Legislative Update - February 16, 2008

On Friday the House Education Committee voted out a committee bill dealing with miscellaneous amendments 11-0. This bill corrected some unintended consequences of last year’s actions and has improved the wording in other areas to clarify the intent of existing laws. The changes were:

>   Independent schools must publish their tuition increases sooner so sending districts can create a more accurate budget for voter consideration.
>   While school construction aid suspension continues, districts will be permitted to request a preliminary review of a project and if successful will not have the construction costs count against their cost per-pupil and the high spending threshold.

>   Districts that place funds in a reserve account for similar projects will not have to spend that money while the suspension is in force, and if they do, it will not count against the high spending threshold.

Clarifications were made in several areas:

>   The existing school choice law for grades 9-12 was codified making it easier for the public to locate the law

>   Existing law was reworded to make it clear that regional calendars are developed by Superintendents and are to be observed by all schools in the technical school region or state aid can be withheld.

>   The law providing for a statewide calendar was repealed.

>   Rules for counting Pre-K students were clarified

>   References to Base Education “Payment” were changed to “Amount” because it had nothing to do with payment and was only a formula used to calculate the State Education property tax and had nothing to do with what a school district spent or received.

Next week the committee will continue its work on Mandates and Streamlining, School Energy Conservation, the Two-Vote Option, and Teen Parenting Education. I will be presenting H.760 for the second time. This bill, supported by the Franklin County delegation, would ensure that Vermont State Colleges and Universities would accept college level courses taken by our highly motivated high school students. The bill addresses workforce quality, opportunity for students, and financial savings for students and parents.

Please let me know how you feel about these or other issues. I also invite you to come to Montpelier to see the legislative process in action. I can be reached during the week in Montpelier by calling toll free at the State House 1-800-322-5616, by E-mail at ggilbert@leg.state.vt.us, or at my home answering machine at 849-6333.

Gary Gilbert
State Representative
Franklin 1
Fairfax/Georgia