Town Meeting Q&A – Your Questions, My Follow-Up

Today, I attended Town Meetings in Dover, Jamaica, Stratton and Wardsboro and had good conversations with constituents. As always, I appreciated the opportunity to hear your concerns, answer your questions, and take notes on the ones that need more follow-up. Below is a Q&A with some of the key questions I was asked:

On H.454 and Governor Scott’s Education Proposal

Q: How will the new consolidated board be chosen?
A: The governor’s proposal calls for a single board overseeing each of five total school districts. If the legslature were to enact the governor’s proposal as is – and that seems unlikely – our districts would be rolled into a larger district encompassing all of Windham and Windsor County school. From the overview: “Voting districts or wards will be balanced for purposes of proportional representation and will be drawn with the assistance of the Vermont Center for Geographic Information. The proposal recommends that the initial election of board members will occur on General Election Day 2026 with school board members serving a four-year term. Petitions for candidates for school district board membership will be submitted by candidates on the same timeline and in the same manner as candidates for the General Assembly.

Q: Have you formed an opinion about the governor’s proposal?
A: We just received the detail in bill form on Friday, H. 454. I have not read it in its entirety yet. My initital opinion is that it is a plan that is contemplated at the scale neccessary for the challenges we are facing throught the state: declining enrollement, hiring challenges, building issues, taxpayer disatisfaction.

Q: How much money is the governor’s proposal reported to save?
A: The administration estimates savings, but there hasn’t been a clear, detailed financial breakdown. The original roll out estimated spending 181 million less.

Q: Can you talk about how choice will work in the governor’s proposal?
A: The governor’s proposal would connect every student to a public school district and give every 9-12 grade student the ability enter into a lottery for choice.

Q: Has the governor’s proposal included the potential impacts if the federal Department of Education is eliminated?
A: No, this hasn’t been addressed in the proposal, but it’s a valid concern given discussions at the federal level about shifting education funding to states. Vermont receives about 10% of its special education funding from federal funds.

On Other Legislative and Policy Issues

Q: What is happening with BEAD funding?
A: BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) funding is a major investment in expanding broadband access across Vermont. Like many programs, BEAD funding to Vermont has been delayed due to the federal funding freeze.

Q: Can you talk about the relationship between the Legislature, the Green Mountain Care Board, and the Agency of Human Services right now?
A: There are ongoing tensions and policy disagreements, particularly around healthcare costs and oversight. The legislature is working to ensure accountability and affordability, but there’s a lot of work to do. Our largest insurer is facing possible bankruptcy and Vermont’s federally qualified health centers are struggling to stay afloat.

Q: I read that Canada may decide to shut off power to our utility. Is that true?
A: Vermont does rely heavily on imported power, including from Canada. It is unclear if electricity will be ubjected to the tarriffs. It is clear that Vermont is connected to the New Englad electrc grid, and our electric grid will stay operational even if Canada “shut off power”. We would be reliant on more expensive fossil fuel power bought on the market and would likely see increased electric rates.

Q: S.29 – what is the point of this bill?
A: S.29 is a bipartisan bill which focuses on establishing the Chloride Contamination Reduction Program at the Agency of Natural Resources. It has received a significant amount of testimony in the Senate and looks bound for a Senate vote after we return from the Town Meeting Week Break.

Q: Can you detail the big chunks of federal dollars Vermont is reliant on?
A: Vermont depends heavily on federal funding for education, healthcare (Medicaid), transportation, and infrastructure. Here is a detailed breakdown of the federal funds included in the FY 2025 budget.

I appreciate all of the thoughtful questions and seeing you all at Town Meting. Keep your questions coming and stay tuned for more updates!

I’ll be hosting two listening and education policy discussion sessions over the Town Meeting Week break: Friday, March 7th in person at the Dover Town Office from 5:30-7, and Saturday, March 8th online. at 11 am. Additionally, the Speaker’s Office has published a survey to gather input from Vermonters. If education reform matters to you, please weigh in.

Rep. Laura Sibilia