The Pragmatist

Vermont’s ongoing budget problems have affected education due to the aging of the state’s population coupled with a decrease in the number of school-aged children.In 2000, around 150,000 Vermonters were under the age of 18. As of 2009, the number is approximately 120,000. My K-8 school had about 220 students when I attended, and that school today serves only 125 people. The smallest towns and schools in Vermont have been hit especially hard, and they continue to face difficult decisions about how to provide a quality education with fewer funds and a smaller student population that cannot support the hiring of foreign language teachers, among other issues.
Various proposals have been suggested to consolidate the number of school districts in Vermont. Although union or merger high schools are common, there are still many small elementary and middle schools around the state, many of which would be shut down because of these proposals.
Consolidation addresses some budgetary concerns, as the number of school boards, school district superintendents, and staff will be reduced. It also offers a solution to the demographic crunch, and consolidation proponents praise efficiency. Vermonters spend more per K-12 pupil than almost any other state, which is partially due to inefficiency of small schools.
However, school district consolidation moves away from traditional local control over education spending and the community connection to the school. Many students now face long commutes to union high schools — should we ask them to do the same in elementary and middle schools? The current funding system for education is also one of the most equitable in the nation, as statewide property taxes are distributed among poor and wealthy districts. Performance in lower-income areas has steadily increased since this system was implemented. It is unclear whether current consolidation plans will maintain this equality. I think school consolidation should be decided at a local level, and the property tax system should be revised to continue to distribute education funding around the state equally.
A statewide poll conducted last week shows that Vermonters are sharply divided, with 45 percent supporting the most recent proposal to decrease the number of districts from 278 to 45, 36 percent opposing, and 19 percent undecided.
School district consolidation is also an important issue in the current gubernatorial race. Republican candidate Brian Dubie served for a period on the school board in Essex Junction, and has a long supported school district consolidation, primarily because it addresses budget problems. Democrat Peter Shumlin, on the other hand, is worried that consolidation mandates from Montpelier erode local control over education budgets and decisions. He has said that he will only support school consolidation if it is decided at the local level. A majority of Dubie supporters support this plan for school consolidation while Shumlin voters are divided. Around 42 percent are against the latest plan, while 35 percent support it. How can Vermont make a decision without polarizing half of the population?
Vermont’s problems are representative of a trend affecting states across the nation. School consolidation offers practical alternatives to the current situation, but poses problems of its own. It is essential that we critically consider the implications of proposals of school consolidation and offer solutions of our own.