By Chaunce Benedict

Well, there you go! Act 955, the public-school transformation bill, as amended promises “substantial equity…delivered at a cost that parents, voters and taxpayers will value.” Just what will the “transformation” be?

Turning down the verbal volume, there will be…

– Many committees “studying” mergers. Many tens of thousands of hours of meetings. Many paid consultants. No mergers are assured. Will need two + years to study. And, for just the cost of a few hundred thousand dollars.

– A new administrative superstructure of “Cooperative Educational Service Areas”. To do things that are already being done. More efficiently and effectively. For sure. No doubt.

– A “new foundation formula”. Just like the “maps” required by Act 73. Remember those? 

– An effort to enact legislation that expresses clear “intent” related to “career and technical education, special education funding, sparsity, empirically supported secondary student weighting, geographic cost differences, a pre-K funding mechanism, legacy collective bargaining agreements, and capital indebtedness held by school districts.” All ought to be taken care of expediently and with minimal difficulty, right? No question.

– And, reports. Lots of reports. Merger committee facilitator reports. A foundation formula report. A State Board of Education Report. All reports will most certainly be read carefully and taken to heart. These will make a real difference, correct?

– School construction. The funds for it: piece of cake. Money grows on trees.

Anything in here, beyond a few throw away rhetorical phrases, about improving learning, reading, etc.? Please show us.

According to the powers-that-be, all of this will be just exactly what Vermonters say they want. Really? Just who? 

Remember Act 46? Really improved learning and schools, at a cost “Vermonters will support”. Right?  

So now comes Act 955. Another kick of the can down the road? Sadly for Vermont, probably yes.