Ways & Means chair frames three-part review of education finance, urges structured reading and outreach

Committee chair opened a Ways & Means Committee meeting by asking members to treat the session as a planning conversation about how the panel will handle an influx of reports and proposals on education finance.

"I want to sort of talk about the buckets of the work that I see in front of us," the Committee chair said, and framed three main areas: how money gets into the education fund (property taxes, grand lists and tax credits); how money gets from the education fund to districts (whether a foundation formula or another distribution method); and the personal income tax base and related credits.

The chair told members the administration has circulated only a rough outline so far and that the committee will receive more detailed legislative language and modeling in the coming days. The chair said committee staff will try to label which "bucket" the committee is addressing…