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Increasing healthcare and hospital costs pose a greater challenge than education
By Rep. Kate McCann
As a member of the House Education Committee – and as a teacher, a mother, and a patient – I have listened with interest to Education Secretary Zoie Saunders. Last week, the secretary was in the hot seat trying to explain to a joint meeting of House Education and House Ways and Means committees the governor’s state-determined funding formula and his plan to reduce the number of school districts to five.
The Governor’s proposal suggests it can “deliver a robust education that is generous compared to other state funding models” while slashing education funding by nearly $184 million. However, the plan is light on details – except one, which calls for ending a program that ensures all children are fed breakfast and lunch during the school day. This cynical move flies in the face of research that shows universal meals can reduce hunger, lower child obesity rates, improve academic performance and increase school attendance.
But what is missing is far more impactful to the bottom line: ever-increasing healthcare and hospital costs.
The Governor’s new plan suggests that local communities are to blame for soaring property taxes despite many other factors over which local school boards have little control. Even with moving healthcare bargaining to the state level nearly a decade ago – at the governor’s insistence – costs haven’t gone down. In fact, we know now that plan didn’t cut healthcare costs – it merely shifted who pays for them. Premiums have skyrocketed over that time, as they have for all Vermonters, with no end in sight. Teachers, staff and administrators continue to pay 20% of those premiums, keeping in mind that 20% of more is…more. We have a staffing shortage now in our schools and eroding healthcare benefits would exacerbate the problems of recruitment and retention. It’s a vicious cycle that doesn’t serve students, educators, or taxpayers.
So what can we do to support and strengthen our public school system at a price working Vermonters can afford? First, Vermont has been short on leadership from the Agency of Education for the last seven years or so. To enhance accountability and transparency, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen public confidence in Vermont’s education governance, we should transition from an Agency of Education to a Department of Education with a Commissioner of Education that reports directly to a neutral State Board of Education as it was for decades prior to 2012. Next, there needs to be some consolidation. We know that compared to neighboring states we spend more in administration costs, money that could and should go to student-facing programs.
One option might be the creation of districts around our Career and Technical schools. In central Vermont alone, I could envision the consolidation of Barre, Montpelier-Roxbury and U-32 into one district, with one central office. We could continue to operate most of our small elementary schools while moving them closer to the community schools model. We could offer every 8th grader a choice between 3 public highschools, a CTE, a liberal arts high school and a science, technology, arts and math high school while remaining flexible enough in the curriculum so that a 9th or 10th grader who wants to switch gears could do so.
Next, we need to address the 2024 estimated $57 million in taxpayer-funded vouchers flowing to private and religious schools. We know that if we don’t act, that figure will only grow over time.
Finally, it’s high time the state moves to reference based pricing to curb the ever-rising costs of hospital care for all Vermonters. Costs for professional medical services are higher in Vermont than the national average which translates to the highest health insurance premiums in the nation for workers and employers. Indeed, why does it cost $6596 for an MRI at UVM Medical Center and only $3610 at a community hospital when they are using the same technology? It seems to me outrageous that our biggest hospital network charges educators nearly three times what they charge Medicare. Under reference-based pricing, a recent study showed, in 2022 just for public schools, taxpayers could realize savings of $49 million a year, and I know it would be even more now. Put another way, had reference-based pricing been in place over the last five years, we could have saved $230 million – that’s real money that is better spent on students than on overpriced hospital care.
So as we explore the merits of consolidation, ending the siphoning of public dollars for private schools, a state-controlled funding scheme, and Montpelier-driven education decisions, let’s not forget healthcare. Because even if we reduce administrative staff and restrict public funding to public schools, if we don’t tackle healthcare and hospital costs, those potential savings will be gobbled up by the state’s largest hospital network, leaving students, educators, parents and taxpayers to foot the bill.
Rep. Kate McCann, D-Montpelier, is a member of the House Education Committee.
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Categories: Commentary, Health Care
It’s a simple plan, keep the populace, dumb, stupid, unhealthy and completely dependent upon the government. There by we are treated as the marxist gods that we are. All money and allegiance to the government and the Gods of Montpelier! We will own nothing and be happy, let us be your slaves. All praise and honor are yours dear bureaucratic gods!!!!!
They know everything, just ask them. If you disagree they will in their all knowing knowledge inform you and if you dont’ comply you will be cancelled and hung out on the public propaganda sites for all to see!
Never forget – A patient cured is a long-term income stream lost. I have it on good authority that Med Schools teach this on the very first day.
Like many of you, I look forward with great anticipation to seeing what RFK Jr can accomplish. I hope he hits hard, fast, and relentlessly as President Trump has been doing, and I wish him well. This is his time. And perhaps, just perhaps, it’s finally our time too.
MAHA!
I could not disagree more, as McCann points fingers of blame at everyone EXCEPT the legislature, which makes the education laws. Representative McCann, as a mandate given by the voters of Vermont, please encourage your House Ed Committee Chair, Peter Conlon to take up H.89 school choice. Legislators will not have done their due diligence unless you conduct a cost/benefit analysis of school choice compared to consolidation. Voters are expecting swift results.
“Research that shows universal meals can reduce hunger, lower child obesity rates, improve academic performance and increase school attendance.” Please share links for these studies. Who funded these studies? What types of food are included in these universal meals? The obesity rate continues to climb among children despite universal meals.
We need government to get out of the business of dictating education and “health” care. Here’s a suggestion:
We need a constitutional amendment to remove language from Chapter 2, Section 68 of the Vermont Constitution, as follows:
Ch2, § 68. [Laws to encourage virtue and prevent vice; schools; religious activities]
Laws for the encouragement of virtue and prevention of vice and immorality ought to be constantly kept in force, and duly executed; [STRIKE: and a competent number of schools ought to be maintained in each town unless the general assembly permits other provisions for the convenient instruction of youth.] All religious societies, or bodies of people that may be united or incorporated for the advancement of religion and learning, or for other pious and charitable purposes, shall be encouraged and protected in the enjoyment of the privileges, immunities, and estates, which they in justice ought to enjoy, [STRIKE: under such regulations as the general assembly of this state shall direct.]
Stop telling people what they need, as if you know what is best for them. You were elected to office for the purposes of, and made an oath to, uphold the Constitution of Vermont, not administer your agenda.
Question. When I was in grade school we had a Phys. Ed. class a couple of times a week. (to the best of my recollection) One instructor, a gent name “Deep” Corey, made the rounds amongst all the schools in Barre. Are kids getting any Phys. Ed. in school these days? If we’re really worried about obesity, maybe Phys. Ed. or more intense Phys. Ed, and less time sitting on their collective back sides might help ?
We have a system of sick care, not health care. Chronic disease is caused by poor diet, government policy on food additives and ingredients that make peopke sick, GMO corn, soy subsidized by our tax dollars, giving the appearance conventional food is less expensive than it really is, overtaxing and overspending so people have less income to spend on healthier choices. Personal responsibility matters, too. Health insurance rates should be based upon lifestyle choices, just like life insurance. Expand the health insurance market. I am in favor of making sure children have access to healthy food, no highly processed chicken nuggets for school lunches. The FDA guidelines are horrible, too many carbs IMHO. Go out and get some sun between 10 am and Noon! MAHA!
McCann’s statement that private schools are siphoning public funds is repulsive, as private schools are doing a significantly better job of educating children in Vermont.
I never go to a doctor unless I break a bone – There is too much health care in my opinion. The more I see people go to the doctor the more sick they become. Take responsibility for your own health and learn what it takes to be healthy on your own – people. There NO MAGIC PILL!
Why aren’t you supporting school choice? Don’t tell me you want the same old race based, gender ideology, climate-alarmism curriculum that wants to keep children medicated, obese and chronically ill from poor school diets full of ultra processed foods?
Take another look at the test scores and rethink school choice. I’m hearing really good things about religious schools and i think parents know what’s best for their children. A public education is no longer a good choice.
As far as healthcare costs, I thought obamacare was supposed to be affordable-don’t you in the legislature hold the purse strings? Don’t like pricing at UVMMC, shop around.
If I were a legislator or a member of Congress: I’d spend less time writing op-eds (after posing question to AI and consulting my party leaders for correct scripted talking points) I’d spend less time with my financial advisor picking stock options I got after committee meetings. I’d spend less time with people who agree with me and talk more to people who don’t to educate myself of their side of an issue. I’d spend more time talking to my constiuents directly rather than attending wine and cheese lobbyist functions. I’d spend less time monitoring my own assets and how to acquire more for less effort. I’d spend less time pontificating on the obvious, roll up my sleeves, pull up my big pants, shut my pie hole, and get to Christly work to solve the problems I was elected to solve. The job is not that hard to do or understand – if the intent is to actually do the job! Unfortunately, our lawmakers are such a morass of inflated egos, compromised money grubbers, and party clowns, it is clear nothing will get done to serve the People, just themselves. No honor among thieves.
There may be no honor, but they hang pretty tight with themselves, demanding more money! lol…….
We’d be much better off with you as a senator…surely. Many of the people on this site would do a remarkable job, we’d have some change.
Truth is coming to Vermont, doesn’t matter if most don’t want it or to see it.
There is a difference between medical/medicine and healing.
No doctor claims he will heal you.
Yet there are non-medical remedies, treatments, and protocols that HEAL — yet not without a complete revamp of lifestyle choices like diet and exercize and what we consume for our minds daily… our health is a direct result of those choices.
As long as you keep sticking a pill in your mouth or resort to invasive surgical procedures (which the body HATES and responds accordingly), you will never HEAL.
We need to be accountable to ourselves and God as to our health choices… and then we need to really examine what beliefs we hold that allowed us to steer away from health towards “pill a pill anything for a pill (or surgery)” as if that was a good choice.
The truth about cancer and many other diseases is that medicine can only make you comfortable it can’t fix it… YOU have to do that.
But no doctor in the current medical system will say that… because it doesn’t work… and they would be sued. Best they can do: make you comfortable.
Or make you THINK you’re comfortable…
Ancients knew all this… no chemical is friendly to the body… NONE.
Why is school choice a problem when the amount spent on vouchers per pupil to choose a private/religious school is at the lower end of the public school “average”. The educational system is saving money.
As for healthcare, my understanding is Vermont’s teachers have some of the most generous benefits for healthcare in the country which people say is driving UP costs via property taxes. Out of curiosity, what is 20% of your premium?!
Representative,
Thank you for your thorough summary of your positions. I particularly appreciate your focus on health care as the biggest driver of school budget increases. As this has received little attention and is unclear if the term health care refers to medical expenses or insurance premiums. The governance of schools and medical facilities receive vastly different levels of public oversight. As a retired school administrator, superintendent, former school board member, parent and resident of your district, I would be glad to meet with you to discuss further.
Robert Phillips