[H]ouse lawmakers gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would require Vermont’s nearly 300 school districts to study mergers with neighboring districts.
The House Education Committee’s “big bill,” H.361, passed 88-55 after about six hours of debate on the House floor.
The legislation seeks to improve educational opportunities while at the same time forcing cost efficiencies in response to growing taxpayer unrest about rising education spending and property taxes.
H.361 mandates that school districts study merger options with neighboring districts. By 2019, all districts must be part of pre-K-12, “integrated education systems” with a minimum of 1,100 pupils.
Rep. David Sharpe, D-Bristol, chair of the House Education Committee, who led the education reform initiative, said the committee struggled to find a palatable way to restructure the state’s rural schools. “To envision a new way of doing this is difficult,” Sharpe said, moments before a roll call vote was taken on the bill.
The last time Vermont reduced the number of districts statewide was in 1892 when some 2,700 districts were consolidated into 300 districts.
Sharpe said it’s not a perfect bill, but “a growing number of people have told me this is exactly what we need to do.” During the fall election season, he said legislators heard from many Vermonters “that property taxes were becoming difficult for many of our citizens to pay.”
“I think this is a great day,” said Rep. Bernie Juskiewicz, R-Cambridge, vice chairman of the House Education Committee. “It creates educational opportunities for the students of Vermont and it puts us on the road to consolidation and more efficient use of people and resources.”
Ultimately, Juskiewicz said, “It’s going to have a positive effect for the taxpayers in the state of Vermont.”
Gov. Peter Shumlin said H.361 addresses the impact of declining student enrollment on the state’s rural schools. Since 1997, according to the Vermont Agency of Education, school enrollment levels statewide have declined by more than 21,000 students.
“We have an education system in Vermont that is designed to serve significantly more students than we currently have or are projected to have for the foreseeable future,” Shumlin said in a statement. “That hurts educational quality and places an incredible burden on hard working Vermonters. Today, the House made an important step toward fixing that and providing higher quality education at a more affordable price.”
Amendments come and go
An amendment proposed by Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington, that would have made district consolidation voluntary, failed 62-80.
“We should target our attention on schools that are struggling,” Browning said, and allow others to decide for themselves whether to merge.
Rep. Heidi Scheuermann, R-Stowe, asked whether H.361 was the best lawmakers could do.
“The elimination of local school districts and school boards? The elimination of so much local community voice in the development and provision of educational services to the students they know best?” she asked.
Scheuermann also said the bill contains “no meaningful reform” in funding.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker, but this is not what my constituents have been clamoring for. And, I would argue, that this is not what Vermonters as a whole have been clamoring for,” said Scheuermann.
A three-pronged amendment introduced by Rep. Sarah Buxton, D-Tunbridge, addressed concerns many lawmakers had regarding a spending cap, eligibility for continued small schools grants, and a prohibition on state education dollars going out of state.
The amendment delays the cap for one year and states that no cap will be imposed if increases in school spending statewide do not exceed 2.95 percent. If spending crosses that threshold, there would be a cap instituted in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, under the amended language.
Statewide education spending rose exactly 2.95 percent this year.
Buxton’s amendment also asks the State Board of Education to establish metrics for small school grants.
The amendment removed a provision that would have prohibited districts from paying out-of-state tuition. Districts in Vermont pay for about 730 students per year to attend schools in other states.
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Read the amended bill here.
Key provisions of the bill:
- The minimum number of 1,100 students for each “education district” under the integrated education system is based on average daily membership, not a weighted equalized pupil calculation for students who are disabled, low-income or speak English as a second language.
- Education districts would replace supervisory union districts in most areas of the state.
- Towns that are part of education districts will see a reduction in the statewide tax rate of $0.08 in 2020. The tax incentive would be phased out over four years.
- Districts must submit study reports to the State Board of Education regarding the formation of the integrated education systems. The proposals must be approved by voters.
- The State Board will offer waivers to districts that are geographically isolated.
- Any unfunded mandates imposed by the Legislature on school districts will come out of the General Fund.
- The school budget question on municipal ballots must include proscriptive language that explains the percentage increase in the budget over the previous year. The ballot question must also cite the school district’s per pupil spending rate.
