[M]embers of the House Republican leadership say they will not support a major education governance reform bill unless spending controls are put back into the legislation.
House Minority Leader Rep. Don Turner, R-Milton, said Republicans are concerned about the lack of cost containment provisions in the Senate version of H.361 and the removal of a requirement that all unfunded mandate costs come out of the general fund.
Lawmakers promised to pass legislation that would respond to taxpayer concerns, and the Senate bill doesn’t deliver on that promise, Turner said.
The Senate struck a 2.95 percent school spending cap, a phase-out of the small schools grant program and a requirement that new unfunded mandates from the state be paid for out of the general fund.
Rep. Patti Komline, R-Dorset, introduced the unfunded mandate provision.
“The Legislature has to stop passing laws here every day that drive up school costs, and then we complain that schools are spending too much money,” Komline said. “If we are going to pass laws, we need to find ways to pay for them, rather than just passing [the cost] onto schools.”
Rep. Kurt Wright, R- Burlington, described a “very disturbing trend,” in which people are so upset about rising taxes they are selling their homes and leaving Vermont.
“It will certainly be very difficult for any of us to support any bill that does not deliver serious cost containment,” Wright said.
H.361 does not contain “measurable savings” in the short term, but could save $20 million to $30 million once the hoped-for larger school systems are developed in several years.
In the meantime, Wright said, some mechanism to keep education spending in check is critical.
“We need to deliver that bridge,” said Wright. “If we don’t deliver that then I believe we will have failed the taxpayers of Vermont and have not heard that message.”
Monday, the House Education Committee continued to work on other cost-containment proposals with staff from the Agency of Education and the Joint Fiscal Office.
The bill, H.361, went to a conference committee Monday, and members were briefed on the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Members of the conference committee said they plan “marathon” meetings for Tuesday.
Both versions lay out a system of carrots and sticks to encourage the formation of larger school districts. Lawmakers believe larger districts will create more cost efficiencies and improve educational opportunities for Vermont’s public school students.
The constitutionality of the spending cap in the House-passed bill has been questioned.
The cap would have been triggered in 2017 and 2018 only if statewide education spending increases exceed 2.95 percent. That percentage increase is how much school budgets went up on average this past year.
The House conference committee members are: Rep. David Sharpe, D-Bristol; Rep. Bernie Juskiewicz, R-Cambridge; and Rep. Johannah Donovan, D-Burlington. Senate members are Sen. Ann Cummings, D-Washington; Sen. Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden; and Sen. Dustin Degree, R-Franklin.
