Dear Editor,
Editor’s note: This is an open letter directed to the Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) communities dated May 19. Similar letters were sent out by many superintendents and school officials including Sherry Sousa at Mountain Views SU in Woodstock.
As you may know, the Vermont House and the Senate have been working on H.454, the “Education Transformation” bill, based on the proposal that the governor and the Agency of Education presented at the start of the legislative session.
We are writing today to update you on the current iteration of the bill, which, on Thursday, May 15, the Senate Finance Committee voted 5-2 to advance.
This bill has many implications for our communities.
Based on current projections tied to the proposed foundation formula, this legislation would result in a significant reduction in funding for our districts. The impact would be immediate and severe: we would face deep staffing cuts along with the loss of academic and extracurricular programs. Perhaps most concerning, the foundation formula in the Senate bill would eliminate our community’s ability to vote on a local school budget, centralizing all education funds at the Agency of Education and removing your voice from the process.
The consequences of this shift cannot be overstated.
A loss of local control combined with substantial funding cuts would jeopardize the high-quality educational experiences our students currently receive. Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union has consistently demonstrated its commitment to supporting robust learning opportunities for all students. This proposal directly undermines that tradition and the values we hold as a community.
Now is the time to speak up and ensure our students do not lose access to the education they deserve.
The Senate’s current proposal significantly underfunds public education, fails to address the real drivers of rising costs, and places an unjustified burden on local taxpayers, without offering improved outcomes or opportunities for students.
Below is a summary of these critical issues, with links to more detailed information for your review.
1. Deep cuts to education, sharp tax increases for some
The bill locks future education spending to FY25 levels and applies a limited inflation index that does not account for projected spikes in healthcare and other core costs. This will force many school districts to make deep cuts to essential services: educators, support staff, and administrators, as well as academic, extracurricular, and student support programs. Meanwhile, many taxpayers will face steep increases, making this both inequitable and unsustainable.
2. No action on major cost drivers
The legislation does nothing to confront the primary cost drivers affecting school budgets: rising healthcare costs, housing shortages, outdated infrastructure, and increasing student mental health needs. It also leaves districts burdened with unfunded and underfunded mandates from the state.
3. Incomplete and risky foundation formula
Rather than proposing a comprehensive, evidence-based model, the Senate has offered fragmented and incoherent changes. This piecemeal approach lacks transparency, undermines equity, and potentially exposes the state to legal challenges under the Brigham decision. For Hartland, this could result in funding losses amounting to over 2 million dollars. For Weathersfield, this could result in funding losses of roughly $170,000. For Mount Ascutney, this could result in funding losses of roughly $60,000.
In addition to the lost funding, the bill eliminates the local community’s right to vote on their district budget, replacing local control with centralized state decision-making.
4. Politicized and inexperienced redistricting task force
The Senate proposes replacing the House’s skilled and educationally experienced subcommittee with an all-legislator task force to guide school district redesign. This would politicize a process that demands education expertise and community representation. Notably, there is no educator voice included in this draft legislation. This would mean further loss of local governance—decisions affecting our schools would be made by those with little to no public education experience.
We are aligned with the Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA) and the Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA) in urging the full Senate to vote no on this version of H.454. The proposed amendments compromise opportunity, undermine sustainability, preserve inefficiencies, and severely underfund Vermont’s public education system.
We encourage you to voice your concerns directly to our local senators:
Senator Joe Major: [email protected]
Senator Becca White: [email protected]
Senator Alison Clarkson: [email protected]
Your advocacy is essential to preserving the quality, opportunity, and integrity of public education in the WSESU and across Vermont.
With appreciation,
Christine Bourne, WSESU Superintendent
Bill Yates, WSESU School Board Chair
Nicole Buck, Hartland School Board Chair
AnneMarie Redmond, Weathersfield School Board Chair
Davis McGraw, Mount Ascutney School Board Chair
