Appropriations Committee reviews education budget; adult‑ed formula, small‑school grants and UVM funding flagged for follow-up

The Appropriations Committee met April 4 to review education and higher‑education budget items, discussing unresolved technical changes to the adult education funding formula, the future of small‑school merger support grants, English‑learner weighting, a House proposal to restore $18.5 million for universal school meals and a governor‑recommended 3% increase for the University of Vermont.

Committee member 1, an Appropriations Committee member, said the panel would “leave it open” on a line (s.117) where the committee had allocated money and would follow up to clarify whether a proposed staff position belonged to the board or the department. He also described a conflict between the Agency of Education’s predictive formula and the formula used by some stakeholders, saying it had left at least one adult basic education provider with a “significant deficit” (noted as roughly $80,000 in the transcript).

Why it matters: the committee’s decisions will shape per‑pupil funding weights, small‑school subsidies and one‑time higher‑education allocations that affect school districts, adult learners and state colleges across Vermont.

Most important details

- Adult education formula: Committee discussion centered on a change to the funding formula adopted last…