By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger Despite more than a year of political focus on the cost of Vermont’s education system, voters across the state by and large backed their local school budgets on Town Meeting Day. According to preliminary results compiled by the Vermont Superintendents Association, just nine school district budgets out of more than 119 statewide had…

VT Helplink, Vermont’s statewide resource for alcohol and drug use support services, is now available to connect with people in Vermont 24/7. For nearly five years, VT Helplink resource specialists have been available by phone and through chat at VTHelplink.org to provide information and referrals to people seeking substance use information and support services.  New this year,…

On Feb. 21, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) reintroduced the Peer Education and Emergency Response (PEER) Mental Health Act. This legislation would support peer mental health training for teachers, school personnel, parents, caregivers, and students.  With an alarming 76% of public schools reporting concerns about depression, anxiety, and trauma in students since the start of the Covid pandemic,…

The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) is announced Jan. 27, the results of a study by Tourism Economics that finds visitors to Vermont in 2023 spent a record $4 billion on goods and services. Researchers also found that 15.8 million guests came to Vermont in 2023, showing a sustained return to pre-pandemic visitation.…

The Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) recently announced the establishment of the David R. Coates Fund for Vermont Disaster Relief—a permanent fund ensuring Vermont communities and individuals have a reliable, immediate resource to prepare, respond, and recover when natural disasters strike. “Rather than create a new fund for each disaster, we are establishing a permanent resource…

Last assessment of this depth was conducted in 2012 The Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) released the 2024 Fair Housing Analysis on Feb. 11. The report examines challenges when it comes to fair housing, progress made, and recommendations for improvement. “Everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to live free from discrimination. That is one of…

By Klara Bauters/VTDigger A virtual town hall hosted by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Congresswoman Becca Balint, D-Vt., drew roughly 34,000 participants Wednesday night as uncertainty over the future of federal programs took center stage. The live-streamed meeting featured a blend of pre-submitted questions — over 1,400 — and live call-ins…

Last Friday, Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark made a final offer of compromise to the issue of extending the winter rules for the hotel voucher program on behalf of the governor. The administration’s proposal, which was presented to the conference committee of House and Senate members working out differences in the Budget Adjustment Act, would…

To date, 160 towns, home to more than 79% Vermont residents, have adopted the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion (DOI), according to a news release last month. In addition, six other municipalities have adopted a DOI but have used language which differs from the original to such an extent that we were not able to list them with the towns…

By Greta Solsaa/VTDigger In the wake of Vice President JD Vance’s ski trip to Sugarbush resort this weekend, the Mad River Valley was transformed into a hotbed of protests against the Trump administration. In the largest planned demonstration Saturday morning, March 1, Vermonters and visitors stood along a stretch of Main Street by the Mad…

Since 2013, thousands of high school seniors have earned college credits via Vermont’s Early College Program, part of the Flexible Pathways Initiative within the state Agency of Education. The Early College Program makes it possible for high school seniors to earn college credit tuition-free at the same time they complete their final year of high…

By Habib Sabet/VTDigger With 25% tariffs on Canadian goods expected to take effect Tuesday, many companies statewide are bracing for impact as that could eat away any margin of profitability for many.  “It hurts. It didn’t have to be this way,” said Kevin Moyer, owner of Vermont Frames, a Starksboro-based timber framing company that uses Canadian…

Pomfret’s informational town meeting was held Saturday, Feb. 22 – kicking off Town Meeting season. I always hope to attend as many of the 25 town gatherings as possible. Still, it is a challenge as the vast majority are held during three periods: Saturday morning, March 1, Monday evening, March 3, and Tuesday, March 4.…

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced their version of the annual Budget Adjustment Act (BAA) on a party-line 4-3 vote (4 Democrats, 3 Republicans). Previously, the House passed their version on a partisan vote as well. The major obstacles continue to be extending the hotel voucher winter rules to June 30 and reallocating $20…

This past Friday was the final day for the first group of legislative pages. Always nice to see the recognition the eighth graders receive for their service with their families present at the State House. Pages serve for six weeks, with three groups comprising the scheduled 18-week session. The Legislature would normally be one-third of…