by Don Keelan
It must have been a shock to rural Vermonters when they heard on January 22, 2025, Governor Phil Scott’s proposal to deal with the education funding crises. The details were contained in a 50-page report published in VTDigger, from the Secretary of Education, Zoie Saunders. The substance was the collapsing of 119 current school districts to five regional districts. Supervisory Unions would be dismantled. More on the details later.
The rural character of many of Vermont’s 251 towns and villages has been the signature of Vermont for the better part of two centuries. However, during the last forty years, events were taking place that would forever change that rural character.
Long before the announcement of the proposal to close school districts, there was the outmigration from the State of young people, ranging in ages from 18 to 45.
And then there were other events that were discussed when they occurred but quickly forgotten—all, one way or other, precursors to where we are today—a rural state that is no longer financially sustainable.
A few examples —- the loss of the local pharmacy, a branch bank and within the past 20 years, the local independent medical doctor’s office. The closing of local houses of worship impacted many towns. The announcement last summer by the Green Mountain Care Board consultant’s report that four of the State’s 14 non-profit hospitals need to close or revamp their services. All of this was not meaningful in the congested areas of Chittenden County—but it was impactful in the rural areas.
Paralleling the closing of many local institutions was the loss of volunteers at fire houses, rescue squads and fraternal organizations. Critical services that for many years were donated. Presently, in many towns this is no longer the case—they were replaced with paid positions.
It will only be a matter of time, that nonprofit organizations, local volunteer fire departments and rescue squads will also have to deal with consolidation. It has been years in the making, with cost continuing to increase. Conspicuously absent, a willingness to address financial sustainability.
As with many other critical Vermont issues—mental health, homelessness, housing, flood resistance, the justice system and its cousin, incarceration—it all comes down to money and the lack there-of.
The funding of school education in Vermont was not unlike a volcano—we are aware that in just a matter of time there would be an eruption. The eruption in funding for schools occurred two years ago with double-digit percent school tax increases, a third of school budgets defeated by voters and a paralysis in acting by past administrations and legislatures.
What was desperately required but strictly absent—the courage to deal with the pending crisis. What elected official would propose the closing of schools and consolidation of school districts? It would always come down to the fact that we are a rural state and each town and village must have their own school. And then reality caught up. We just do not have the funds anymore to continue to do things the way we once did.
Nevertheless, the facts were clear—Vermont school population decreased by over 30,000 students in the past 30 years. The cost of educating the new school population base doubled and there continued to be a consistent diminution in the quality of results—all detailed in the education agency’s report noted above.
To be added to the above and frequently not discussed is what our schools have had to contend with since the Covid shutdown, behavior and social issues, the cost of which can equate to 20% of a district’s budget.
The State can no longer continue to be in denial—that “ship” left the harbor some years ago. With that noted, I have one caveat, are we relying too much on outside consultants “driving the bus,” when it comes to how to restructure our education and health care systems?
How well the Legislature, the Administration and citizens of the impacted school districts deal with the education proposal will be extremely challenging and quite messy. But so will the next crisis that is at our doorstep, especially in the rural areas of Vermont—the dispensing of health care.
It will take an awful lot of courage, creativity, and a willingness to recognize, we are no longer the State we once were—financial sustainability has caught up and appears to have usurped Vermont’s hold on wanting to maintain its rural character.
The author is a U.S. Marine (retired), CPA, and columnist living in Arlington, VT.