Conferees debate Senate proposal to let districts vote percentage of new school foundation amount

Members of the conference committee on education reviewed a Senate conferee proposal May 30 that would change Vermont’s school funding structure by establishing a new “foundation amount,” allowing each school district’s voters to set an “approved percentage” of that amount, and shifting how tuition and special-education costs follow students.

“This is the senate conferee’s, proposal to the education, policy sections,” said Sean, legislative counsel for the Senate conferees, as he opened a line‑by‑line presentation of changes drawn against House Draft 4.1. The draft would use a new base amount — $14,541 as reflected in the Senate Finance inputs — multiplied by district weighted membership to calculate a foundation amount, and then multiply that by a locally chosen “approved percentage” to produce the district’s Educational Opportunity Payment (EOP).

Why it matters: the change would move a portion of control over school revenue levels from a single statewide calculation into the hands of local voters, potentially lowering or preserving local property tax liabilities depending on each district’s choice. Committee members and staff repeatedly flagged uncertain interactions with existing special-education funding, ballot timing, and how nonoperating (tuitioning) districts would be treated.

Key elements of the draft and committee discussion

- Approved percentage and EOP: The proposal would let each operating district’s voters select an approved percentage of its foundation amount; the conferee draft shows an approved‑percentage range intended to be between 90% and 100% in steady state, with a phased transition beginning in fiscal 2029. Under the draft, a district’s EOP equals its foundation amount multiplied by the approved percentage. As the legislative counsel summarized, the approved percentage “gives you that, say, 90% of your — in the house proposal that would be called the EOP.”

- Transiti…