would accept defeat on this issue, it appears he isn’t quite ready to give up. “It’s a debate that’s ongoing in the Legislature, and I think you need to hope that they’ll act on the proposal,” he told reporters.
House Republicans have asked for a fiscal note on the total cost of Shumlin’s education reforms.
