[A]n education governance bill taking shape in the Senate features some of the elements of the House version of the legislation, but includes more flexibility and local decision-making.
The Senate Education Committee bill, introduced by Sen. Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden, calls for school districts of at least 900 students and supervisory unions of at least 1,500 students. The House bill sets a minimum number of 1,100 students for school systems.
This year, Baruth believes the timing is right for the Legislature to address the growing outcry over school costs and property taxes, as well as shrinking opportunities in some schools due to declining enrollment.
“It seemed to me that a mandatory component was necessary, but that it could not be a one-size-fits all,” he said “What this bill does is it starts with a very basic choice and a mandate. You have to do something to place your district, if it’s not in a Pre-K-12 district of a certain size or a supervisory union of a certain size,” in a larger system.
“I think most people agree that something bold and something decisive must be done and we want to preserve as much choice in that as possible,” Baruth said. “I think most people believe we have reached a tipping point.”
Last year, 37 school budgets failed, and during the election season, many lawmakers heard from constituents who were unhappy with higher property tax rates. In response, the House and Senate Education committees have focused on changes that identify possible tax relief measures.
Vermont is grappling with demographic changes in rural areas of the state that have seen a decline of 21,000 pupils since 1997. Staffing reductions, meanwhile, have only been in the hundreds, and costs have continued to climb, along with the property taxes used to pay for education budgets.
Baruth said some of Gov. Peter Shumlin’s ideas for phasing out subsidies for rural schools are in the proposal.
“We did take the governor’s suggestion on small school grants and what are called phantom students,” he said.
The Senate version of the bill features incentives for school districts that form larger pre-K through 12th-grade districts of 900 students or more. Schools that choose to remain part of supervisory union structures of a minimum of 1,500 students would also receive some support from the state.
Baruth said pre-K through 12th grade districts can find greater economies of scale and improved educational opportunities.
“If you choose the expanded supervisory union of 1,500 minimum, then you would get design costs for making that transition, but if you chose the Pre-K-12 district,” the incentives are stronger, he said.
Friday was crossover for bills at the Statehouse, but legislation containing spending provisions have until March 20 to move. The House bill, H.361, should be in the hands of Senate Education by the end of next week, Baruth said.
“We’re already working through it, and we know what we like, pretty much, and what we don’t like and we’ll put it all together under their bill number and send it back to them under the same bill number,” he said.
The Senate plan calls for larger districts to be in place by July 1, 2019.
Next week, the Vermont-National Education Association, the Vermont Superintendents Association and the Vermont School Boards Association will give testimony on the bill.
