By Michael Bielawski

Last year, nearly a third of Vermont’s school budgets failed their first votes on Town Meeting Day. In 2025, just nine school budgets were voted down.

In at least one case, voters said no to a proposal to raise education spending by over 23%, which was for the Ludlow Mount Holly Unified Union School District. Other communities rejected similar hikes, such as in Wolcott.

Districts confirmed as having failed their initial votes for 2025 are Alburgh, Fairfax, Georgia, Ludlow-Mount Holly, Paine Mountain, Slate Valley, Springfield, Stamford, and Wolcott. Local media reports offer insights on why some of these failed, some of which had also failed multiple times in 2024.

Big increase for Wolcott

In Wolcott, the tax increase unexpectedly doubled due to a sudden change in state policy.

The school board chair Elliot Waring told The News and Citizen in January, “After the state set a higher cap in December, Waring said tuition rates increased by $4,000 to $6,000 per student, resulting in a roughly $400,000 increase in Wolcott’s tuition bill.”

It continues that the proposal – as of January – was “an $819,000 increase in spending and a 25-cent increase in the tax rate.” This translates to about $250 per $100,000 home.

Springfield tried consolidation

Springfield voted down their school budget twice last year. There was some consolidation of administration to try and reign in costs, but maybe not enough because voters again said no for their first try this year.

The Eagle Times reported in August of 2024, “Common themes that came from the budget meetings included consolidating buildings, reducing administrative overhead, improving student success, and better understanding the district’s capital plan.”

Slate Valley overpaying administrators?

Slate Valley’s budget woes were already making headlines before their vote. VTDigger reported that the budget had run “into headwinds” largely over a proposed pay raise for administration.

In particular, a parent-led petition calling for the resignation of the board and superintendent over recently approved administrative pay raises may have stirred momentum against the budget.

The petition states, “We, as the voters and taxpayers of Slate Valley Unified School District, urge for the immediate resignation of Superintendent Brooke Olsen Farrell and any board members who supported the decision to increase her pay, despite widespread public criticism.”

Fairfax may cut more?

Last year it took three tries to get voters to approve the Fairfax School District budget. According to the St. Alban’s Messenger, last year the school cut its school resource officer, leaving the school unarmed for a potential emergency. They also dropped a custodial position and they cut from “co-curricular supplies”.

Paine Mountain not making concessions?

Early reaction from Central Vermont Superintendent Matthew Fedders over the failure of the Paine Mountain School’s budget to pass suggests that he might propose simply putting the same $25.6 million out to voters again. This is because it was only narrowly rejected by just 33 votes, 550 to 583.

He told the Times Argus, “I do think it puts the board in the position of considering: ‘Do you put the same budget out, and encourage more participation?’”

Ludlow-Mount Holly voters say 23% too much

Voters rejected the $582,685 budget for Ludlow Mount Holly Unified Union School District by a tally of 141-181. The budget had it passed would have been a 23.31% rise in education spending for that community.

Georgia sees similar to 2024

The Georgia School budget failed by a vote of 348 to 374. The Saint Albans Messenger reports that it “will be sent for a revote similar to how it went for the school last year.”

The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle