The Valley Reporter and Waterbury Roundabout are circulating and posting a post-Town Meeting Day survey asking voters to weigh in on how they voted for the Harwood Unified Union School District budget, why they voted that way and what it would take to get them to vote yes on a new budget. The survey asked about how and why folks voted on adding a fund balance to the maintenance reserve fund.
At press time 275 people across the six towns in the school district had responded. Most of the comments are nuanced and thoughtful. Some are vitriolic and over the top. Many express frustration and anger that any community (let alone the 29 others that voted down their budgets last week at Town Meeting) would be asked to face budget increases of 11.94% that result in education tax increases of 22.0% to 31.7% -- best case.
Yes, each town’s Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) helps explain some of why that 11.94% results in double and almost triple the rates of increase, but not all of it. Therein lies the rub with our current formula for calculating and funding education in Vermont. The decades old and often tweaked plan never worked, and is not working and won’t ever work. The relationship between spending and taxing is unclear and unpredictable year over year.
Those who responded to the survey are aware of this and they call it out. They understand that health care costs are a significant driver of education funding increases. They are asking the Legislature to do its job and address education, but also address health care at a statewide level.
Survey respondents and many others are not happy about having to vote against local school budgets. No one wants to be the person who votes against educating our students. No one wants to be the person who votes against art and band and foreign language and athletics and theater.
But folks, who can afford a 22% to 31.7% increase in their education taxes? Some percentage of voters can, but most can’t. Some voted no because they can’t afford the increase. Some voted no to send a message to Montpelier.
When will legislators listen?
