Vermont education commission asks legislature to clarify role as lawmakers weigh governor's proposal

Meghan Roy, chair of the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont and coordinator of the School Leadership Program at St. Michael's College, told the Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 23 that the commission has produced preliminary findings and short‑term cost‑containment options and now needs legislative direction to be most useful.

Roy said the commission was convened after Act 183 and tasked with studying statewide education provision and making recommendations for “an efficient, sustainable, and stable education system.” She told senators the panel has concentrated its work on three intersecting policy areas: education finance, education governance and administration, and resources and service delivery.

"To some extent, the ground is shifting underneath the work of the commission," Roy said, adding that the commission must decide whether to generate independent recommendations or focus on vetting and reacting to proposals that the Legislature or administration put forward. The commission submitted a status update in December and must deliver a final report, including proposed legislative language, in December 2025.

The commission, Roy said, began meeting July 15 and organized into subcommittees including a statutorily defined Education Finance Subcommittee and a communication and engagement subcommittee. She described a recent decision to suspend routine subcommittee meetings and hold two full commission meetings per month because the subject matter is highly interconnected. The commission has met in four counties so far and is required by law to hold meetings in every county.

Roy described a set of guiding principles the commission is using to evaluate options, including centering equity (which the commission said should be differentiated by student need), protecting quality consistent with State Board rules, and aiming for sustainability and affordability. She said the panel has relied heavily on data from the Agency of Education but that some data gaps remain, which has complicated the commission's ability to move from brainstorming to viable recommendations.

To strengthen public engagement, the commission has contracted with an engagement consultant, Affton Partners, and expects the consultant to begin work at the commission's Feb. 3 meeting. Roy said the commission intends to use that capacity to conduct focused public input on specific ideas once proposals are more developed.

Roy urged the Legislature to clarify the committee's role. "If the Legislature still thinks this body is important to react to any proposal... we will prioritize and we will also be responsive to priorities given to us," she said. She added that without an explicit endorsement or redefinition from lawmakers, the commission risks doing work that duplicates parallel efforts or that the Legislature will not use.

Members of the committee and other legislators asked whether the commission should continue, be paused or be disbanded while the Legislature considers and develops its own proposals. Roy said commission members generally favor the panel continuing but acknowledged that the Legislature may choose to modify or end the commission's work. She said the commission wants an explicit signal from the Legislature that its analysis and public engagement is valued and will be used in the policymaking process.

Next steps: the commission will hear from the engagement consultant on Feb. 3, refine a prioritized work plan for February–December 2025, and identify data gaps and questions it needs the Legislature or state agencies to answer. The commission's final report and recommended legislative language remain due in December 2025 under existing law.

Why it matters: Lawmakers said during the hearing that the governor's education proposal put large, complex changes on the table and that a clear role for the commission — either as a generative body producing recommendations or as a public‑engagement and vetting mechanism — would help the Legislature and stakeholders avoid duplication and ensure public comment informs any changes to Vermont's education system.