[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6238771,"mediaKeyId","3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b","parentId",3346534,"title","Committee adds implementation funding and staff positions to education bill; $4M transition package discussed","audioSeconds",1938,"startMs",4990000,"endMs",6928000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b&start=4990&end=6928","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b/thumbnail_4990000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6238771/Vermont/Committee-adds-implementation-funding-and-staff-positions-to-education-bill-4M-transition-package-discussed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6238771-ed9edb59c05a2cccbeeb6e73864cab97/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197306&Signature=cPrqY1KUdXAEGNkrqH66oj~XWqvgOE3sdbEkY0X8Br2C7UZPmCr-38gmTZTPbm0QrYyrnXbgaRFx7aMS~uxveDwWwv4FRMV~CAIvWYmvnpM-vU7DQmqDHW5rqeP1pfbsOgOFmdMeIcgt~8mfZYi9yQrY7rE89BxNGWVYot0dJ7oo9db-EqWRDV4RYYqQXPOXfqAkgKJ2Dw8Hw-g95L-cqgjk0V3slHfu601d-WelG54Q0Ua0P8NbYCAH7EAZgnyoFbImNVf75z7PWAV7zKUmQLpOAjETsbcbMjF1RuymkxT9Ng~nOrJygoD3wdYYgnJU3WaQJKwe6W96mOwJ8tF7Jw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-17T07:46:45Z","article","Senate Appropriations committee staff and Joint Fiscal Office analysts reviewed the fiscal note for H.454 and described appropriation needs and an amendment to allocate transition funding and initial staffing for implementation.

Julie Richter, Joint Fiscal Office, said the bill as recommended out of Senate Finance included several specific appropriations: $100,000 to the Office of Legislative Counsel for task-force consultants, $200,000 to the State Board of Education for rule review, and $150,000 (one-time appropriation) to support a position to help develop a special-education strategic plan. JFO estimated additional AOE positions and administration for the school construction aid program would cost roughly $450,000 in FY2026 but those positions were not funded in the bill as printed.

Committee staff reported the Legislature had set aside $4,000,000 in the budget for education transformation transition work; committee members considered a draft amendment that would appropriate $3.5 million of that amount and create five new AOE positions (plus the special-education position already in H.454). The amendment (as presented to the committee) would allocate funds for: partial-year funding of five AOE positions in FY2026 ($562,500 adjusted for hiring timing), $200,000 for transition facilitation grants to transitional boards, and $2,700,000 for AOE consultants to support implementation activities. Committee staff said the amendment reduces consultant funding from the full agency request to fit within the $4,000,000 set-aside.

Senators voiced mixed positions on the bill and the amendment; several members said they supported moving the bill to keep the work moving while reserving floor amendments. The committee adopted the amendment (voice/unanimous among those present) and recorded a roll call when voting to move the bill out of committee (see actions). Committee staff said they would circulate the amendment text and supporting spreadsheets to committee members following the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations – 2025-05-16 – 1:20PM","oneSentenceSummary","Committee amendment appropriated consultant funding and added positions requested by the Agency of Education to support rollout; committee staff and JFO summarized FY2026 estimates and proposed distribution of $4 million set aside in the budget for transition work.","taxTitle","Appropriations, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",36948,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6238776,"Senate finance language proposes homestead exemption to replace statewide property tax credit",2144,3656000,5800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b&start=3656&end=5800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b/thumbnail_3656000.jpg","/articles/6238776/Vermont/Senate-finance-language-proposes-homestead-exemption-to-replace-statewide-property-tax-credit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6238776-10361b62f42fdce3567e5a07fd2eeb24/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197306&Signature=C9vPyj9Ih6WAzD~ZgprwqSBktSmGh2oXS4C9oGCUgHdShI0kBYbDY~2FUp504u8zg7vAIE4r5X8O3YDFsROpByVOfTQNWjK8ZoRaAgTA8es9ChpfyTpCRwlsi9pLlES1p8LmVvci45KYA0c1x3aNH4G99TK1axB70B1WIOGW9Va3FQiSa0X47Dgazh0o76bY8RyqDT~1VobwRFY8bhkO~j6ZPhFEtxlalDoy3yBQBmBctg3rj6ILzi~PAG48iFDBLeXjlDrWAtk01AR6EQig3XNpZBIzBFB57IQVj~SgLdAu3ruM49ukALLHmnieE~XQWzG08YnG1dBJIJX6wizeyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","H.454 includes language, new from Senate Finance, to repeal the statewide Property Tax Credit (PTC) and replace it with a homestead property tax exemption keyed to household income and a housesite value cap.

Under the Senate Finance configuration shown to the committee, an eligible claimant with household income at or below $100,000 would receive a percentage exemption applied to the first portion of housesite value — in many income bands the exemption would apply to the first $425,000 of housesite value for lower income bands and $400,000 for higher bands. The bill sets tiered income brackets with stepped exemption percentages (for example, very low-income households near $0–$2,000 would receive a 99% exemption on the applicable housesite cap; higher income bands receive progressively smaller percentages up to a 5% exemption at the top of the band approaching $100,000). The municipal-level property tax credit and municipal circuit breaker are retained.

Julie Richter, Joint Fiscal Office, presented modeling charts that compare the Senate Finance homestead-exemption design against current law income-sensitivity (the PTC). The committee was shown a chart that maps household-income buckets against assessed housesite value and displays estimated average dollar increases or decreases relative to FY2025 average net education property tax liability. Richter said the Senate Finance configuration was modeled to cost about $1.6 million less than current-law income sensitivity and was calibrated to direct greater average reductions toward lower-income households and lower housesite values.

Committee discussion focused on distributional impacts. Senators noted cliff effects around existing PTC thresholds (for example, the program structure under current law changes at $90,000 of income), and several members asked whether the housesite caps and percentage steps could increase tax liability for middle-income households in high-market-value areas. Staff emphasized the Senate Finance version was only one configuration; the Department of Taxes was tasked to produce alternative designs and a report by Jan. 15, 2026, on options that would minimize property-tax impacts.","H.454 as amended by Senate Finance would repeal the statewide Property Tax Credit and replace it with a graduated homestead exemption tied to household income and a housesite cap (e.g., $425,000/$400,000 tiers); committee staff presented modeling of estimated bill impacts by income and house-site value.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6238781,"Bill creates state school construction aid program and advisory board; details grants, eligibility and rulemaking authority",190,482000,672000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b&start=482&end=672","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b/thumbnail_482000.jpg","/articles/6238781/Vermont/Bill-creates-state-school-construction-aid-program-and-advisory-board-details-grants-eligibility-and-rulemaking-authority","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6238781-ce8c7a9f50c285c228fe5f0e3e86b732/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197306&Signature=TuCoQVHuZBmfhbiqWM-usoYXvPrHdOlp8bQwiXposWVczJ8eOqwnBM4-HZR555rGBI8OwB1-X-5MfR8rzlLF1hIuPJq8Tvb6rZ9NteZpSL9PhHGRits7aM~zE~oclduBIPuOXfEFQkhB3v1vpaxfFbWi52fgBLE7BhEFKptUnSm3lJ2VT0qk4ZrnJalV55vRYrD1CQIreWPs9N5-5RuHuSHaI-Zh5Fn1bF0uhvAeIGf~3KV-nA9s74d2xtlDx3U3umro8OUENM1rTwmxK0HYe4-DnYFzCQO1SudpL~9a-pG54SukYoDmb-7zUMchwQJPQEk6MKailyR7vLxjvgl5WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate counsel outlined a new state aid for school construction program to be administered by the Agency of Education (AOE) under H.454.

The bill creates a program within AOE and a standing school construction aid advisory board composed of the Treasurer, the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services, the executive director of the Vermont Municipal Bond Bank, the chair of the State Board of Education and four appointed members with relevant expertise. That advisory board would report back to the legislature by December of the next year with recommendations on handling debt obligations during consolidation.

The statute would establish the School Construction Aid Special Fund, made up of legislative appropriations, transfers from the supplemental district spending reserve, and interest earnings. AOE would award state aid for eligible school construction projects and grants to the facilities master grant program, pay administrative costs and emergency aid from that fund. The bill directs AOE to analyze applications using criteria that the agency would set by rule; the bill transfers some rulemaking authority from the State Board of Education to AOE for this program.

Under the draft language highlighted to the committee, a typical non-emergency award would cover 20% of eligible debt service costs for a project; eligible projects could receive additional bonus incentives up to another 20% through rulemaking, awarded annually rather than as a single lump-sum. Emergency aid could cover up to 30% of eligible project cost, subject to a maximum eligible project cost of $300,000 (committee discussion noted this produces an eligible emergency maximum of approximately $90,000 under the stated percentages). Applicants aggrieved by AOE decisions would be able to appeal to the Superior Court, and the fiscal text anticipates AOE will hire staff to administer the program.

Committee members asked about staffing and appropriations. The fiscal office estimated initial AOE staffing for the program and program administration would cost in the range of $450,000 in FY2026 absent a full position description; the bill includes an advisory-board per diem appropriation but leaves detailed staffing and funding for AOE to report back.

The committee added a series of reporting requirements elsewhere in H.454 that would require AOE to return to the legislature with details on staffing needs, guidance for field implementation during consolidation, and school-construction program design and priorities.","H.454 would establish a state aid for school construction program administered by the Agency of Education, create an advisory board, a school construction aid special fund, and specify eligible aid levels and appeals.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6238786,"Committee hears plan for legislative task force to redraw district maps, create transitional school boards",124,293000,417000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b&start=293&end=417","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b/thumbnail_293000.jpg","/articles/6238786/Vermont/Committee-hears-plan-for-legislative-task-force-to-redraw-district-maps-create-transitional-school-boards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6238786-ac33eb1d97059466664dd3fffc4482e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197306&Signature=BpETq7pe2JdQuvj6aQ9TuUYfmi6jAji2zwOke82HiEXQJKx4pcYYh-KlEMrmCFRlZBD1ifb8x8SYIj43kOo0TfMnArvpxbsvaeBrPmkQP~Im9XO0P26XyMpkBcQfZaI8oxQygjJ-vU1QaA5UAA5YUtuVk-RX9nC26kKVLFkmwajf~5nqdYlMgn6K-WG25gEBI~k6SDnZ9A~pTZtCIVzzCVLWTWUbo1Ae3JORMvQuOA659b2z6wMxank-Yc9RtL-hllHPOffuWUHVtnc-g0tQUV33tDuS0m7X1GCn5qMfNclYsZEkVdLT3BImNudibgFX4trYharJDD0ZI7zMSYJb~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate counsel described a new legislative school district boundary task force and a statutory framework for transitional school boards if the General Assembly enacts new districts in 2026.

The task force would be composed of legislators (members of the House and Senate), assisted by the Office of Legislative Counsel, the Joint Fiscal Office, legislative operations, the Agency of Digital Services/VCGI, and able to hire consultants. The task force must obtain public input and deliver a report and a proposed map by Dec. 15, 2025; the General Assembly would need to adopt new boundaries by Jan. 31, 2026, or the task force’s alternate merger proposal could be considered.

If new districts are created, on or before Jan. 1, 2027, the bill contemplates formation of transitional school boards composed of the chairs of forming districts as they existed on Dec. 31, 2026. Transitional boards would hire an initial superintendent, develop budgets and business processes, create wards for proportional representation, and prepare the district to operate on July 1, 2028. New elected boards would be seated after elections in March 2028, at which point the transitional boards would cease.

Legislative counsel said the task force would be entitled to per diem and compensation for up to 16 meetings and that Senate Finance added a $100,000 appropriation for consultant services to the Office of Legislative Counsel. Committee members expressed concern about timing: task force work would reach legislators in December and require a legislative decision by Jan. 31, leaving only a brief window for review.

The bill also contemplates a transition facilitation grant for newly formed districts equal to 5% of the base amount multiplied by the greater of combined enrollment or average daily membership on July 1, 2026, or $250,000, whichever is less; the language provides the formula but includes no appropriation for the grants.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the calendar and legislative review timeline; legislative counsel confirmed the submission and legislative action dates described above. The committee adopted an amendment that included the $100,000 consultant appropriation for the task force and approved the bill (see actions).","H.454 would establish a legislative school district boundary task force with consultant support and create transitional boards to stand up any newly created districts, including provisions for warding and March 2028 elections.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6238789,"Senate panel reviews overhaul of K-12 funding: new foundation formula, student weights and transition rules",2466,1222000,3688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b&start=1222&end=3688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346534-73bf956f354f924d5791d9f223232c3b/thumbnail_1222000.jpg","/articles/6238789/Vermont/Senate-panel-reviews-overhaul-of-K-12-funding-new-foundation-formula-student-weights-and-transition-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6238789-0dd8e01aace000ee4bed4d1cae6e2da2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197306&Signature=a-TWl5DdymEi88cnzCOx5f4-rPSBwUa36O8kF~XvEr~Iko~lHmYHMFf4atFoRKNmp2tfVyP~7ueAHvWZ8hEX1ds49wD-UPhdjbAicJ4wy35lkZGrykuljnU4R8eR0i2kqG6y9go6pANiljRvHc-eifYnFDM9wApGuzKiAcgLwwkPBGofpmxfU3UCxxr5hEHKkBI0e4ajiOJz9U0Gs9vis41LHnY5PbZM81iQdYyeRCbRfi-S~6GRD8RT-B1NKWJMK2CJJItoJwSxBBOyGDZMK59R3QuYT2-Fxh2dlRMluq94SsjKoiGf2rqFoRHYGUzutKrMqsy5Sw7KWtGxvyID-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Appropriations Committee on May 16 examined H.454, the education transformation bill, which would replace Vermont’s current education funding with a foundation-based model that multiplies a fixed base amount by a student-weighted count to determine each district’s Educational Opportunity Payment (EOP).

The proposal sets a base amount of $14,541 per student and creates additive weights for grade level, economic disadvantage, multiple English-language-proficiency tiers, newcomer status, small-school sparsity, and a contingent career-technical-education (CTE) weight. Under the measure, a district’s EOP would equal its weighted long-term membership multiplied by the base amount.

The change aims to make funding “follow the student,” John Ray, Office of Legislative Counsel, told the committee. He said the bill’s weighting rules are additive so a student could carry multiple weights (for example, grade-level plus English-learner and economic-disadvantage weights). Julie Richter of the Joint Fiscal Office noted the bill’s chosen base amount was calibrated so statewide payouts would be roughly consistent with fiscal 2025 spending.

A five-year transition would phase districts from their FY2025 spending to their calculated EOP. Committee discussion clarified the math: the “transition gap” equals the difference between a district’s FY2025 spending and its computed EOP; each year one-fifth of that gap is applied as an adjustment to smooth increases or decreases in funding.

H.454 would also create a separate local supplemental district spending (SDS) tax for voter-approved spending above the EOP. The bill caps SDS-eligible voted increases at 10% of the product of the base amount and the district’s unweighted long-term membership and requires an equalization mechanism so districts raise the same amount at a uniform notional rate. Money raised in excess of the voted amount through the equalization process would be recaptured into a statewide SDS reserve, first to fix mathematical errors and then to transfer to a school construction aid special fund.

Committee members raised practical and timing concerns. Several senators asked whether implementing this model without finalized school-district boundary maps could yield large, uneven tax effects across communities. Ray confirmed the bill’s rollout is agnostic to whether the legislature enacts new district boundaries and warned districts and voters would need to build budgets quickly to meet a proposed FY2028 rollout.

The committee also discussed legal and analytical risks. A procurement of empirically supported weights and documentation was flagged as defensible if the new formula were challenged in court; staff said using weights grounded in empirical studies reduces legal risk.

The committee adopted a technical amendment adding implementation and appropriation items and later moved the bill out of committee for further consideration. The recorded roll call (see actions array) reflects that motion.

What’s next: the bill would proceed to the Senate floor and carries several contingent and rulemaking elements — for example, AOE rulemaking authority for school-construction aid priorities and appeals — that will shape the final distribution of funds and local tax impacts.","Senate Appropriations staff walked the committee through H.454’s proposed shift to a foundation formula that replaces the current education payment system with a base amount multiplied by student weights, a five-year funding transition, and a new local supplemental spending tax with an equalization mechanism.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee adds implementation funding and staff positions to education bill; $4M transition package discussed

Senate finance language proposes homestead exemption to replace statewide property tax credit

Bill creates state school construction aid program and advisory board; details grants, eligibility and rulemaking authority

Committee hears plan for legislative task force to redraw district maps, create transitional school boards

Senate panel reviews overhaul of K-12 funding: new foundation formula, student weights and transition rules