Editor’s note: This commentary is by Cyrus Patten, who is an educator, doctoral candidate in education policy, and executive director of Campaign for Vermont. He lives in Williston.
[G]reat time and effort was expended to create what was hailed as an historic education reform package. I’m referring to House Bill 361, which was derailed last week as the governor and secretary of education withdrew support.
The bill would have forced school districts to consolidate based on a fundamentally flawed assumption that small schools are inefficient and costly.
I recognize both the work that went into this endeavor and the courage it took to admit it was a bad idea.
But I’d also like to point out that the evidence never supported the assertion that small schools were the problem.
The time and effort put into H.361 is gone. And the political futures of some legislators rest on their ability to scramble to get real property tax relief passed this session.
First and foremost, small schools, as defined by the Agency of Education, make up just 4.8 percent of our statewide education spending.
Second, there is no statistically significant relationship between school spending per pupil and school size.
Third, we can’t possibly conclude that small schools are inefficient when we don’t agree on the intended outcomes of schools. Efficiency = intended outcomes / cost.
The quality of the education my kids receive should not depend on where I live. That was the idea behind the Brigham decision and Acts 60 and 68. I thoroughly agree but we are too often confusing equity of opportunity with equity of spending. The data tell us that education spending does not impact education outcomes. Therefore, making sure every town spends the same is not how we ensure equitable educational opportunities.
The demise of H.361 was a foregone conclusion because of the lack of evidentiary support. The core assumptions of the bill were an affront to local voters, school boards and schools that have managed themselves responsibly. Successful school districts were never going to take a kick in the teeth without defending themselves.
The time and effort put into H.361 is gone. And the political futures of some legislators rest on their ability to scramble to get real property tax relief passed this session.
The Senate now has the football, and is seriously considering consolidating supervisory unions as a means of curbing costs. This is a good place to start. With declining enrollment and increasing costs, Vermonters are understandably perplexed. In the context of observed demographic trends, cost increases will only be addressed through new economies of scale; and these can only be achieved by regionalizing taxation and spending.
Campaign for Vermont continues to offer the consolidation of supervisory unions into regional education administration districts (READs) as an evidence-based solution. It can be found on our website.
Correction: The author’s town of residence has been corrected.
