MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont educators are leery of plans from Gov. Phil Scott to control costs in Vermont’s education system. In Thursday’s inaugural address, Scott pitched sweeping plans to rein in spending which has led to skyrocketing property tax rates.

Last year, one-third of Vemont’s school budgets failed and voters sent more Republicans to Montpelier in years in what some dubbed a tax revolt.

Democrats say everything should be on the table to fix the tax troubles, but some in the education community remain wary.

In his address, the governor outlined a multiyear plan to overhaul how we fund public schools and rein in the cost of spending which has skyrocketed to $2.3 billion.

“In too many districts, teachers aren’t paid enough, administrators are tied up in bureaucracy, schools have too much empty space and many are in disrepair,” said Scott, R-Vermont.

He proposes consolidating dozens of school districts and supervisory unions, putting guardrails on local school spending and completely rewriting the school funding formula with the aim of cutting back on staff and the 80% of school costs that go to wages and benefits.

But some in Vermont’s education community see it another way.

“We have to be clear what is the problem we’re trying to solve. We’re not spending too much money in public education; we’re having a difficult time funding it,” said Don Tinney the executive director of the Vermont NEA.

The Vermont teachers union contends the state has enough taxing capacity to fund schools and students’ complex needs. But they say the state should instead fund schools through state and income tax instead of a property tax.

“We believe the income tax is the fairest way of doing that because people are paying what they can afford to pay,” Tinney said.

As for the funding formula, Scott argues more affluent towns that can afford higher property taxes spend more and approve their local budgets, which drives up costs in the statewide education fund.

“Those higher spenders can actually increase the rates of those districts whose kids and teachers are getting less,” Scott said.

The governor is expected to introduce a formula where districts are paid a flat rate and any additional spending would have to be raised locally.

But some worry that will lead to inequitable opportunities for kids.

“There are states that use foundation formulas to keep poor people poor and drive down public education costs and allow for more opportunities for private schools and school choice schemes. I can’t see Vermont allowing that to happen,” said Jay Nichols of the Vermont Principals’ Association.

Vermonters are still staring down a 6% property tax increase if school budgets as drafted pass on Town Meeting Day.

Scott says in the weeks ahead, he will unveil ideas to hold taxpayers harmless and keep taxes flat.

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Following a week of cold temperatures and harsh winds, this weekend will see light snow across New England, including Vermont.

While the snow is expected to cover the entire state of Vermont, this weekend’s snowfall will be calm, with no strong winds to create a storm and only a small amount of accumulation.

Here’s what to know about the timing, location and effects of Saturday’s snowfall in Vermont.

Where in VT will it snow Saturday?

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) of Burlington, light snow is expected throughout the day on Saturday, with the greatest chances of snow in the morning. Most areas of the state will see one inch of snowfall, with two inches possible in the middle region of the state.

While Vermont has seen extremely strong winds over this past week, the wind is expected to die down Friday night and stay mild throughout the snow Saturday. As of right now, the NWS has not issued any hazards or warning for Saturday, as the snowfall is expected to be calm.

VT weather: When will the polar vortex reach Vermont? See forecast of when cold temps are coming

VT weather next week

Temperatures will stay in the 20s throughout the weekend, with slightly warmer temperatures coming in next week. Snow showers are expected overnight from Monday to Tuesday.

Nine of the Vermont Senate’s 11 standing committees will have new leaders this biennium and three will be helmed by Republicans, Lt. Gov. John Rodgers announced from the Senate floor Thursday afternoon.

The committee overhaul follows the retirement, death or defeat of a considerable number of veteran chairs last year — and after Republicans picked up six seats in the 30-member body in November’s election. Democrats and Progressives now hold 17 seats, while Republicans control 13.

Unlike the Vermont House, where committee positions are chosen unilaterally by the speaker, Senate assignments are doled out by a three-member panel, the Committee on Committees, which this year includes two new participants: Rodgers, a Republican, and Sen. Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden Southeast. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, returned to the committee. 

The trio had few experienced senators from which to choose, given that — as Baruth noted in his opening remarks to the chamber Wednesday — nearly two-thirds of the Senate’s members joined the body over the past two years. Illustrating the point, newly sworn-in Sen. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, was tapped to chair the Senate Education Committee. (Bongartz had previously served in the House since 2021 — and had tours of duty in both the House and Senate in the 1980s.)

Perhaps the most significant appointment went to Sen. Andrew Perchlik, D/P-Washington, who will chair the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. He succeeds Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, who retired after leading the budget-writing panel for 14 years.  

Sen. Nader Hashim, D-Windham, will helm the Senate Judiciary Committee, following the death last June of veteran Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington. 

The Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee will be led by Sen. Anne Watson, D/P-Washington. Its former chair, Sen. Chris Bray, D-Addison, was defeated in November. 

Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, takes over the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee from Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden Southeast. Ram Hinsdale defeated Clarkson for the role of Senate majority leader in November, requiring the former to step down from her committee leadership position and allowing the latter to step up. 

The three Republicans chairing panels are Sen. Richard Westman, R-Lamoille, who will run the Senate Transportation Committee; Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex, who will head the Senate Agriculture Committee; and Sen. Brian Collamore, R-Rutland, who will lead the Senate Government Operations Committee. (Republicans similarly made gains in House leadership positions this year.)

Sen. Wendy Harrison, D-Windham, takes over the Senate Institutions Committee from Ingalls, who chaired it last biennium. 

The sole returning chairs are Lyons, who will continue to lead the Senate Health & Welfare Committee, and Sen. Ann Cummings, D-Washington, who will retain control of the Senate Finance Committee. 

Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon, Baruth said the Committee on Committees had intentionally sought partisan equilibrium on certain panels. The Senate Education Committee, for example, which is expected to engage in heavy lifting as lawmakers reconsider the state’s education funding scheme, includes three Democrats and three Republicans. For a bill to clear that panel, four members would have to approve.

“What I intended for that committee… to do is to put out bipartisan bills,” Baruth said of Senate Ed. 

Similarly, Baruth called the composition of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee “very centrist,” with four Democrats and three Republicans. 

“They’re going to have a lot of work to do, hard work, but the one thing I want them to think — to think long and hard about — is any kind of raising taxes or fees,” Baruth said. “The only time I’m looking to do that, if it’s necessary, is if it brings down the property tax.”

Ethan Weinstein contributed reporting.