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Principals association presses for equitable funding, PCB remediation and guidance on cell phone and vaping policies
Summary
The Vermont Principals Association asked the committee for nuanced funding formula changes, equitable rules for publicly funded private providers, full ADM for full‑day pre‑K programs, and robust support for PCB testing and remediation. The group also urged lawmakers to consider policies on student cell phone use and vaping in schools.
Dr. Jay Nichols, executive director of the Vermont Principals Association, told the House Education Committee that principals serve as instructional leaders and that the association’s priorities center on equitable funding and strong supports for school leaders.
"Principals are much more involved in instruction," Nichols said, summarizing recent research on school leadership and describing the VPA’s mentoring and professional learning programs. He said the VPA has a 15‑member governing board and that the association provides mentoring for new principals and other professional development.
On funding, Nichols urged a nuanced approach to the foundation formula and attention to cost drivers districts cannot control, such as health‑insurance costs. He urged that public dollars routed to private or early‑childhood providers carry the same accountability and quality requirements as public schools when the funds come from the education fund.
The VPA asked the committee to allow full average daily membership (ADM) funding for full‑day, full‑year pre‑K programs run by school districts, citing local examples. The VPA also asked the legislature to fully fund the PCB testing and remediation program and said principals are seeing operational disruptions at schools identified with elevated PCB levels.
Principals raised two student‑behavior policy topics for legislative consideration: vaping and cell phones. On vaping, Nichols described it as a crisis in some schools and said principals are installing detectors and managing classroom disruption. On cell phones, he said a bell‑to‑bell ban would create enforcement time costs and require accommodations for students with medical or 504 needs; the VPA supports policy that provides clarity while preserving necessary exemptions.
Why it matters: Principals oversee day‑to‑day school operations and implementation of programs. Facility safety issues (PCBs) and operational rules (cell phones, vaping) affect daily learning conditions and staff workloads.
No votes or formal committee actions were recorded during the presentation; presenters offered to provide follow‑up testimony and school‑level examples.
