I’ve been knocking doors over the last couple weeks and one of the top concerns voters have shared is whether we’ll be forced to consolidate our small local schools, and whether we’ll keep the ability to send our children to the same independent and public secondary schools.
I didn’t initially have a strong opinion on this topic, but I heard from school board members, teachers, parents, and school volunteers, and I listened to what you had to say. Most people agree that while property taxes are too high, local control of schools is important and the primary driver of high costs is not smaller schools but the cost of health insurance, which has gone up in double digits. Consolidation has not saved us money in the past and people are not confident it will save us money now.
So here’s the position I’ve come to through these conversations: at the state house, I won’t vote for any bill that causes forced consolidation of our local schools. I know some educational reform is already in the works, but there will be changes and updates to it in the next legislative session, so there is still opportunity for us to make our voices heard.
Also, because this issue is so important to so many people in our district, I will make the education committee my first choice for how I want to serve in the state house. It is important for rural districts like ours, not just districts from Chittenden county, to have their needs seen and understood in discussions about educational reform.
Thank you to everyone who’s shared their concerns with me, and I hope to talk to many more of you in the coming days.