Representative Dobrovich’s Weekly Newsletter

Week of March 31, 2025 – April 4, 2025

Dear Constituents,

As we conclude another week at the State House, I'm pleased to share updates on our legislative activities, focusing on the House Education Committee.

Weekly Recap

House Education Committee

This week, the House Education Committee (and the House Floor) experienced a noticeable slowdown in activity as we approached the final stages of refining education-related legislation. Despite this, we continued to engage in critical discussions and testimony surrounding the future of education transformation in Vermont. Our focus included legal issues tied to redistricting and the governance of career and technical education—both essential components of the broader changes under consideration. We also had the privilege of hearing directly from Vermont State University students and participants in the CCV Early College program, whose insights underscored the real-world implications of our work.

On Wednesday, we received a significant update from Deputy Secretary of Education Jill Briggs-Campbell and Anne Bordonaro, Director of Federal Education Support Programs, regarding federal funding shifts impacting Vermont’s education system. Fresh from a meeting in Washington, D.C., they reported a confusing turn of events. On March 26, U.S. Department of Education officials had reassured state leaders that COVID-era funds, including ESSER, would remain accessible through a late liquidation process, with reimbursements honored. Yet, just two days later, on March 28, Secretary McMahon reversed this stance, upending the Biden administration’s prior commitments. This abrupt policy shift has forced Vermont’s Agency of Education to pause all grant-funded and contracted activities tied to these funds, leaving the state in limbo as it awaits further guidance. Before the reversal, the Agency managed to submit $1.5 million in reimbursement requests, but an estimated $16 million in funds for Vermont school districts now faces a case-by-case review with no assurances of approval. The Agency is actively preparing waiver submissions and supporting local education agencies with their own, while offering office hours and updates to keep stakeholders informed.

The latter part of our week was spent closely observing the House Ways and Means (HWM)Committee as they worked on H.454, the education transformation bill. Ways and Means has been revising the bill, incorporating their own language, including a proposed foundation formula system for Vermont education funding. This process remains highly fluid, and the committee’s deadline to pass the bill out has been extended to Tuesday, April 8, reflecting the complexity and ongoing adjustments. On Friday, April 4, at 5:00 PM, Ways and Means held a straw poll on their funding formula portion of the bill, resulting in a 7-4 vote, with all four minority party members opposing it. You can find a draft discussed during Friday’s session, labeled "HWM Education Proposal, Draft 2.1," here: link to the document. This draft includes the funding language under discussion.

When it comes to the Strike-all Amendment Draft 8.1 of H.454, I’m thoroughly unimpressed with what the House Education Committee has produced, and I’m equally troubled by the path it’s now taking in Ways and Means. It’s not even clear if a full, unified version of the bill exists yet—the process feels like a mess, with fragments still floating between committees. From what I’ve seen, Ways and Means is fixated on a foundation formula that sets a base funding rate of $15,033 per student, tweaked by factors like student weighting, which I fear misses the mark on addressing our schools’ real challenges. They’ve also thrown in statewide property appraisal changes that only deepen my skepticism about this bill’s priorities. As of today, April 5, 2025, there’s no complete H.454 draft out there that ties together the Education Committee’s flawed Draft 8.1 with whatever Ways and Means is cooking up. The bill’s still in their hands, with a Tuesday deadline ahead, and I’m left questioning both the shaky foundation we started with and the misguided turn it’s taking now.

Week in Review

The floor activity significantly decreased this week, with only three bills passed by the House.

Bills Passed:

  • H.494: An Act Relating to Capital Construction and State Bonding – Addressed infrastructure funding.
  • H.91: An Act Relating to the Vermont Homeless Emergency Assistance and Responsive Transition to Housing Program – Aimed at reforming emergency housing (more details below).
  • S.9: An Act Relating to After-Hours Access to Orders Against Sexual Assault – Improved access to protective orders.

Spotlight on H.91: Transitioning Homelessness Support:

Purpose of the Bill: H.91 shifts away from the unsustainable hotel-based model—where 135 deaths occurred due to inadequate services and oversight—toward a locally managed system designed to offer better supervision and support.
  • Key Provisions:
    • Establishes emergency housing assistance through local organizations.
    • Expands shelter capacity.
    • Funds case management to connect individuals with mental health care, addiction treatment, and employment resources. 
      • Significant Cost Concerns: The bill carries a substantial additional cost, including a one-time upfront investment and required base funding, which was not well received by legislators, creating a pinch point as we’re diligently working to minimize extra expenditures across the legislature. This cautious stance is a positive reflection of our commitment to fiscal responsibility amid challenging budgetary pressures.
      • Justification for the Cost: Despite the fiscal strain, the current system’s failure—neither meeting immediate needs nor aiding transitions to permanent housing—justifies the necessary investment in a structured, locally managed approach.
  • Broader Context and Critique:
    • Balancing Act: H.91 attempts to address both urgent needs and long-term solutions, but it’s not a complete answer.
    • Call for Reform: To truly tackle homelessness, we must pursue meaningful housing regulation reform to break down systemic barriers to affordable housing—without this, even strong programs like H.91 will fall short.
  • Current Status of H.91:
    • Missed the crossover deadline and has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee, which will decide if it moves forward this session.

Eyes Up: Looking Ahead

Next week, the House Education Committee has a varied but light agenda, mixing floor sessions and key discussions, with remaining time still to be scheduled.

    Tuesday, April 8: We start with a 10:00 AM House Floor session, followed by caucuses,     then a 1:15 PM session on "Roles and Responsibilities of School Boards" with Beth St.     James from Legislative Counsel.

    Wednesday, April 9: Focuses on H.454, with a 9:00 AM walk-through of amendments        from Ways and Means and Appropriations, led by St. James, Jon Gray, and fiscal                analysts Julia Richter and Ezra Holben. At 11:00 AM, we’ll discuss and possibly straw-       poll these amendments. The House Floor meets at 1:00 PM.

    Thursday, April 10: Meagan Roy updates us at 9:00 AM on the Commission on the             Future of Public Education. The House Floor convenes at 1:00 PM.

    Friday, April 11: Begins with a 9:30 AM Floor session.

Stay Engaged

For more detailed information about all things happening in the legislature, please refer to the official Vermont General Assembly website. Here are some helpful links:

Your input is invaluable. Please feel free to reach out with your questions, concerns, or suggestions. Together, we can work towards a better future for our community and state.

Warm regards,
Joshua Dobrovich
jdobrovich@leg.state.vt.us

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