Welcome to Campaign for Vermont’s first Power Alley presentation. Here’s the thinking behind Power Alley.

On any given issue, not all legislators are created equal. Each legislator is appointed to a Committee and such Committees guide the substance and conversation within the Committee’s area of jurisdiction.

These Power Alley profiles focus upon the recent actions of the House Education Committee and the Senate Education Committee with regard to amending the “spending caps” in Act 46, a bill passed last session to reform Vermont’s education system. Click to learn more about the education power alleys.

http://www.campaignforvermont.org/poweralleyhouse

http://www.campaignforvermont.org/poweralleysenate

If you live in the legislative district of a member of the House or Senate Education Committees, you have more clout to change education policy in Vermont than Vermonters who live outside such districts, given that you directly vote for these Committee members. As noted in the Power Alley profiles, Campaign for Vermont considers Act 46 a weak effort to reform our education system, especially when it comes to reducing property tax burdens.

Whatever your view of Act 46, as amended, we urge you to share these Power Alley profiles with your neighbors and be in contact with your elected representatives about their Committee bills.

One final point. Recently a consultant to the legislature released a study costing near $300,000. Here’s a link to that study:

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/jfo/education/adequacy/VT%20EB%20Analysis%2020.1.pdf

The study concluded the following:

“Using data for school year 2014-15, the Vermont EB model estimates an adequate funding level of $1.56 billion or some $163.9 million (approximately 10%) less than Vermont school districts spent for PK-2 education that year.”

Please ask your legislator whether Act 46, as amended, will save Vermont taxpayers $163.9 million and if not, why not.

Thank you,
Campaign for Vermont