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We are heading into crossover at the State House — the mid-session deadline for bills to leave either the House or Senate. The education committees have been given additional time this year because of the scope and complexity of their work.
I was recently asked why we haven’t moved as many bills by this session as in previous years. I don’t track the number of bills closely enough to know whether that’s entirely true, but I do know that the issues we are working on this year are particularly challenging. Many of the questions before us —the rising cost of living, the pressure of property taxes, the ongoing housing shortage, the need to strengthen our workforce and support local businesses, and countering federal action— are complex and interconnected. Getting them right requires careful work, collaboration, and thoughtful debate rather than rushing bills through the process. Please feel free to reach out to your House Essex Representative (contact info below) anytime with questions, comments or needs for assistance. We are all proud to serve Essex and remain committed to bringing the voices and values of our city to the statehouse. EDUCATION UPDATE The House Education Committee has heard extensive testimony from Vermont superintendents, principals, and other stakeholders as it works to implement Act 73 while considering recommendations from the Commission on the Future of Public Education, the Redistricting Task Force and public input. The committee is evaluating new district boundaries, the potential use of cooperative shared service areas to reduce costs, and whether the new structure should include supervisory unions, unified districts, or a combination of both. The goals of Act 73 remain clear: fewer districts, minimum class sizes, and a more streamlined system that supports students while slowing the rise in property taxes. This work is especially important as Vermont’s K–12 enrollment has declined significantly over recent decades while education spending has continued to increase. We are keeping our kids' needs front and center as we debate and decide the path forward. FISCAL MATTERS The House Ways and Means Committee is focused on addressing the fiscal challenges facing Vermonters, including property-tax pressures, education funding, fewer federal resources and maintaining a fair revenue system that supports essential services while improving affordability and accountability for taxpayers. The committee is currently working to set the annual “yield” or education property tax. The legislature determines the full sum needed once local school budgets are voted on. We know property taxes remain a significant concern for many Vermonters and we are committed to doing everything we can to stabilize and lower Vermonters’ property tax bills this year while maintaining essential public services and quality, public-education opportunities for our kids. We are also continuing work begun last year to make the system fairer. This includes creating Regional Assessment Districts (RADS) and the design of a tax on second homes. RADs will allow towns in a region to work together to ensure that we have a consistent appraisal cycle. This ensures that property taxes are spread fairly across the state and that there are fewer swings in individual taxpayers’ bills from year to year. A different (and higher) property tax rate on second homes will support our public schools while reducing property taxes on homesteads, businesses, apartments, and seasonal camps. Tax Credits and Free Filing Assistance: Last year, lawmakers expanded Vermont's Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which offers tax credits up to $400 for low-wage earners, and up to $1000/child under 7. Vermonters may be eligible for a credit on property taxes when filing your homestead declaration. Vermont has volunteer tax preparers all over the state, ready to assist. Go to TaxCreditsVT.org for more information about Vermont's anti-poverty tax credits and how to file for them. YOU’RE INVITED TO OUR COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SERIES Your Essex House delegation is excited to invite you to our community conversations, a monthly forum for updates on bills, committee work, and caucus activities. These events are designed to provide an open, respectful space for questions, concerns, and dialogue. SAVE-THE-DATES Saturday, March 14th 9-10:30am via Zoom (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83338563800) Saturday, April 11th 9-10:30am at Essex Town Office Saturday, May 16th 11am-12:30pm at Essex Teen Center Thank you for the opportunity to serve our community. Have a wonderful week. Best, Lori Houghton Essex House Delegation Rep. Karen Dolan, Chittenden 22 [email protected] Rep. Lori Houghton, Chittenden 22, [email protected] Rep. Leonora Dodge, Chittenden 23, [email protected] Rep. Rey Garofano, Chittenden 23, [email protected] Rep. Alyssa Black, Chittenden 24, [email protected] By the Essex House Delegation
Vermonters are right to be alarmed by rising property taxes. Families feel it. Municipalities feel it. And legislators feel it. We appreciate the Essex Westford School District School Board Advocacy Committee for contributing thoughtful, data-driven analysis to the conversation of cost drivers and the Governor’s proposed mega-district. We want to be clear that we do not support the Governor’s proposal to create a single unified Chittenden County district. And we appreciate the board’s recent commentary highlighting an essential truth: rising education costs cannot be discussed without acknowledging all the cost drivers, including increasing health care expenses. From 2019 to 2026, public school employee health insurance costs increased by more than 113%. And it’s not just public school employees; everyone who has health insurance has seen similar increases. That kind of growth would overwhelm any budget, no matter how responsibly managed. But Vermont’s challenge is not an either/or choice between addressing health care and other education cost drivers OR transforming our education system. It is a both/and moment, and delaying action on either will only deepen the strain on taxpayers and schools alike. Local school boards do not negotiate statewide health care contracts, and neither does the State, yet they are expected to absorb the consequences. Health care costs are a major driver of education spending, and the state must take responsibility for addressing them. Let’s be clear: health care costs are high in Vermont because prices are high. The legislature has taken significant action to bring down these prices.
At the same time, Vermont’s education system was built for a very different state than the one we live in today. Enrollment is declining statewide, while student needs are growing. Simply counting students does not tell the full story. What matters is who those students are and what support they need. In EWSD, as in many districts, student weights that reflect poverty, disability, language needs, and grade level have increased even as overall enrollment has declined. Educating today’s students requires different resources than educating students in the past. That is why education transformation is still necessary, even as we work to rein in health care costs. Importantly, EWSD and other Chittenden County districts demonstrate that thoughtful, responsible change is possible. EWSD has made difficult decisions, reduced staffing, collaborated regionally, and continued to deliver outcomes above the state average. Chittenden County districts have spent years consolidating, sharing services, and modernizing governance structures, not because they were forced to, but because local leaders recognized changing realities. For that reason, we do not support the Governor’s proposal for a unified Chittenden County school district. A one-size-fits-all district serving more than 20,000 students risks undoing years of deliberate, locally driven progress. Chittenden County is an example to be followed. The region has already done much of the work that other parts of the state are only beginning. Rather than dismantling systems that are working, the focus should be on helping the rest of Vermont achieve similar levels of efficiency and collaboration. That is where Act 73 comes in. At its core, Act 73 acknowledges a reality many Vermonters recognize: our education governance system must evolve to remain sustainable and equitable. The law aims to reduce duplication, encourage collaboration, and align resources more effectively with student needs. Directionally, it moves Vermont toward what districts like EWSD have already been doing. Implementation matters. The Legislature has a responsibility to ensure Act 73 is carried out with evidence, transparency, and respect for communities, and without disrupting districts that are already operating responsibly. Education reform should scale best practices statewide, not penalize those who adopted them early. We are grateful to EWSD and local school boards across the state for leading with transparency, responsibility, and courage in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. As legislators, our task is to match that leadership: to confront rising health care costs, modernize education governance, and protect both educational quality and affordability. In the coming weeks and months, your Essex House Delegation is committed to sharing the work and progress of our House Education Committee as they continue the work to determine how Act 73 should be implemented in Vermont. We look forward to robust dialogue with our community and welcome folks reaching out at any time. Essex House Delegation Rep. Karen Dolan, Chittenden 22 - [email protected] Rep. Lori Houghton, Chittenden 22 - [email protected] Rep. Leonora Dodge, Chittenden 23 - [email protected] Rep. Rey Garofano, Chittenden 23 - [email protected] Rep. Alyssa Black, Chittenden 24 - [email protected] The 2026 Legislative Session is in full swing and it feels like we never left the building. Committees picked up where they left off taking testimony on the State’s most pressing issues while new proposed bills are being introduced for a few more weeks. Please feel free to reach out to your House Essex Representative (contact info below) anytime with questions, comments or needs for assistance. We are all proud to serve Essex and remain committed to bringing the voices and values of our city to the statehouse. You can follow all of the activity of the session at this link: https://legislature.vermont.gov/
BUDGET ADJUSTMENT UPDATE We are doing everything we can to lower property taxes this year. The governor proposed in the Budget Adjustment Act to use $75 million to buy down property taxes. We’re waiting until later in the session to make those decisions when we have all the information on proposed school budgets and understand the pressing budget needs in housing, health care, and the impact from federal cuts on Vermonters. EDUCATION UPDATE Legislative Counsel and the Joint Fiscal Office, non-partisan staff for all legislators, provided a refresher of Act 73, an act relating to transforming Vermont’s education governance, quality, and finance systems. The presentation can be viewed here. The House and Senate Education Committees picked up where they left off last year taking testimony on our education system. The Committees are hearing from Vermont superintendents, Vermont principals, Agency of Education, Redistricting Task Force, and Commission on the Future of Public Education. There is consensus to create a more affordable and equitable education system that increases opportunities for all Vermont students, the question remains how we get there. Testimony was heard from the Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA). The written testimony can be found here. In summary, the VSA supports Act 73 and believes the central challenge facing Vermont’s education system is scale. With declining enrollment, the state can no longer afford to operate so many small districts and under-enrolled schools without either raising taxes or reducing educational quality. While consolidation will require upfront investment, time, and careful planning, failing to address scale simply shifts inequities and costs onto local communities and students. VSA cautions that funding reforms like a foundation formula will not succeed on their own unless structural inefficiencies are addressed. On Friday the Secretary of Education presented three potential redistricting maps: regions established by Vermont School Boards Association, Regional High School Districts and a hybrid of the two. Secretary Sanders testimony can be found here. If you want to dive in even further, there is information here. The VSBA map would divide Chittenden County into two districts: Eastern Chittenden would include CVU, EWSD and Mt Mansfield. Western Chittenden County would include Burlington, Colchester, Milton, South Burlington, Winooski. The Regional High School Districts would divide Chittenden County into 3 districts and in the hybrid model Chittenden County would be three districts based on the regional high school maps. I want to be clear, everything is still on the table. These maps were presented by the Secretary and the committees will continue to dive into the policy and take relevant testimony. As the education committees continue to focus on the governance structure, our House Ways & Means committee is continuing the work of analyzing cost drivers and the tax policy that will move us towards a foundation formula. Broadly, the foundation formula will apply a base and weights, based on students’ characteristics, to a student population to determine funding to a school or district. Moving to a foundation formula will provide stability and predictability to school budgets and property tax rates. ESSEX HOUSE DELEGATION COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SERIES Your Essex House delegation is excited to invite you to "Community Conversations," a monthly forum for updates on bills, committee work, and caucus activities. These events are designed to provide an open, respectful space for questions, concerns, and dialogue. At each gathering, we'll share an overview of our priorities for the session and answer your questions. Sunday, February 15th 10-11:30am at Essex Teen Center Saturday, March 14th 9-10:30am via Zoom Saturday, April 11th 9-10:30am at Essex Town Office Saturday, May 16th 11am-12:30pm at Essex Teen Center Best Rep. Lori Houghton Chittenden 22: City of Essex Junction Karen Dolan, [email protected], 802.233.4434 Lori Houghton, [email protected], 802.373.0599 WHAT VERMONT GAINS WITH THE PASSAGE OF H.454
1. A deliberate and thoughtful multi-year process with contingencies built into the process and required future legislative votes. 2. A more sustainable and predictable funding structure for Vermont’s education system. 3. A comprehensive approach for decreasing the cost curve of education spending. 4. Increased access to equitable educational opportunities across the state. 5. A commitment to our public schools. Far fewer independent schools will qualify to be approved, including and especially those that have been able to preserve the right to discriminate with public dollars. 6. No longer will public dollars flow to out-of-state private schools, subsidizing elite boarding school experiences. 7. No longer will approved independent schools be able to set their own tuitions. Why We Supported the Passage of H.454 This has been a challenging process and we did not come to this decision without long and thoughtful contemplation. We all have or had children in the EWSD school system. We treasure the role that the district’s teachers and staff have played in their lives and we are committed to ensuring EWSD has the resources to continue its dedication to our youth. We began this work last session, and again in January, with months of testimony from throughout the state and all levels of our education community. Students testified, teachers, principals, superintendents, school board members, and many members of the Administration taking extensive testimony. We listened deeply to Essex community members, parents, school leaders, and local taxpayers and ultimately chose the path of “yes” to move the work on Education Transformation forward. Do we wish it would go further? - yes, but ultimately we understand that this moment may not come again and Vermonters deserve the progress of education and tax progress that H.454 will bring. As legislators, we work to hear all of the perspectives and choose a path that best serves our community and Vermont as a whole. H.454 makes significant strides. SUSTAINABILITY Our current system for providing and funding education in Vermont isn’t working. Children have unequal access to quality education opportunities and the current funding system is unpredictable for individual voting communities as well as at the state level. With 100+ districts passing tailored budgets and the requirement for the State to fund those budgets, there are limited checks and balances. H.454 takes bold steps to address both the implementation and funding of Vermont’s education system. TAXES Do you remember receiving your property tax bill last year? If you were like many Vermonters, you were shocked by the increase and vocally demanded change. One of the reasons last year’s bill was so high was that the legislature chose not to hide the increasing cost demands, which we had done in the past by buying down the tax burden with general funds. When we buy down the tax rate, it addresses immediate property tax hikes, but it doesn’t address the underlying cost drivers and kicks the can to the following year. It also means that those general fund dollars can’t be used for other critical needs in our state such as housing, healthcare and workforce development. H.454 provides a framework for Vermont to bend the cost curve on education spending by prioritizing scale in the system, maintaining a focus on in-state, public schools and creating a tax structure that better spreads the burden among all Vermonters with extensive guardrails and off-ramps to minimize the impact on the most vulnerable. In the future, property tax bills will be more predictable and easier to understand. Additionally, the legislature took critical steps to address other cost drivers of education spending, such as rising healthcare costs and a lack of housing to grow our grandlists. STATEWIDE STRATEGY Education stakeholders across the state shared that a statewide approach is essential. In our current system, there is very little incentive for individual school districts to make the hard decisions about scale, down-sizing and governance change. If one district does do the work in our current system, like EWSD has, there is no guarantee that their taxes will go down, because we are still paying for the decisions of all districts. H.454 puts us on a path for a more statewide approach by reducing the number of districts, setting a foundation formula and creating statewide standards for scale. This will require change in all areas, but everyone will be navigating change together. PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SCHOOLS We are fortunate to have amazing public schools in Vermont and we should take every step we can to ensure our public schools remain strong and all children have access to a quality public education. In our current system, there are many ways that independent and private schools can work against our public education system such as high tuition rates, avoiding education quality standards and/or not adhering to the same inclusion requirements that our public schools must meet. H.454 takes a giant step forward in addressing these areas in order to keep Vermont education dollars in Vermont and prioritizing public schools when possible. H.454 is the biggest rollback of tuition dollars to approved independent schools ever. TIMING If we walked away from this vote, we would have lost a once in a generation opportunity to make bold change. It is accurate that this bill is far from perfect, but it is tremendous progress, considering legislatures have been trying to address these issues for decades. By walking away, we would have allowed the status quo to remain. That would have continued to put the burden of an unsustainable system on our individual communities, maintained the current inequities between public and independent schools and guaranteed that our property tax rates will continue to rise at unprecedented levels. By voting yes on H.454, we chose not to let that happen and instead offer a path forward and keep the door open for future positive change. We look forward to the work ahead next session and will remain vigilant in our efforts to gather feedback and understand the full impact. We understand that community members will have a variety of perspectives on this vote. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your thoughts, better understand the impact and explore the considerations that should be made for future steps in Vermont’s Education Transformation. Representative Alyssa Black Representative Karen Dolan Representative Lori Houghton Representative Rey Garofano Representatives Leonora Dodge |
