Slate Valley superintendent tells committees federal grant uncertainty forced contingent contracts and threatens core services

Brooke Perfogle, identified in testimony as superintendent of Slate Valley, told a joint hearing of Vermont’s Senate and House education committees on March 13 that federal funding uncertainty has immediate local consequences: the district received about $2.7 million in federal funds that pay for interventionists, school psychologists and several central‑office positions, and the school board instructed the superintendent to make grant funding a contingency in staff contracts.

"We get about $2,700,000 in federal funds, and those funds fund every academic interventionist that we have. They fund all of our school psychologists," the superintendent said, describing cuts in a recent local budget vote that required the district to reduce its spending by approximately $500,000 and placing the district among the lower‑spending districts in the state.

The nut graf: Slate Valley leaders said losing federal funds would imperil the district’s ability to meet Multi‑Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and special‑education obligations and could force layoffs or elimination of services, amplifying the practical consequences of the federal uncertainty described earlier by the Agency of Education.

Perfogle said the district’s MTSS and ability to meet individualized education program (IEP) requirements rely heavily on federal grant positions. Because school governance and staffing decisions typically occur on the local calendar, the district moved quickly to make contracts contingent on grant renewals. "I met with 20 teachers today and let them know that due to the uncertainty at the federal level ... they all received contracts today with that in it," Perfogle said.

Chelsea Myers, executive director of the Vermont Superintendents Association, told the committees she is hearing widespread anxiety from school leaders about executive orders, federal portals for complaints and potential federal budget reductions; she urged clear state guidance and a statewide plan to respond to any funding cuts. "The thing they likened it to was when we first got into the pandemic," Myers said, describing the type and pace of communication school leaders want.

Myers also referenced possible federal proposals that would restructure or cut Title programs and expand voucher‑style tax credit proposals; she warned that cuts to Title I would disproportionately affect districts with higher poverty rates.

Why this matters: for districts like Slate Valley, federal grants are not peripheral extras but fund core instructional and support staff. Sudden losses or delays in those funds could affect service delivery to students with disabilities and students facing academic or behavioral challenges.

Ending: District leaders asked lawmakers to prioritize clear, consistent communication and to consider a statewide approach to mitigate the unequal effects of any federal funding reductions on high‑poverty districts.