State education chief tells House panel draft Act 73 map aims to balance quality, equity and cost

Zoe Saunders, Vermont’s secretary of education, told the House Education Committee on Feb. 12 that the committee’s draft redistricting map is intended as a starting point for discussion and is designed to help the state meet the quality goals set out in Act 73.

"I want to start by commending the committee for your courageous leadership in advancing a map," Saunders said, adding the Agency of Education would provide guiding principles rather than make line‑by‑line suggestions. She said the Agency’s role is to ensure the state delivers a "substantially equal education" across communities under federal and state accountability rules.

Saunders framed the discussion around three policy levers—funding, governance and education quality—and argued district size matters because the new foundation funding formula assumes larger, more efficient districts. Citing prior studies, she said the Agency adapted research for Vermont and noted a 2024 PICUS Automated Associates analysis that identified efficiency gains near a 3,900‑student district…