(04/20/02) Survey results in my district show constituents support choice for public and private schools by 2 to 1. The Vermont House passed a school choice bill which recognizes that public education can be achieved in many ways and parents have the right to select any K-12 school for their child. The bill also allows the state funding block grant to follow the child.

The public school establishment including the teachers union, superintendent and school boards associations and many teachers lobbied hard to defeat this bill. These education overseers were the same groups who opposed charter schools, another public school reform. The bureaucrats look at such reform measures as wins and losses for them and not at what’s best for our kids. Even the Governor, who criticized the House last year for not approving such a measure, gave in to the education establishment and vowed to veto the bill.

The former commissioner of education David Wolk, a man I greatly respect and a strong proponent for education change, supported the choice bill as did the chair of the Colchester school board. Wolk said, “Vermont students deserve expanded opportunities to excel and succeed. Why wait?”

South Burlington’s school board and superintendent contacted me many times to voice their concern and opposition to the bill. Though many expressed support for school choice, they objected to the provision that the block grant from the sending school would be less than our education costs. They’re concerned that the burden would be added to our property tax.

When the choice bill came to appropriations, I amended it to allow tuition students to have priority over choice students in filling school capacity. This is vital to South Burlington since we have a large tuition population from other communities. I also tried to improve the choice “phase in schedule” to increase block grant spending but that failed. However, language was added to the bill asking our education commissioner to assess the fiscal impact on receiving school districts and recommend ways to correct reported deficiencies. We also added language to limit choosers to 3.5% in 2003-2004 when choice starts, and 5% the next year.

According to the house education committee, a very small proportion of students, usually fewer than 2-3%, will take advantage of this new opportunity. Also, there are safeguards in the bill allowing school boards to define capacity limits of programs, class, grade, school building or measurable adverse financial capacity limits.

I believe every child deserves a choice and the selected schools will be more accountable and parents will be more active in their child’s education. Parents will also feel they have more influence on the success of their children’s education because they’ll be their kids advocates and make the right decisions.

Educating kids is exciting and a priority; they’re our future. Every child is different and is entitled to a quality education and the opportunity to learn in the school that works for them. I supported school choice and will also work to introduce charter school choice again next year.

Property tax relief is on the way with the House passing an Act 60-reform bill. What a difference a biennium makes with the House leadership change this session. The Republicans made a commitment to fix Act 60 and eliminate the sharing pool that is so devastating to South Burlington. The proposal approved by the House meets those objectives and satisfies the mandates of the Brigham decision. Highlights of the bill include:

• Increases the block grant to $7010 in 2004;
• Increases the statewide property tax to $1.38;
• Above-block spending raised and spent locally;
• Above-block State aid for property poor towns;
• Eliminates the sharing pool;
• Penalty for towns that spend more than 150% of block grant;
• Reduces local property taxes in towns that spend less than block grant;
• Caps taxpayer limit on tax rebates to $2,500;
• Does not eliminate the homestead exemption; and
• Authorizes Vermont to participate in multi-state lottery.

This bill lowers property taxes in 227 towns by $20.7M and raises $19.1M taxes in the 23 gold towns. Because the sharing pool is eliminated, our community’s net property tax reduction is $1.9M, the most for any community in the state. Our school property tax rate will decrease 18 cents provided school spending continues at its current growth rate and most households will experience an additional tax reduction to their current Act 60 rebates up to $362.

The Act 60-reform bill reduces the unfair and punitive nature of Act 60 to our community while providing substantially equal quality education for all children in Vermont. Equity is established through an identical tax burden based on income and student levels in their communities.

The bill is not perfect, but it’s a responsible step in the right direction and I supported it. The question now is whether the Senate will pass it too. Call them to voice your support.

Thank you for your calls and notes. I can be reached at 658-3975 (home), 228-2228 (State House) and via e-mail.

Rep. Frank Mazur
South Burlington