
PUBLIC ED: H454 – An Open Letter to the Committee | May 29, 2025
Public Education - OPEN LETTER
to the H454 Conference Committee
OPEN LETTER
May 29, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
This letter is addressed individually and collectively to the members of the H454 conference committee.
Seth Bongartz, Democrat, Bennington, Sbongartz@leg.state.vt.us
Emilie Kornheiser, Democrat, Windham-7, EKornheiser@leg.state.vt.us
Peter Conlon, Democrat, Addison-2, PConlon@leg.state.vt.us
Curt Taylor, Democrat, Chittenden-20, Ctaylor@leg.state.vt.us
Scott Beck, Republican, Caledonia-Essex, SBeck@leg.state.vt.us
Ann Cummings, Democrat, Washington, acummings@leg.state.vt.us
We’ve been watching you and your compatriots and education matters for some years.
You and others have created a bill (H454) that effectively is a state power grab. The taking of education control from all the communities around the state. All of those communities are full of Vermonters.
That term, “power grab”. It’s so 1960’s. Let’s just say you’re seizing control from the public. That’s the same public – the citizens of Vermont - who have done a tremendous job at education cost control over the decades. The data shows that. It’s quite clear. [1]
If it matters to you, your reputation could well be in tatters. Vermonters – all of them, will know what you’ve done – for good or bad. It’s hard to hide closed schools.
And the little “make believe” stories you tell the public. Like the one saying, “you’ll save money”. The research doesn’t agree. [2] [3]
If anything, it’ll cost more. We ALL know that.
And the people who really know. Who know all the details. Groups like the Rural School Community Alliance, Public Assets Institute, and others.
Talk to them. That is, if you really want the truth instead of “spin” from the numerous vested interest groups.
Listen, you have an opportunity here. Dump the bill. Cite irreconcilable differences or some such thing. Then come back next year with something better. And for you, personally... You’ll look stronger in the process. You’re choice.
Now, there is one other point of view. You could try to fix this bad bill. There are some important suggestions about that below. And by now, you have received quite a few emails with similar recommendations.
Here’s an interesting note...
The state is trying to encourage people to move to Vermont. And at the same time, it’s trying to crush the school system that many of those possible new residents care about.
A special note, to the political contingent from Chittenden county. You may not realize this; a great proportion of those thinking about coming to Vermont come here for the rural countryside and the small schools. And you want to crush all that? That makes no sense. Unless of course, you’re trying to raid the newcomers from the rural areas and drive them into Burlington. But that would mean doing that on the backs (and wallets) of the Vermonters in the rural areas. You’re not trying to do that. Right?
Whatever a person does to earn their way through life will always be done better with a better education. Trades people, healthcare workers, foresters and loggers, engineers, restaurant owners, even politicians. WE are all better with better education.
Now, back to the idea of new people moving into Vermont. I have 1st hand evidence of people who are doing the opposite. They are moving out of Vermont due in large part to your actions in education over the past several years.
These are smart people, experienced, high income earners, and business owners. They have friends. The friends come to visit. This sounds like a positive thing. These outcomes and actions are the same thing the state says it’s trying to do. Do you really want to push them out?
Let’s think. Who would want to do that? Some sadistic person(s) trying to make a society of “compliant dumbed-down people”? Would you hope for a future of Vermont citizens who willingly accept whatever is told to them without critical thinking? You’re not trying to do that. Right?
I only ask the question because the plans in various versions of the H454 bill discussed over the past couple of weeks could well lead to exactly that sort of outcome.
The aforementioned is for your consideration. Be sure to give it a good think. We will stay focused.
Bill H454 is a bad bill and Vermonters are much better-off if it’s dead.
If that’s not feasible; then at least improve it by making the following 7 adjustments.
- The Education bill MUST provide that A VOTE OF THE TOWN MUST BE HELD PRIOR TO THE CLOSURE OF ANY SCHOOL.
- The Education Bill MUST NOT include any requirements for MINIMUM number of students in a class.
- The Education Bill MUST maintain SUPERVISORY UNIONS (which share administrative services and costs among districts),
- The Education Bill MUST include a LEGISLATIVE BOUNDARY TASK FORCE that is
a. REGIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE
b. ACCOUNTABLE TO THE ELECTORATE
c. TAKES INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS in developing 3 educational district maps to present to the legislature for approval.
d. The Task Force will consult with educational experts and leadership in drafting its district maps. - Should the proposed district maps be found unacceptable to the legislature, the Education Bill MUST
a. provide for an alternative process that requires the formation of Boards of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) and incentivizes voluntary mergers.
b. BOCES allow multiple school districts to join together to provide educational services that individual districts might not be able to afford individually. - The Education Bill MUST provide communities with a statement of the TAX IMPACT before committing to using a foundation funding formula for education.
- The Education Bill MUST PROVIDE TAX RELIEF, by fixing tax cliffs at certain income levels and by providing FAIRNESS IN THE TAX SYSTEM
Bill H454 is a bad bill and Vermonters are much better-off if it’s dead.

W. R. Vaughn
Author Info
long-time Barnard resident | 30 year business owner | entrepreneur | international technology consultant | supporter of small farms & big dreams
Are you NEW to this important Public Education matter - Get Caught Up
Your Turn: The Time to Act is NOW...
Your Politicians Need to Hear From You TODAY!
If you have a point of view on this matter or an opinion; this is the time to get your local politicians attention. If you're in Windsor county, here are the email addresses for your Senators.
- Senator Alison Clarkson, AClarkson@leg.state.vt.us
- Senator Joe Major, jmajor@leg.state.vt.us
- Senator Becca White, rwhite@leg.state.vt.us
You can easily find the address for your representative below.
If you're in other parts of Vermont, you can easily get the email addresses for the your state senators and representatives below.
Keep this in mind. Particularly for rural schools, towns, and villages (that's most of Vermont) -- where go the schools, so go the towns. In other words; If the schools close, the towns are going to struggle for their existence. Think about it. What conclusion do you come to?
If you're looking for a deeper understanding of all this...
And if you're good at "reading between the lines"
The whole movement to take education control away from local towns and put it in the hands of the governor is usually credited to Governor Phil Scott and his newly appointed and controversial Secretary of Education, Zoie Saunders (formerly of Florida). So you may want to look in that direction.
WATCH: Your Politicians in Action, TODAY
Here is a link to the live stream of the Vermont Senate today. Click on the "Live" tab to get to the live stream.
Don't Sit in Silence
Contact Info Below
You can find the email addresses for your state senators and representatives by going to this link and searching by your town name. https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/search/2026