At some point, we have to ask is consolidation really the answer — or is the structure of the system actually the problem.

This is not about closing down the public schools. We need them. This is not about shutting educational options for students. We need options. Vermont currently has the students, the teachers, and the school buildings, both public and independent schools (many of these are cheaper by the way) to build a truly student-centered education system. We just need to organize it for success.

Funding – Education funding must be simple and transparent and distributed through a single, statewide structure. The state sets a per-student amount for general education, with additional allocations for special education and transportation as needed. Funding follows the student to the chosen school. Schools — public or independent — operate within that amount. This shifts the system from funding institutions to funding students.

State – The state’s role is governance, not operation of schools. The State Board of Education oversees the structure, financing, and approval of public and independent schools. The Agency of Education administers it. The state sets standards and accountability but does not dictate pedagogy. To ensure genuine variety and meaningful choice, the current statutory eligibility criteria to receive funding must be revised. As written, those criteria exclude previously approved independent schools and reduces options for students. Eligibility should reflect educational quality and family demand — not arbitrary thresholds.

Schools – both public and independent, govern themselves, hire staff, design curriculum, and determine methods and pedagogy within the per-student allocation. They are accountable for reading, writing, and math proficiency, financial transparency, and family satisfaction. Small local schools should not be closed simply to achieve administrative consolidation or projected cost savings. A student-centered system would allow them to thrive while respecting Vermont’s geography and communities.

Parents – choose the school that best fits their child and family. They may move their child if that school fails to meet their needs. They are responsible for ensuring attendance, readiness to learn, and overall well-being. Choice gives parents leverage — and leverage ensures the system answers to the child.

Students – are entitled to a safe educational environment that meets their individual needs and supports their academic development. The system exists to serve students, not the other way around.

Imagine a system where students can access online schools, join apprentice programs, explore different methods of education like Waldorf or a Classical education and be on the cutting edge of what education has to offer. We are small and rural and it will be hard but imagine a system where every student is in a school that fits their needs and achievement goals. That is not the system we have now. 

NOTE:
This not to say that Vermont schools are bad but that we are spending a lot of money for very little return on investment. We do not need to close schools we need to do things differently. 

Looking at the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or the Nations Report Card we can see how Vermont compares to Mississippi test scores. 

• Mississippi's is in the top 10 for 4th grade reading and Vermont is 32nd for 4th grade reading.
• Mississippi is 9th in 4th grade math and Vermont is 36th which is below the national average. 
• Other grades and subject have been reported and the comparisons continues.
• Mississippi has moved from 49th to the top 10 in less than 10 years. Meanwhile Vermont continues to decline.
• Mississippi's economically disadvantaged students are 1st, Hispanic students are 1st, and African American students are 3rd in the nation for 4th grade reading scores. Vermont's are no where near the top 10.
• The National Report Card has other scores as well which follow the same trend between Mississippi and Vermont. 

While Mississippi is outperforming Vermont in 4th grade reading and math, they are spending far less than Vermont is: Mississippi spends around $12,394 per child and Vermont spends around $27,000. Vermont spends more than double what Mississippi spends for far less results.

And Mississippi has school options beyond public schools. They did not get rid of it they improved upon all the educational options that Mississippi offers. Unlike Vermont who wants to shut down what little educational independence there is in Vermont by ending tuitioning towns. 

EdWatch believes the problem is in the how Vermont structures education. It is time to change. We do not need consolidation we need a complete restructuring of education as described above while not disrupting the students, teachers, and schools where they are and what families have come to know in their local communities.