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Lawmakers hear educators and boards urge caution on Act 73, emphasize health-care costs and careful implementation
Summary
At a joint House–Senate Education Committee hearing, the Vermont NEA, Vermont School Boards Association, and Vermont Principals Association endorsed parts of the redistricting task force report but warned against rushed, mandatory district mergers, urged reforms to statewide health benefits, and pressed for detailed cost modeling and funding for school construction.
Montpelier — At a joint hearing of the House and Senate Education Committees, three major education stakeholders urged lawmakers to slow down changes under Act 73, prioritize health‑care cost containment and school construction funding, and favor voluntary, evidence‑based district reconfiguration over fast, state‑mandated mergers.
Jeff Bannon, executive director of the Vermont NEA, told the committees the task force’s approach to voluntary, incentivized consolidation and recommendations for five cooperative education service regions (CESAs) are reasonable and could expand career and technical education and reduce duplicative services. "The task force took a measured approach," Bannon said, adding the proposal for larger regional high schools should remain voluntary and tied to construction aid.
Bannon also said NEA supports moving toward an income‑tax approach to fund education that would eliminate the residential property tax; nonresidential property taxes would remain. He highlighted health‑care reforms already enacted, citing Act 68’s reference‑based pricing and the…
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