04/10/2026
Two things I think communities can all agree on are that nobody wants a higher cost of living, and we want the best for our youth. The hard truth is that we can only significantly and immediately affect one of those.
Significant cost drivers in education are:
• Healthcare Costs
• Facilities Construction and Maintenance
• Support Services, such as special education.
These healthcare costs have and will continue to grow exponentially, there hasn’t been state aid for construction costs since 2007, and special education services are mandated by law. After narrowing down what services can’t be reduced, it forces districts to consider “non-essential” cuts. These cuts often come in the form of reductions in staff, extracurriculars, sports, and transportation. This negatively impacts opportunities and the quality of education for students, while doing nothing to reduce property tax bills.
Voting down the school budget doesn’t change our obligation to educate Vermont youth. Forcing a district to borrow up to 87% of last year’s budget to remain operational will result in fees and interest which must be paid back when the budget is finally approved.
Communities should work with, and hold their districts, school boards, and legislators accountable within their roles. It's also important that expectations be realistic. Our anger toward broader systemic failures that are largely beyond local control, should not inadvertently be taken out on students.
