Vermont voters overwhelmingly rejected Gov. Phil Scott’s call to slash education spending, as 91 percent of school budgets were approved on Town Meeting Day. We discuss the politics of school budgets in Vermont, the impact of education cutbacks, the controversy around independent schools, and future of school district mergers. (March 8, 2017 broadcast)
Nicole Mace, executive director, Vermont School Boards Association
Jeff Francis, executive director, Vermont Superintendents Association
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has proposed a radical change in how education is funded and governed. In his first budget address on Jan. 24, 2017, Scott proposed mandating level-funded budgets for all schools, pushing back school budget voting nearly three months, and funding early and higher ed by cutting $50 million currently allocated to pre K-12 education. Two education advocates debate the proposal and its impact on local control of education in Vermont.
Geo Honigford, president, Vt School Boards Association
Martha Allen, president, Vermont-National Education Association
Vermont education leaders explore the future of education in Vermont and analyze Town Meeting 2015 results, in which 20 school budgets failed.
Paul Cillo, founder and president, Public Assets Institute (first half-hour)
Jeff Francis, Executive Director, Vermont Superintendents Association (second half-hour)
Stephen Dale, Executive Director, Vermont School Boards Association
Vermont Conversation 