By Sam Douglass

On Tuesday, the Vermont Senate passed H.955, the legislature’s education reform bill, after weeks of negotiation that ultimately produced a compromise that aims to reduce school spending without mandating school district mergers. The legislation, which cleared the Senate by a nearly unanimous 27–2 vote, was sent back to the House which moved quickly to announce a conference committee to resolve differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill.

The Senate version of H.955 reflects a large shift from earlier proposals tied to last year’s Act 73 reforms in the wake of the 2024 property tax revolt. While earlier versions had included mandatory consolidation of school districts, Gov. Phil Scott and Democratic leaders have indicated that forced mergers were politically unviable. Instead, the bill encourages voluntary consolidation.

Under the plan passed by the Senate, delegates from neighboring school districts would begin meeting this fall to discuss potential options to consolidate. Voters will vote on proposed mergers at Town Meeting Day in 2028. 

A major component of education reform efforts is the transition to a new foundation-based education funding formula, now scheduled for implementation in 2029. According to Sen. Ruth Hardy (D-Addison), school boards will draft their budgets with the foundation formula in mind for the FY2030 school year.

Senators presented and debated the legislation for roughly two hours before its final vote, with most of the discussion already resolved in committee or behind closed doors between the administration and legislative leadership. Sen. Seth Bongartz (D-Bennington), chair of the Senate Education Committee, framed the bill as a necessary step toward a more sustainable system, arguing that Vermonters want to take part in shaping education reform rather than having it imposed on them.

Not all Senators agreed. Sen. Russ Ingalls (R-Essex), who voted against the bill said of the legislation, “we really don’t know how it will turn out.” Ingalls also voted against education reform efforts in 2025 with Act 73.

Ingalls criticized the bill for its failure to control spending or improving education outcomes, arguing that it did not move quickly or forcefully enough. He also expressed skepticism about whether the funding formula will be implemented at all. 

Prior to the final vote, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, (D/P-Chittenden) remarked on Ingall’s comments over the bill’s lack of spending control, citing the work on the annual yield bill as a large part of containing costs.

“If you’re looking in this bill for cost containment, you’re only looking at part of the story,” said Baruth.

Baruth applauded the bipartisanship that led to his chamber’s final version of the bill. He described the last week of intense work as collegial and professional.

In the House, lawmakers quickly sent the bill to a conference committee, where members from both chambers will work to finalize a unified version. However, the timeline remains uncertain as the Senate has yet to appoint its conferees. The House appointed Rep. Peter Conlon (D-Addison 2), Rep. Beth Quimby (R-Caledonia 3), and Rep. Emilie Kornheiser (D-Windham 7) to the conference committee.

At the center of the debate remains a fundamental question: whether voluntary consolidation and a future funding overhaul will be enough to control rising education costs while maintaining or improving outcomes for students. Lawmakers have acknowledged that additional reforms, including literacy standards and career training, will return to the agenda in future sessions.

Governor Phil Scott has indicated publicly that the inclusion of mandatory school consolidation is required to avoid his veto, so it remains uncertain whether the final version of the legislation will stick.

VDC confirmed that Sen. Terry Williams (R-Rutland) was absent from the vote on H.955 for medical reasons. 

Information for In Committee news reports are sourced from GoldenDomeVt.com and the General Assembly website. Generative AI has not been used in the writing of this story.