To the editor: Education and healthcare crises are inextricably linked

We encourage all school workers, community members, parents and students to share their thoughts around school district consolidation with the Redistricting Task Force, assigned to create the new district maps per Education Reform Act 73.

The Task Force recently held four public hearings that gave the opportunity to provide feedback on the creation of three maps of new educational districts. For Act 73 to move forward, one map must be approved by the legislature in its next session.

There were no maps — or even drafts of maps — to review at these meetings. Feedback consisted of sharing your general “concerns” and “hopes,” choosing your top three out of six priorities (all chosen by the task force, not by Vermonters), and of all the priorities, rating your level of confidence that redistricting could help achieve it.

They also provided an opportunity to write a letter to the task force, and/or speak for up to two minutes in front of the group. Responses could be recorded on paper or through your smartphone with a QR code that linked to a Google form. Task force members were readily available for conversation and questions throughout the feedback gathering session, which lasted about 40 minutes.

One thing was clear from the hearing at Leland and Gray: The public is not confident that redistricting is going to solve anything and nobody, including the legislature, has any idea if this is even going to save money or benefit our public schools. The task force has no idea if it will produce three maps for submission by its deadline; as the law is written, it can submit “up to” three maps. One committee member even joked, “We may submit none! Can we actually do that?”

Just to be clear, we are not putting down any of the task force members. They’ve been set up to fail at this monumental task that they were given only four months to complete. The discomfort and anxiety in the room was palpable, but they were more than willing to engage in discussion with anyone who approached them.

The final map or maps will be decided at their Nov. 10 meeting. After the final meeting on Nov. 20, they will submit a report to the legislature, which will then vote on it in the spring.

Perhaps task force members were anxious because they understand that Act 73 fails to adequately address a significant driver of the cost of education — the cost of healthcare plans. In the last five years, premiums have increased by 65%. With inflation, the current cost is expected to double by 2031. In total, 15% of all education spending is for healthcare coverage. Gov. Phil Scott claims that solving the “education crisis” needs to happen first, but these two issues are inextricably intertwined.

None of what Act 73 is proposing is going to provide relief to the middle class until the greed of the health insurance industry is addressed. It’s not an elephant in the room; it’s been repeated ad nauseam over the last few years.

You can share your feedback with the Redistricting Task Force directly by emailing:  ADM.Redistricting@vermont.gov

Aside from sharing your feedback directly with task force members, what else can be done?

Connect with your local union leaders to get more information on Act 73, and learn how you can support public schools and organize for change that will support students and communities, not the rich.

Caroline Comley and
Jennifer Harper
Co-presidents
Two Rivers Southeast Education Association