H.955, advancing regional service model and tax changes

By Guy Page

The Vermont House has given final approval to H.955, a sweeping education reform bill aimed at lowering costs, restructuring service delivery, and addressing long-standing school infrastructure needs.

Ben Kinsley of the Campaign for Vermont will give details and ramifications – including property taxation – today on Hot Off The Press.

In a statement, Jill Krowinski called the legislation a “landmark education transformation bill” developed after more than 18 months of statewide engagement. She said the measure is designed to make education more affordable while preserving local control.

The bill establishes a new education tax framework that includes a tax on second homes, with the goal of reducing property tax burdens on primary residences over time. It also revives the state’s school construction program, authorizing up to $50 million annually in bonding capacity and providing full coverage of existing district construction debt.

H.955 creates seven regional Cooperative Educational Service Areas, or CESAs, intended to improve efficiency and expand access to specialized programs. The regional entities would also coordinate transportation and provide shared administrative services, particularly for smaller and rural schools.

Lawmakers emphasized that the bill does not mandate school district consolidation. Any mergers would remain voluntary and subject to local voter approval.

Krowinski also contrasted the House plan with proposals from the governor, criticizing what she described as an approach developed without sufficient input from Vermont communities and based on an unrealistic timeline.

Party-line vote

On Thursday, the bill was given second-reading approval largely along party lines, with a majority of Democratic lawmakers voting in favor and Republicans opposed.

Yea: Bluemle of Burlington; Cooper of Pownal; Goldman of Rockingham; Graning of Jericho; Kleppner of Burlington; Scheu of Middlebury; Stevens of Waterbury; Torre of Moretown; Waters Evans of Charlotte; Arsenault of Williston; Austin of Colchester; Bartholomew of Hartland; Berbeco of Winooski; Birong of Vergennes; Bishop of Colchester; Black of Essex; Bos-Lun of Westminster; Brady of Williston; Brown of Richmond; Burke of Brattleboro; Burkhardt of South Burlington; Campbell of St. Johnsbury; Carris Duncan of Whitingham; Casey of Montpelier; Chapin of East Montpelier; Cole of Hartford; Conlon of Cornwall; Corcoran of Bennington; Critchlow of Colchester; Dodge of Essex; Dolan of Essex Junction; Duke of Burlington; Durfee of Shaftsbury; Eastes of Guilford; Emmons of Springfield; Garofano of Essex; Goodnow of Brattleboro; Greer of Bennington; Harple of Glover; Headrick of Burlington; Houghton of Essex Junction; Howard of Rutland City; Hoyt of Hartford; Hunter of Manchester; James of Manchester; Kimbell of Woodstock; Kornheiser of Brattleboro; Krasnow of South Burlington; Lalley of Shelburne; LaLonde of South Burlington; Logan of Burlington; Long of Newfane; Lueders of Lincoln; Masland of Thetford; McCann of Montpelier; McGill of Bridport; Mihaly of Calais; Minier of South Burlington; Morris of Springfield; Morrow of Weston; Mrowicki of Putney; Nigro of Bennington; Nugent of South Burlington; Ode of Burlington; Olson of Starksboro; Pezzo of Colchester; Pouech of Hinesburg; Rachelson of Burlington; Satcowitz of Randolph; Scully of Burlington; Sheldon of Middlebury; Sibilia of Dover; Squirrell of Underhill; Stone of Burlington; Sweeney of Shelburne; Waszazak of Barre City; White of Bethel; White of Waitsfield; Wood of Waterbury.

Nay: Bailey of Hyde Park; Bartley of Fairfax; Bosch of Clarendon; Boutin of Barre City; Boyden of Cambridge; Branagan of Georgia; Brigham of St. Albans Town; Burditt of West Rutland; Burrows of West Windsor; Burtt of Cabot; Canfield of Fair Haven; Charlton of Chester; Coffin of Cavendish; Demar of Enosburgh; Dickinson of St. Albans Town; Dolgin of St. Johnsbury; Feltus of Lyndon; Galfetti of Barre Town; Goslant of Northfield; Gregoire of Fairfield; Hango of Berkshire; Harvey of Castleton; Higley of Lowell; Holcombe of Norwich; Hooper of Randolph; Howland of Rutland Town; Kascenska of Burke; Keyser of Rutland City; Labor of Morgan; LaMont of Morristown; Laroche of Franklin; Lipsky of Stowe; Long of Milton; Luneau of St. Albans City; Maguire of Rutland City; Malay of Pittsford; Marcotte of Coventry; McCoy of Poultney; Micklus of Milton; Morgan of Milton; Morrissey of Bennington; Nelson of Derby; North of Ferrisburgh; Noyes of Wolcott; O’Brien of Tunbridge; Oliver of Sheldon; Page of Newport City; Pinsonault of Dorset; Powers of Waterford; Priestley of Bradford; Pritchard of Pawlet; Quimby of Lyndon; Soucy of Barre Town; Southworth of Walden; Tagliavia of Corinth; Taylor of Mendon; Tomlinson of Winooski; Walker of Swanton; Wells of Brownington; Winter of Ludlow; Yacovone of Morristown.

Absent: Casey of Hubbardton; Christie of Hartford; Cina of Burlington; Dobrovich of Williamstown; Donahue of Northfield; Nielsen of Brandon; Parsons of Newbury; Steady of Milton.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.