Vermont education leaders outline funding formula, five‑district plan and next steps for governor’s overhaul

Secretary of Education Zoe Saunders told a joint hearing of the Vermont House Education Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee that the governor’s education transformation proposal centers on a new foundation funding formula, changes to school governance that would move the state toward five districts, and targeted investments in student supports and teacher pay.

“This proposal is really at its core about education quality,” Saunders said, and she added the plan pairs that focus with a funding approach intended to be “fair, and more transparent, and predictable.” The Agency of Education (AOE) expects to publish a comprehensive report on the base funding amount, included categorical aid and modeling next week and to circulate draft legislative language the week of Feb. 3, Saunders told lawmakers.

The nut of the proposal, as Saunders described it, is a foundation formula that includes a generous base amount plus additional weights for students with higher needs — for example, students in poverty and English‑language learners — and explicit funding to expand early childhood education, after‑school and summer programs, career and technical pathways, music and arts, and school‑based mental health services. Saunders said the model was adjusted for Vermont with consultant…