Students Deserve Better. So Do Taxpayers.
- Elizabeth Hunt
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
As the school year closes and I watch my oldest son graduate high school, I find myself reflecting on our shared responsibility—as parents, educators, and community members—to prepare young people for the future. It is our primary job to ensure they are healthy, capable humans ready to move forward in their education and in the workforce.
The cost of education in Vermont has become untenable for many property taxpayers. Declining enrollment and rising health insurance costs are part of a larger, more complex picture—and the net result of the most recent legislative session addressed neither the burden on taxpayers nor the educational future our children deserve.
Some good did come out of this session.
The state will not force district mergers; instead, committees will form this fall to consider voluntary consolidation. Champlain Valley School District stands as a successful model of what thoughtful merger can look like, and with declining enrollment and high taxes statewide, that kind of intentional consolidation deserves serious consideration. Smart consolidation—driven by districts themselves, not mandated from Montpelier—is both necessary and fiscally responsible. And when consolidation does happen, we owe it to our communities to think carefully about what comes next for those buildings and the people who depend on them.
Cooperative Educational Service Areas (CESAs) were also created to encourage regional collaboration through shared services. This is a win for all districts, regardless of size.
Act 73 also takes meaningful steps to ensure that public dollars stay in local schools. Keeping that funding where it belongs—in our communities and in our classrooms—is essential to any serious education reform.
Act 73 replaces the long-broken income sensitivity system with a homestead exemption approach, set to take effect in 2027. The old system hadn't been updated since the 1980s and was squeezing lower- and middle-income Vermonters with sudden, painful tax spikes. That this was finally addressed is a meaningful step forward—but the proof will be in the details, and I will be watching closely to make sure the new system genuinely protects the Vermonters who need it most.
What did not come out of this session is equally important. The foundation formula in Act 73 reflects substantial funding reductions for schools in Chittenden County that could cripple the services students and families rely on every day. The Yield Bill (H.949) uses more than $100 million in one-time funds to buy down property taxes and sets penalties for districts that exceed spending thresholds—offering only short-term relief to taxpayers while punishing schools for trying to meet their students' needs.
Two larger issues went unaddressed entirely:
Health Insurance. Costs for school-district employees are negotiated at the state level, yet the districts that bear those costs have no seat at the table. Other large public employers such as the State of Vermont, the University of Vermont, the University of Vermont Medical Center, and individual municipalities each manage their own coverage. Consolidating health insurance across all Vermont public employees would increase our collective bargaining power and secure more cost-effective, high-quality coverage—reducing the tax burden over the long term.
Universal Pre-K. Vermont established universal pre-K in 2014 but the program remains limited to just ten hours per week. That is not enough. Research is clear that high-quality early-childhood education produces better outcomes for children, stronger communities, and long-term savings for taxpayers. As we think creatively about how to use our school infrastructure as enrollment declines, expanding pre-K access—more hours, broader reach, stronger funding—should be at the top of the list. Investing in our youngest learners is not a luxury—it is the smartest investment we can make.
If elected as a Vermont State Senator, I will bring these issues—the long-term cost of health insurance, the expansion of universal pre-K, and the implementation of a fair homestead exemption—to the forefront of every education discussion. Students deserve a high-quality education. Taxpayers deserve to stay in their homes. And our youngest Vermonters deserve the strongest possible start.
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