House Education hears recommendation to add $80,000 county base, split remaining adult‑education funds 85/15

Nick Kramer, chief operating officer at the Agency of Administration, told the House Education Committee on Feb. 5 that a neutral stakeholder process had produced a compromise recommendation for how Vermont should distribute state adult education funds.

Kramer said the report — prepared after five stakeholder meetings — recommends an $80,000 base payment for each of Vermont’s 14 counties and that the remaining state funds be distributed 85% on the basis of a rolling two‑year average of students served (diagnostic‑tested enrollees) and 15% on student contact hours. "We are recommending an allocation that has an $80,000 base payment ... and that that remaining funding be distributed 85% on the basis of the student count and then 15% based on student hours," he said.

Why it matters: the committee convened the review after a statutory change and long‑standing State Board of Education rules produced large differences in per‑student funding across counties. Stakeholders and staff said the mismatch caused precipitous funding declines for some incumbent providers under a straight per‑student allocation, prompting the FY26 budget compromise that averaged the two approaches.

What stakeholders told the committee: three incumbent providers — Vermont Adult Learning (VAL), Central Vermont Adult Education (CVAE) and the Tutorial Center — argued that remaining funds should be allocated solely on student counts, a method already reflected in statute and the grants process. Tara Brooks, executive director of Vermont Adult Learning, testified that Vermont’s adult education work is proficiency‑based and "proficiency based does not see time," arguing that introducing a seat‑time metric would incentivize counting hours rather than measuring skill gains.

Catherine Clausard of Central Vermont Adult Education described returning students and the instability many learners face, saying a simple student‑count approach (paired with the county base) is the fairest and most transparent method for ensuring statewide access.

A different view: Northeast Kingdom Learning Services, geographically concentrated in a higher‑cost region, recommended that the allocation include contact hours to reflect higher fixed costs and higher‑touch services for some learners. Kramer said the stakeholder conversations produced valid arguments on both sides but no single consensus formula.

Federal and administrative constraints: Kramer noted adult education is also supported by federal funds under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which requires competitive grants and reporting metrics; that federal role limits how much the state can redesign program rules in isolation. He said the Agency of Education recommended more study to see how adult education fits within broader education transformation and to monitor uncertain federal funding.

The agency’s administrative recommendation: the report does not propose moving administration of adult education grants out of the Agency of Education; the Department of Labor was identified as the next logical alternative but the report favored leaving administration with the Agency of Education.

Next steps: committee leaders said they will meet with the chairs of Commerce and Appropriations to consider statutory language and options. No formal legislative action or vote occurred at the hearing.

Details and context: stakeholders met five times in 2025; the parties discussed a range of scenarios (including prior SBE rule outcomes and interim FY26 compromise allocations). The agency estimated the state pot at roughly $6 million (state funds) plus smaller federal amounts; the recommended $80,000 county base was presented as necessary to cover fixed administrative costs and ensure a statewide presence. Kramer explained that student counts are defined in statute as a rolling two‑year average of diagnostic testing completions, and federal reporting also relies on student contact thresholds (the federal measures referenced included 12‑ and 40‑hour reporting milestones).