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By VDC staff
Across Vermont, many communities are grappling with rising education costs, declining enrollment, and growing concern about long-term affordability and outcomes.
While legislators continue to debate possible reforms, a small ad hoc group of concerned citizens is beginning an effort to bring one specific question directly to Vermont voters through Town Meeting Day 2027, co-organizer Matthew Kelly of Milton said.
The non-binding initiative asks whether Vermont should move toward a student-centered education funding system in which education dollars follow each child rather than being allocated primarily to school districts.
The proposed advisory article reads:
Shall the voters of the Town of __ urge the Governor, the Vermont General Assembly, and Vermont’s congressional delegation to enact legislation establishing a student-centered education funding system in which state education dollars follow each child rather than being allocated primarily to school districts, thereby allowing parents or legal guardians to direct those funds toward an approved public school, independent school, career and technical education program, homeschooling expenses, microschool, or other state-approved educational option that best meets the needs of their child, while ensuring every Vermont child continues to have access to a quality education?
Under Vermont law, registered voters may petition to place advisory articles on their Town Meeting warning if they meet the applicable petition requirements and filing deadlines.
The Vermont Secretary of State provides guidance and sample petition forms for this process, and municipalities must follow the statutory procedures governing voter-backed petitions.
“The purpose of this initiative isn’t to eliminate public education or to diminish Vermont’s commitment to ensuring every child has access to a quality education,” Kelly said. “Rather, it asks whether the state’s education funding model should place students and families at the center of the system by allowing funding to follow each child to an approved educational setting that best meets that student’s needs.”
Supporters believe that Town Meeting Day offers Vermonters a unique opportunity to express their views directly. If the advisory article appears on ballots in communities across the state and receives broad support, the results could provide legislators with a clear indication of public sentiment as they consider future education reforms, Kelly said.
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Categories: Education
A voucher system is the way to go. Would make public schools compete for students, amd give parents finamcial options…including home schooling. Note that Twin Valley schools where we live are in excess of $31k per student! With the elementary school in Wilmington, and the middle/high school in Whitingham opportunities to challenge each budget is absent from either Town Meeting. There is a separate meeting called the ‘Annual Meeting/Budget Informational Meeting’. Sadly, it’s very difficult to attend both this and Town Meeting, hence it’s a biased group [educators and administrators themselves] who typically attends. The result, it takes extra effort of taxpayers to challenge local education costs.
Thank you for your support! Right now, we’re encouraging residents in towns across Vermont to download the proposed ballot language, circulate petitions, and place this advisory question before their local voters in March 2027.
If communities across the state adopt the initiative and voters approve it, we’ll have a clear, statewide demonstration of public support for the kind of student-centered funding system you’re describing. That’s the first step toward building the momentum needed for legislative action.
? Simple solution ? …get the government out of the schooling business. They’ve failed with their over priced monopoly, the customers are not satisfied. Privatize it; teachers have valuable services to sell to parents. We’re crushing a market ready to bloom.