by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org House Speaker Shap Smith is soliciting education finance reform proposals from the public. Education spending and financing reforms are top priorities for Smith this legislative session. Smith wants ideas from all-comers, and he is encouraging Vermonters to send him proposals.
“Vermonters value high quality public education, but the current delivery and funding systems have resulted in annual property tax increases that many Vermonters cannot afford,” Smith said. “We need to work together to solve this problem. That’s why I am inviting taxpayers, stakeholders and policy makers to add their voices to the conversation the House will undertake when we reconvene in January.”
Last year, the House of Representatives narrowly passed H.883, which was a carrot and stick approach to school district consolidation. The legislation would have dramatically reduced the number of school districts from 362 to 60 or so.
Vermont has the lowest ratio of students to school board members in the nation: One school board member for 57 students. Maine, which has the second lowest ratio, has one school board member for 135 students. In other states, school boards manage districts with tens of thousands of students.
The last time Vermont changed the governance structure for public schools was in 1892 when the state went from 2,500 local school boards to a total of 300.
The House took months to pass H.883 and in the end the Vermont Senate only had a few weeks to take up the bill, and it died in the rules committee.
In the fall elections, lawmakers were confronted by constituents who were alarmed by a jump in the statewide property tax rate for residents, which has jumped from 88 cents per $100 of assessed property value a few years ago to 98 cents. Meanwhile, school enrollments have declined by 20 percent over the last 15 years.
A group of House representatives held a press conference in October to reassure voters they would tackle the issue in the coming year. That month Smith announced he would bring property tax relief legislation to a vote this year.
In September, Smith convened a 10-member ad hoc committee to explore property tax reform options. The group came up with three ideas that were released earlier this month: 1. Putting more pressure on schools to reduce spending; 2. Changing the financing system to include an income tax and lessening the burden on property taxes; 3. Creating a regional block grant system in which the state would set education spending targets and appropriate funds by region, based on student enrollment levels.
Smith has said these aren’t the only ideas he and the Legislature will consider in January. He is hoping that members of the public will also weigh in.
“Education is a collaborative effort,” Smith said. “It’s time to roll up our sleeves and work together to improve Vermont’s education system.”
The deadline to send in a proposal is Dec. 31. Proposals may be submitted electronically using the email address [email protected]. Mailed materials may be sent to: Speaker’s Office, 115 State St., Montpelier VT 05633.