Vermont Governor Phil Scott Tackles Rising Education Costs and Student Decline

Vermont Governor Phil Scott dedicated much of his recent weekly briefing to addressing the state’s education system, focusing on its quality and rising costs. He pointed out that despite education spending growing from $1.6 billion in 2018 to $2.4 billion today, the number of students has declined.

Scott emphasized the need to balance quality education with affordability, as the current spending has not significantly improved student outcomes.

Interim Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders discussed the Listen and Learn tour, which aims to gather input from communities to shape Vermont’s educational priorities.

The tour will inform the state’s strategic plan with five goals: aligning state efforts with regional needs, supporting teaching quality, expanding access to opportunities, improving student achievement, and developing long-term plans for public education.

Governor Scott also addressed the housing crisis, noting that many low-income Vermonters lost access to a pandemic-era hotel-motel voucher program. While shelters are being planned in several areas, the biggest challenge remains in Rutland, where the state is still searching for a provider to run the local shelter.

Public engagement sessions on education will be held between October 22 and November 7 to gather more community input.

 

Leave a Comment