Vermont education groups press Ways & Means for predictable, equitable funding as foundation formula debated

Summary

Representatives of the Vermont School Boards Association and Public Assets urged Ways & Means lawmakers to design any move to a foundation funding formula so it preserves predictability for districts, targets tax relief to low- and moderate-income households, and addresses major cost drivers such as employee health care and student mental health.

Good morning. I'm Sue Szyglowski, Executive Director for the Vermont School Boards Association. Thank you very much for the opportunity to testify this morning, she told the House Ways & Means Committee as she opened testimony on an education funding redesign.

The Vermont School Boards Association and the advocacy group Public Assets told the committee that the state should move cautiously toward a foundation funding model for schools and align any tax changes to measures of ability to pay and predictable, timely data reporting.

The Nut Graf: Sue Szyglowski and Steph Huey said a new “education opportunity payment” or foundation amount should be set on a baseline that reflects current district needs, include a reliable annual inflator, and be accompanied by data, modeling and a multi-year transition so districts and taxpayers can adjust. They urged rules ensuring private schools that receive public tuition meet the same accountability standards as public districts and pressed the Legislature to address major cost drivers —…

Vermont education groups press Ways & Means for predictable, equitable funding as foundation formula debated

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading