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Friend,
Public education has been a topic at the top of many Vermonters’ minds. Many people were shocked and angry at this year’s steep property tax increase that was needed to meet the school budgets that were passed at the local level. Our education funding system is complicated, but it is designed so that kids can have a quality education regardless of the affluence of the town or district in which they live.
The tax increase was created by the local votes. The legislature and the Governor are responsible for passing a law that reflects the spending of the local communities. It was necessary to maintain our credit rating, to wholly fund locally passed school budgets, and to stop taxes from going up on apartments, businesses and all other property by 30% (all things that would have occurred had the Governors veto been sustained). However, we all know that property taxes for education cannot go up this fast again. Therefore, the legislature established the Commission on the future of public education in Vermont (The Commission) with a series of targets.
The goal of The Commission is to “study Vermont’s public education system and make recommendations to ensure all students are afforded quality educational opportunities in an efficient, sustainable, and equitable education system that will enable students to achieve the highest academic outcomes.” In other words, this commission is tasked with the enormous task of looking at the funding, governance, and implementation of public education in our state and finding ways we can control costs without sacrificing quality.
The Commission has started meeting and has a a short timeline to recommend solutions. I’ve been attending the meetings (you can also attend remotely, for more information please click here) to follow the work they are doing. Additionally, I am talking to leaders of various education groups to learn more about what we can do to improve this situation. I believe this is one of the most pressing issues that we must address in the upcoming legislative session.
I will be sending out updates on the issues The Commission is addressing as well as information about possible outcomes. I am particularly interested in the funding formula and how it will affect those who are least able to afford property tax increases; whether there will be additional options like surcharges on second homes (some of which pay lower tax rates than primary residences); whether there are efficiencies that can found between human services provided in the schools but are funded by property taxes (unlike most other states); and whether those whose who pay a lower percentage of their income to property taxes will be asked to pay the same percentage as those that are income sensitized. Right now, many wealthy Vermonters pay a lower property tax rate than working class people.
As always, please feel free to email my office with questions and we will do our best to get you updated information.
Again, if you are interested in following the work of the Commission, you can look at their website to see their upcoming meeting schedule and how to attend.
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We encourage you to contact your legislators and the Governor’s office on this issue and other issues that are important to you.
Lt. Governor David Zuckerman