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EdWatch Vermont urges Act 73 changes to restore independent schools and let funding follow students
Summary
EdWatch Vermont co-directors told the House Education Committee that Act 73 should be revised to restore previously eligible independent schools and shift to student-centered funding so dollars "follow the child," citing chronic absenteeism, local cases in Danville, and capacity concerns at popular academies and CTEs.
Retta Dunlap, co-director of EdWatch Vermont, told the House Education Committee on Feb. 13 that Vermont’s education system is failing too many students and urged lawmakers to revise Act 73 to restore independent-school eligibility and move to a student-centered funding model.
"Put the student at the center, let funding follow the child, and give parents power to choose," Dunlap said, framing a proposal in which the state sets a per-student amount while schools operate within that allocation. She argued that funding should be "simple and transparent" and that the State Board of Education should oversee structure and finance while the Agency of Education administers the program.
Dunlap cited statewide indicators she said show systemic problems: "Chronic absenteeism in Vermont is about 30 percent," she said, and described students…
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