Dear SBSD Community,
Governor Scott’s plans for education reform have resulted in a new bill, H.454, an act relating to transforming Vermont’s education governance, quality, and finance systems. Today marks the second reading of this bill in the Senate. As it has received favorable support from the House and Senate, it is imperative to learn more about what this bill will mean for school districts throughout the state and specifically, South Burlington.
Although reform is needed, we must determine a sustainable and equitable approach to education funding. The current version of the bill proposes changing the way schools are funded. The state’s Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) published an initial impact analysis in mid-February that indicated a negative impact of $4.8 million for SBSD based on the House’s initial proposal and metrics available at that time. The current Senate proposal has made significant changes to the House bill and the JFO has not published a revised district-level impact analysis. They specifically state on page 9 of their May 12th Fiscal Note that: “The fiscal impact of this section is unclear for multiple reasons, including data limitations and outstanding policy decisions. Future district configurations are still to be determined, and educational opportunity payments would be calculated based on district-specific parameters.” While we are still confident that the final bill will have a negative impact on SBSD’s education funding allocation, we felt it was premature to estimate what that impact would specifically be until the JFO publishes that information.
Further, the bill does not address the mounting concerns facing schools each year, including rising healthcare costs and the economic disparity between large and small schools throughout the state.
Given the status of H.454, I also encourage members of our school community to contact our legislators and ask them to create legislation that works to support our students and strengthen our education system.
I am dedicated to supporting our school community through this challenging time. I value your voices and I am committed to being your partner in moving forward in support of SBSD schools.
Sincerely,
Violet Nichols
Superintendent