Editor’s note: This commentary is by Gary McQuesten, Oreste Valsangiacomo Jr. and Armand Dion. McQuesten and Valsangiacomo are near 40-year law partners in Barre; Dion is a Barre native and former corporate executive who has retired to hometown.
[I]t is time for Vermont to gain control over educational spending. Gov. Phil Scott has made a responsible proposal to untie the expensive Gordian knot of Vermont’s education funding system. His proposal sustains Vermont’s education system among the nation’s best funded; aligns teacher retirement costs with the education fund given that school boards decide related benefit levels; allows for increased funding for pre-k and higher education programs; and frees up general fund resources to support other critical state services.
Gov. Scott’s proposal does not require increased taxes and fees. However, it does require one simple and easily achievable decision by the Legislature. That is to level fund school budgets for fiscal 2018 just as the governor is asking for level funding of 2018 general fund spending. This choice does inconvenience the budgeting process of district school boards and superintendents, but the opportunity to set a course resulting with significantly lower property taxes should take precedent.
Scott’s proposal is fiscally and educationally responsible. It brings spending discipline to Vermont’s education funding system without undermining educational quality. Here’s how.
Financial stability of our state is not a partisan issue.
The National Education Association’s (NEA) most recent (2015) statistical comparison of states profiles Vermont as having the lowest student-teacher ratio at 9.7 to 1. The next lowest is New Hampshire at 11.7 to 1 while the national average ratio is 15 to 1.
This NEA data is consistent with the state treasurer’s 2016 actuarial data that documents Vermont having 9,919 active teachers serving 89,200 students resulting in a student-teacher ratio of 9 to 1. The actuary’s report also documents Vermont’s average teacher’s salary at $59,119.
Using the NEA ratio data and the treasurer’s average salary data, if Vermont had the same student-teacher ratio as New Hampshire, Vermont would still be tied for the best ratio in the nation but spending $90.6 million less on teachers’ salaries. (If we had the same as the national average, we would save over $195 million!)
Gov. Scott must stay the course and insist Vermont’s education funding system be fixed this session. High property taxes are chasing taxpayers from house and home. Further, the Republican caucus and responsible independent and Democrat legislators must stand with Gov. Scott to force the majority party to enact reform. Taxpayers must insist that their elected officials do the same. Financial stability of our state is not a partisan issue. Spending $90 million a year more than necessary is not sustainable in difficult financial times. Let’s begin to live within our means.
