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.