The Vermont Legislature adjourned its session Monday night after passing a sweeping education-reform bill.
In January, Republican Governor Phil Scott offered a wide-ranging proposal to reform the state’s education system. While the legislature had to extend its session and schedule a veto session to settle on an agreement, lawmakers announced the terms of the reform Monday, and Gov. Scott is expected to sign the proposal into law.
Cornwall Democrat Peter Conlon, chair of the House Education Committee, outlined the changes to the education reform bill and why they are needed.
“We need to change how we do things so that you’ll receive a high quality education regardless of the high school you attend. And as our Town Meeting Day school budget votes of the last two years showed we need to move beyond a system where school boards gather in the fall to systematically decide what programs and people to cut in order to produce a budget that will pass muster with voters, making the ability to strategize and plan for the future in substantive ways nearly impossible,” Conlon said. “School boards and educators need stable predictable funding. H.454 puts us on a path to achieving these goals.”
Senator Seth Bongartz, a Democrat and Chair of the Senate Education Committee told the Senate caucus that the conference committee negotiations were tough, but friendly.
“I just wanted to hit some of the major features. It retains the cost factor model in its entirety, something that was important to a number of members of this body. The effective date moves to FY29. It establishes a new weighting system and also puts in place some significant additional study and analysis of the weights. And it develops a new system for primary residential property tax relief,” Bongartz explained. “We talk about the tax implications a lot on property taxes, but the real goal is for this bill to set us on what will be a long road to offering excellent educational opportunity for every Vermont child.”
House members voted 96 to 45 to send the bill to the governor. Starksboro Democrat Herb Olson was among the lawmakers opposed to the bill.
“I voted no on the question despite several features related to the foundation formula which I find positive, at least in theory.” Olson added, “But the bill will probably result in closing many smaller schools. Also, some districts will see a significant reduction in funding without any relief from state mandates and other expenses beyond that district’s control. I know we can do better.”
The House and Senate adjourned the session late Monday evening following comments from legislative leaders. House Speaker Jill Krowinski, a Democrat, told her chamber that they have responded to what Vermonters need and want.
“We have answered Vermonters’ call to make housing more affordable and easier to build. We answered Vermonters’ call to improve our health care system. And we answered Vermonters’ call to embark on the most significant education transformation we’ve seen in decades. Vermonters asked and we answered. We took up difficult bills and made them better,” Krowinski effused. “I am so proud that this House across party lines and perspectives chose to govern together.”
In his adjournment address to both chambers, Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, told legislators significant progress had been made on a number of key issues.
“In January I asked that we focus on four areas: public safety, affordability, housing and education and within these areas, you’ve made some meaningful progress. What we’ve accomplished over these last few months is important, but what comes next will be even more important,” Scott asserted. “We cannot assume our many crises have been solved. I look forward to working with you into the next session to deliver the results our communities are calling for and Vermonters deserve.>
No bills vetoed by the Governor were taken up.
The House and Senate will reconvene for the second half of the biennium on January 6, 2026.
