by Rep. Laura Sibilia (I, Windham-2)

For years, a multitude of factors beyond the control of school districts has been impacting school budgets and tax rates: demographic shifts, pandemic disruptions, the end of federal funding, and deeply flawed equity calculations in the education finance mechanism. The Governor and the Legislature have regularly addressed these challenges by buying down tax rates one year at a time, potentially delaying difficult budget discussions.

In addition to these challenges, there is a lineup of state-directed spending and unfunded mandates passed by the Legislature and supported by the Governor. PCB Remediation, Universal School Meals, Teacher Pension Commitments, and funds required to hold harmless districts seeing a correction in their weights added more than $100 million in state-directed spending last year, which directly affected the Education Fund. Furthermore, initiatives such as early college, flexible pathways, and payments to private after-school facilities decrease funding and programming in the public school system, leading to increased tax rates.

Despite these challenges, little has been done by state leadership to alleviate the burden on schools and taxpayers. And state leaders aren’t acknowledging our role in exacerbating these challenges while also repeatedly making expenditures out of the education fund without paying for the spending. The Governor’s steadfast opposition to taxes and fees makes support unlikely for legislative proposals to raise taxes to cover state-directed education spending. The result is property taxes are required to fill the gap.

Overwhelmed districts are also challenged to secure the necessary technical support to address myriad modernization and building challenges. The Governor’s administration has experienced vacancies throughout its agencies and departments including at the Agency of Education. The Governor’s recent nomination of a new Education Secretary, a year after Dan French’s departure, was long overdue. The State Board of Education has been excessively focused on private school rules.

As the session draws to a close, legislators have been asked for suggestions on how to address the funding of education. I made suggestions related to accountability and transparency. In the final education bill of the year, the education tax bill, or Yield Bill, I will also be proposing an amendment that state-directed spending proposals be considered in standalone bills and pass with a ⅔ majority in the Senate and the House. I’ll also propose greater transparency on state-directed spending in the annual December 1 letter from the Tax Commissioner. This information could help state leaders be more accountable for their impact on property tax rates.

While performative gestures of concern about property tax increases are common, leadership in this arena is lacking across the board. It’s time for the Legislature and the Governor to acknowledge underlying issues, differentiate between local and state-directed spending, and ensure consistent oversight of our publicly funded education system. We need to stop short-term tweaks and fixes like buying down rates and establish a public process to address the sustainability, accountability, and quality of our public education system.

Education investments are the single most important public investments our communities make in the future and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that our education system receives the support and oversight it deserves, at the local and state levels. Please reach out to your elected leaders and ask them to pay for state-directed spending, stop short term fixes of the finance system and put a public process in place to identify and implement sustainable solutions that prioritize the needs of students and taxpayers alike.

Author has lived in Southern Vermont for more than 30 years. She is the eldest of 12 siblings, and she and her husband, TJ, have raised three children in Dover. She is the State Representative for Windham-2.