Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky: Public education is the bedrock of our democracy
Senator Tanya Vyhovsky here. Having seen politics inside the Statehouse both as a State Representative and in my current position as a Senator, I know this upcoming term is likely going to be a tough one. With the new makeup of the General Assembly and several Democratic losses, many of my colleagues feel compelled to lean to the right. But not me. This is neither the best path forward nor what I believe voters asked for. It is no secret that Vermonters are struggling. The majority of Vermonters couldn’t afford a five hundred dollar emergency expense and are living paycheck to paycheck. I’m not surprised that the people demanded change in a year when property taxes soared with little relief. I don't blame them. I too want change and will be fighting for it in the Statehouse.
One change I have fought for since I arrived in the building in 2021 is a shift in how we fund our education system. It of course costs more to educate a child in 2024 than it did in 2014 or even 2018. The skyrocketing costs of food, heating, materials and the biggest factor, healthcare, affect our education budgets just like they affect our personal budgets. We can and must look at cost containment. Reducing public dollars flowing to private schools -- including the current out of state and out of country schools benefiting from VT education dollars, private schools charging publicly tuitioned students more, and administrative redundancy must all be on the table. However, having worked as a social worker in our public schools, I know first hand that there is no extra in the day-to-day operating budgets. Teachers are often buying their own classroom supplies and going without breaks to staff students who need more support.
Public education is the bedrock of our democracy and was intended to be the great equalizer, bringing education and opportunity to all regardless of their ability to pay. Major cuts to schools will mean lower quality education, fewer support services, or cuts to teacher pay and benefits. None of these are cuts that we should accept if we value equity and democracy. Instead, we have to look at who is being asked to pay to educate our children. Our current system is overly complicated and unfair. The majority of the burden falls on the middle earners while the wealthiest Vermonters only pay a fraction of a percentage of their incomes towards our public schools. By making a transition over the next five years to a fully income-based system of education funding we would offer immediate property tax relief to the Vermonters who need it most while moving to a simpler, more just, equitable and sustainable model for investing in the future of Vermont.
We discussed this model at our most recent public caucus and I will be putting forward language to move us in this direction. As the Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Government Operations and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee I am deeply aware of the many ways strong public education sets Vermonters up for success and is the foundation of healthy democracy. Stay tuned for more on education funding and progressive taxation.
Senator Tanya Vyhovsky, LICSW
