Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement:

“In January, I proposed a bold plan to reform our public education system, focused on improving quality and opportunities for our kids, stabilizing our funding system, and providing taxpayers with much needed relief. 

“I have been clear: we cannot adjourn this legislative session without a bill that sets us on the course to accomplish these goals, and I’ve appreciated the constructive conversations we’ve had with both chambers to date.

“While the Senate moving this bill forward today is an important procedural step, I still cannot accept either the House or Senate versions. I do however remain optimistic about finding a path forward with the committee of conference. 

“As I’ve said since the beginning of this process, I will only accept a final product that costs less than it does today, sets us on a clear path to achieve scale, reduces administrative overhead, and eliminates inefficiencies that prevent money from flowing towards more opportunities for students. 

“We also need to make this transition as quickly as possible, because as we’ve experienced, the longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to implement the changes needed to correct the inefficient, expensive and inequitable system we have today.”

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