[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-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",6224776,"mediaKeyId","3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6","parentId",3549010,"title","H.454 includes JFO cost‑factor contract and a school‑redistricting task force; members question scope and budget","audioSeconds",247,"startMs",1108000,"endMs",1355000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6&start=1108&end=1355","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6/thumbnail_1108000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6224776/Vermont/H454-includes-JFO-costfactor-contract-and-a-schoolredistricting-task-force-members-question-scope-and-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224776-231c27cb439a99f8fb0b890a356c3e07/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094092&Signature=dai8-cJnbAJBmls40sM~dpXQKrLGaehQzDMi05FPsC9wRybcW4nyxXhCcWXddYtdVJpeig4qH1DD0TIwjVsnDb98Xv8KXvH0ZKf3XDi7Biiq4v1RULwm9NIoG3qqX62pdaC0bbvZH~rArAtk2L4m7GfJdPVieGgmxoPdnkM12SpD7xvmZd2hsrDhaYhcljOzEbMdN1~utCAZGFU-HbilGsX3QfdSDRufJwAhH5aDApL9FF4FWNLRY1jer8QKltU6Q5DWMIZke4Q1Zv-GE-5WHW2lJN4TLGVDC24UX84KOkImfoNawcBAIubylo72JfcbHVnIiIDiEafWGmPUHX0yZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-28T15:39:00.157Z","article","Senate amendments to H.454 direct new studies, contracting and transitional structures to support the foundation formula rollout.

The bill requires the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) to contract with a consultant experienced in Vermont education funding to develop a cost‑factor foundation formula that would include tiered weights for career‑technical education, English learners and special education, recommend geographic measures for sparsity (including assessment of ZIP‑code usage) and document the analysis behind recommended weights. The contract amount for that work was listed at $150,000 in the Senate language; committee members questioned whether that amount is sufficient compared with prior cost‑factor work and asked for clarity on scope and methodology.

Julia Richter told the committee the fiscal note appropriates $150,000 to JFO for the contract and identified additional appropriations elsewhere: a corrected $2,637,500 one‑time general fund appropriation to the Agency of Education for contracted services; $4,000,000 for AOE transformation in the Senate version; and $100,000 appropriated for a school‑district redistricting consultant for the state‑run redistricting task force.

The bill also creates an 11‑member school district redistricting task force, chaired by the Vermont School Boards Association and including the superintendent association, VCGI, education data experts and others, to propose district boundaries and implementation steps; JFO and other staff said the task force would convene up to eight meetings and carry a $100,000 appropriation for consultant work. The Senate language further contemplates transitional school boards and facilitation grants to help districts consolidate or reorganize; committee members asked why transitional boards had no explicit appropriation in the bill and where facilitation funds would be drawn from.

Several members questioned the adequacy of a $150,000 contract to do a full cost‑factor analysis, noting prior multi‑year exercises and professional‑judgment panels historically have cost more. Members also expressed concern about timing; the JFO deliverable for the cost‑factor report was scheduled for December 1, 2026, giving the contractor about one and a half years to complete a wide scope of analysis.

Why it matters: the contractor report and the redistricting work will shape how sparsity, CTE and other weights operate in practice and determine which districts and schools receive support. Members indicated they expect additional detail, a clear methodology and more expansive stakeholder engagement before adopting final policy changes.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Ways and Means 2025-05-27 1:08PM","oneSentenceSummary","H.454 tasks JFO with a $150,000 contract to develop a cost‑factor foundation formula and funds an 11‑member school district redistricting task force with consultant money; lawmakers questioned whether the funding and timeline are adequate for the work required.","taxTitle","Ways & Means, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",35157,"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},6224786,"Senate homestead exemption replaces property tax credit; JFO modeling shows targeted benefit at low incomes",214,2778000,2992000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6&start=2778&end=2992","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6/thumbnail_2778000.jpg","/articles/6224786/Vermont/Senate-homestead-exemption-replaces-property-tax-credit-JFO-modeling-shows-targeted-benefit-at-low-incomes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224786-649c5dd223d8be74098d55c1c0214b51/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094092&Signature=FmWvE9ZBW1OGNh9dKSz6yYc9uI6qpecqzaSmwVvomF53SaQxKTSUjF-RzUIsDEKPnJ9-BL2tyOjC7FBRnXpGqX~qKeaTv3PJ8-0~Wqx5ibNFrcHwjrdJGgVkc85Eor7TixC4RuDF3yeNn3hkbxliYgLSReG-lXzE7fMnlw3IySyPP1HTks-ZhWAeJks8fmxnhwQRSqdknvDilnDZqYXBYIzuxMZNyKNuAQeTQRutIfy46bLEOkVlio4GgSWK6haFL04unwBP7LynE~qjFEI8EDnMtcJErTXGkrfMPLIY-irZC3aNgJ6NUZ4f1DBFGBTUfhh5MMF0mAXvYqZel8cDCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate amendment to H.454 would repeal the statewide property tax credit (PTC) and create a new homestead property tax exemption with income brackets, phased exemption percentages and caps on the house‑site value eligible for exemption.

Julia Richter of the Joint Fiscal Office reviewed fiscal modeling for the committee and flagged a correction in a fiscal‑note table: “It should be 2,637,500 to AOE for contracted services,” she said, noting staff corrected a scrivener’s error in an earlier printout.

Under the Senate amendment, eligibility would be limited to claimants who own a homestead April 1 and have household income at or below $100,000, with a sliding scale of exemption percentages by income and two house‑site value caps used in parallel tables (one capped at $425,000, another at $400,000) to concentrate benefits at lower incomes and lower property values. The Senate structure keeps claimants eligible even if their house‑site value is above the cap, but the exemption only applies to the capped portion of value (for example, the first $425,000).

JFO modeled the proposal under the working assumption that the transition would not add net cost to the Education Fund beyond current law. Under that assumption the Senate design returned a fiscal outcome close to the existing credit in FY 2025 (about $1.6 million less than the current credit in JFO’s scenario). Richter cautioned that those results depend on the fiscal assumption: if the exemption’s net cost is covered within the Education Fund rather than from another source, the distributional impacts and the magnitude of bill‑level effects would change.

Committee members asked how the Senate proposal compared with the House plan. Richter said the House approach cost more under the same assumptions and that the Senate design intentionally concentrated reductions in tax burden among lower‑income and lower‑value households (the “top‑left” of JFO’s impact matrix). Several members asked for side‑by‑side comparisons and for more sensitivity analysis on how raising or lowering the assumed offset funds would change the distribution of benefits.

Why it matters: replacing the PTC with an exemption changes eligibility mechanics and how benefits scale as property values and incomes change. The committee heard the fiscal modeling under specific funding assumptions and requested additional scenarios to show how tax rates and the exemption interact if the Education Fund must absorb any incremental cost.

","The Senate amendment to H.454 would repeal the statewide property tax credit and create a new income‑sensitive homestead exemption with brackets, percentage exemptions and house‑site value caps; JFO modeling shows the Senate design concentrates benefits at lower incomes and values under current funding assumptions.",{"_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},6224791,"Senate amendments to H.454 change sparsity test, add phased move to educational opportunity payment",479,201000,680000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6&start=201&end=680","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6/thumbnail_201000.jpg","/articles/6224791/Vermont/Senate-amendments-to-H454-change-sparsity-test-add-phased-move-to-educational-opportunity-payment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224791-6a98b83363f75faa466c23261c28ac47/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094092&Signature=bRVvSqM2A5vcVaPQQrpxf~KmWUHPsCyYddpqpZ3wj6ZXz-i3OuIrKeOED-5zzakab8isuuJ~aRywE8Kt9HX5DNWoSSD4kaTPCd7oTd5zDWzYGaE7xzd8nC4KQmYGOK7P27G3C10456vPKL1sSZA2iDxQzqLyAx4bGpKlyKzLtt39o2wWLijdEeX2uq5oeJFm8PC4hIyUpQdgF7-AUYIPABe2aV0IMWlBeMOeSUt5-8WdSxTi8oBczfgtE3Wd0nqfQ-3ENsOlniZYGP6dx7uScHgvEL8EuU-vLeQswlFIIi63zl4umDKF2yJ5kBi~zuNLs-5i0rOfcoCbqpF1RiXmcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Ways & Means committee on the Senate side reviewed the Senate proposal to amend H.454, the bill that would restructure Vermont’s K‑12 education funding. The discussion covered the foundation formula base amount, changes to sparsity and small‑school support grants, and a five‑year phase‑in to an educational opportunity payment (EOP).

John Bray, Legislative Council staff, said the proposal preserves the base amount in the foundation formula and the core pupil weights. “The base amount is 15,033,” Bray said, and he described the EOP definition and the role of statutory weights for special education, English learners and career‑technical education.

The Senate amendment changes how sparsity is measured. Under existing law and the House‑passed bill, sparsity was assessed at the school‑district level. The Senate amendment assesses sparsity at the ZIP‑code level: a “sparse area” is a ZIP code whose population density is fewer than 55 persons per square mile on the July 1 determination date. A “sparse school” is a school located within such a ZIP code. The legislation retains the same per‑pupil support figure for sparse schools: $19.54 multiplied by the two‑year average enrollment for each sparse school.

Committee members and staff noted practical and data questions about the ZIP‑code approach. Julia Richter of the Joint Fiscal Office told members the Vermont Center for Geographic Information (VCGI) director indicated the ZIP‑code construct is defined by postal delivery points and that VCGI could not immediately calculate sparsity by ZIP code without further work. Representatives asked whether town or census geography might provide a more reliable measure.

The bill sets a five‑year transition to the EOP. Under the Senate amendment, each district’s transition gap is the difference between a district’s FY 2028 education spending and the district’s calculated EOP; each year the district’s gap would be reduced by 20 percent until the district reaches its EOP in fiscal 2034 (the legislation lists FY 2034 as the target). Committee members pressed staff on whether the transition gap should be recalculated annually or fixed at the start of the phase‑in; staff explained the approach in the Senate language recalculates elements annually to reduce forecasting error but that the mechanism carries tradeoffs between predictability and accuracy.

Members also discussed how small‑school support and the “small by necessity” designation would interact with the sparsity grant, and whether a school could receive a small‑school grant but not a sparse‑school grant depending on the state‑board determinations and ZIP‑code sparsity mapping. Staff emphasized that the state board would still determine whether a school is “small by necessity” for the separate small‑school support grant.

The Senate amendment also tasks the Joint Fiscal Office to contract for a cost‑factor foundation study to recommend tiered weights (including for career‑technical education), and to evaluate geographic measures for sparsity; that contract and report were discussed separately.

Why it matters: the amendments change who qualifies for sparsity aid and how quickly districts move to the new EOP funding model. Staff flagged analytic and implementation work needed to translate ZIP‑code sparsity into actionable grant allocations, and committee members repeatedly noted uncertainty about district consolidation and boundary changes that would affect eligibility and fiscal outcomes.

The committee did not adopt final language in this meeting; members voted later in the session to recommend sending H.454 to a committee of conference so negotiators from both chambers can resolve differences.

","Senate changes to H.454 move sparsity determinations from district to ZIP-code level, preserve base funding and weights, and set a five‑year phase‑in toward an educational opportunity payment with 20% annual adjustments; members discussed modeling, implementation and uncertainty ahead of a potential conference committee.",{"_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},6224781,"H.454 strips property tax classifications; bill sets new homestead/non‑homestead rates and a tax‑rate transition",504,1872000,2376000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6&start=1872&end=2376","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6/thumbnail_1872000.jpg","/articles/6224781/Vermont/H454-strips-property-tax-classifications-bill-sets-new-homesteadnonhomestead-rates-and-a-taxrate-transition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224781-b62d95a87274564f926a502cec5af25f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094092&Signature=N6UeSjuvGH9GhUt1DCXaVOBgzPchwK79LpPiOyaVF5lLUC67Sr6UeacQtm7sPPQEKZ~ieRcoxOmn6sN9OIG7ZW-N6OloU93Xh4mtpy8yVsCqRH5GfouxNoqJylVWXkfLdWGgzRcXWCENMGQfglMHnUdgVeeu073KP3ynoTS0p8U3nmjOo6-Ij0prFDbXEryyCwj921pgoz0LLgL8iilZex3BP0CrNXp6XLVNY1L5kQ4XY5cSXi~uMof2UYblIaDUWxAVAtt9hsYOnvWSrd-sWRhdezrmfZJn58mnnhToWjAvAUvOVcpmutPvXSyuZ1uBG3QnDvXnNtrAEJ7QutZv9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ways & Means discussion on H.454 included a substantive change to property‑tax mechanics: the Senate amendment removes the previous multi‑classification system and instead calls for a uniform homestead education tax rate and a uniform non‑homestead rate set annually by statute.

Staff explained the December 1 letter would change accordingly: instead of recommending a single statewide rate multiplied by classification factors, the Department of Taxes and the Agency of Education would recommend separate homestead and non‑homestead rates in the December letter.

The bill adds a tax‑rate transition to smooth changes in local homestead rates. Committee staff described the transition gap as the difference between a district’s FY 2029 homestead property tax rate and the homestead rate that would apply in FY 2030 if the new foundation formula were applied immediately without transition. Under the Senate amendment, that gap would be phased by 20 percent per year over four transition years (with a fifth year completing the move), producing cent‑level discounts or penalties to each district’s uniform homestead rate during the transition. Because the transition grants or discounts change net collections, staff explained the statewide homestead rate would then be recalculated to ensure taxes raised are sufficient to cover Education Fund expenditures while the transition is in effect.

The amendment also reassigns some administrative calculations to the Secretary of Education where the House version had assigned them to the Commissioner of Taxes; the Senate language reverted several determinations to existing law and clarified that the Secretary of Education would calculate net homestead and non‑homestead payments in specified sections.

Why it matters: changing classification structure alters which property types carry the tax burden and how that burden shifts across homestead owners, non‑homestead owners and commercial property. The transition mechanism aims to reduce abrupt rate changes for homeowners but adds complexity and depends on future district boundaries and final revenue assumptions.

","The Senate amendment removes multi‑class property tax factors and instead provides for a uniform homestead rate and a uniform non‑homestead rate, plus a transition mechanism that gives district‑level cent‑discounts or penalties over five years to smooth the move to new tax rates.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6224774,"Ways & Means committee votes 10‑0‑1 to recommend H.454 go to committee of conference",0,4470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6&start=4470&end=4470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549010-a491502b88eda5ba32f38a7900922fe6/thumbnail_4470000.jpg","/articles/6224774/Vermont/Ways-Means-committee-votes-1001-to-recommend-H454-go-to-committee-of-conference","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224774-7483719d6d0b8e9ae5f06605bf7c59d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094092&Signature=F2-5CcZAjJNkRZKBNtR5V4SZ1Tg7KPb~evSSr7lpGL6KP1FFjusx12fG-FVs~1cGuEsLVLzdDNyYWca9e5RweOfV24ig9OxM7WSPRNaaGuI67zeBUGy~ogcgrJww~bOEoqus8jLU1VYKB5v06EGLI3s2OSPJc1F~C3CvOwjt2cMpExa2l~YA1n4nlAoKzBL8dkxeFX8RwSQpYAmxmHpkzvu9U~h~72e2hmucr3phtRjaKeFP-7WUFQjg9GzB7V645NbA2zpTksRaJiH7VefOplbKRTUXZ7eRRxk2tTNH32ToHQjwrLWsrUi8Uo9d0CflTGxHrsRGQLL8n5HUsTCMgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Following the briefing and discussion of the Senate proposal of amendment to H.454, the Ways & Means committee took a procedural vote on whether to recommend appointing members to a committee of conference that would negotiate differences between the House and Senate versions.

The committee recorded a 10‑0‑1 vote recommending a committee of conference. The committee chair called the roll; members announced their votes on the record. The committee recorded one absence: Representative Hudgley.

The recommendation does not change statutory text; it authorizes the committee to name negotiators and begin conference work between the two chambers. Committee leadership said members would continue to review House Education committee hearings and asked staff to prepare materials for members expected to serve in conference.

","After reviewing the Senate amendments to H.454, the Ways & Means committee voted 10‑0‑1 to recommend a committee of conference to resolve House and Senate differences; Representative Hudgley was recorded absent.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

H.454 includes JFO cost‑factor contract and a school‑redistricting task force; members question scope and budget

Senate homestead exemption replaces property tax credit; JFO modeling shows targeted benefit at low incomes

Senate amendments to H.454 change sparsity test, add phased move to educational opportunity payment

H.454 strips property tax classifications; bill sets new homestead/non‑homestead rates and a tax‑rate transition

Ways & Means committee votes 10‑0‑1 to recommend H.454 go to committee of conference